Considering that it’s National Mushroom Month, here are some mushroom facts.
Who’ eating all those mushroom?
- More likely to be women
- Men consume more when they do eat mushrooms
- 70 to 79 year olds eat the greatest quantity: 27.8 grams of mushroom-containing foods per sitting!
- More Westerners eat mushrooms, as do those with greater than a high school education
- Most prefer mushroom in a cooked side dish
- Younger people and those with less than a high school education prefer mushrooms with beef or on pizza
Health profile of a mushroom consumer
- Healthier
- Better nutrient profile
- More likely to meet the Recommended Daily Allowances of common nutrients
- Eat more daily servings of vegetables
- Maintained more healthy body weights
- More bouts of depression
Effect of substituting mushrooms for meat
- Reduced fat, sodium and cholesterol
- Levels of vitamin D significantly increase
Source: 2003 report to the National Mushroom Council