Mushrooms for Weight Loss
& Good Health
Isn't Dieting Fungi?
Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites
Mushroom Super Powers and Superstitions
Put a little magic into your weight loss plan with delicious mushrooms, a super food.
Mushrooms range from delicious to deadly.
There have been occasions when toxic mushrooms have caused death by 'a mere touch to the mushroom, then a mere touch to the lips'.
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Weight Loss Powers & Mushrooms
Mushrooms are naturally low in calories and contain virtually zero fat. One cup of most varieties of mushrooms contain 45 calories or less.
Mushrooms also have the power to absorb the flavors of foods around them.
Mushrooms have a 'meaty bite' to them and work well as a substitute for animal proteins - although insufficient in protein grams (about 1.7 grams per serving) when compared to most cuts of meat.
Weight Loss Tips & Mushroom Recipes
Another great Mushroom Plus is that they can help carve carbohydrates. On your next burger, substitute a couple of portabello mushroom caps for the buns and save calories while adding extra-meaty flavor.
Or, try sautéing sliced mushrooms in non-stick, butter flavored cooking spray with a side of sauteed onions. Add a little sea salt, a little cracked pepper and a dash of your favorite fresh or dried spice.
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Creamy Chicken Noodle & Mushrooms, a diet friendly lower calorie recipe:
You'll need the following ingredients for this recipe:
1 cup of boned, skinless and cubed raw chicken breast cut into cubes or bite-sized chunks
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 cup of any variety of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of light sour cream (40 calories per serving)
1/4 cup of reduced fat milk
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
2 cups of cooked egg noodles
Also - salt and pepper as desired. You will also need a bit of extra virgin olive oil or cooking spray for sautéing the vegetables at the beginning of the recipe.
The dried parsley and bouillon cube are totally optional. Also, if you can't tolerate light sour cream, then by all means opt for the regular for 20 calories per serving (1 Tablespoon).
You can use any variety of mushrooms and any variety of onions.
You can also add chopped celery and chopped bell pepper (again, any variety) to this dish to take flavors to yet another level.
How to Prepare This Diet Recipe
Start by cooking the noodles in a deep pot. Once the water starts to boil, add the bouillon cube, then the noodles. This will give the noodles a rich, chickeny flavor.
In a deep non-stick pan on the stove top, saute the chopped onions, sliced mushrooms - as well as the celery and bell peppers if you chose to use these in the recipe using a bit of extra virgin olive oil or the cooking spray.
Cook until the onions look clear. Add the chicken and turn to coat in the juices and oils from the vegetables. Allow chicken to cook until golden and thoroughly done through and through.
Add the parsley; stir. Then add the cooked drained egg noodles. Quickly add the skim milk and light sour cream. Stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to suit your personal taste.
Sprinkle with ground paprika if desired. This recipe makes three very generous servings for about 225 calories each. For an additional twist on the recipe, add a few lean 'real' bacon bits (the Hormel brand is delicious and very low in calories).
Weight Loss & Nutrition & Types of Mushrooms
Some types of mushrooms may boost immunity. One of the drawbacks of some types of mushrooms is that some are expensive, particularly the uncommon mushroom varieties.
Types of Mushrooms: Portabello, Morel, Button, Oyster, Skullcap, Witch's Butter, Death Cap, Amanita, American Caesar, Lepiota, Armillarias, Stinkhorns, White & Golden Spindle - plus hundreds more.
Of course, many of these are inedible and some are deadly to humans.
The species that most of us are familiar with are sold at the market and include the Portabello, the white button, Crimini and Shitaki.
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