Why did the mushroom get invited to all the parties?  Cuz he’s a fungi!

Why did the fungi leave the party?  Cuz there wasn’t mushroom!

Very funny right?  Pretty funny?  Well anyway, aside from their great joke telling qualities, mushrooms have some pretty great health benefits too.  I am going to focus on the Portobello Mushroom, mainly because I will share some really great recipes for them in future posts.

Mushrooms are not really a vegetable, or even a plant.  They are a special type of living organism (fungi) that has no roots, leaves, flowers, or seeds.  Portobello Mushrooms are actually Crimini Mushrooms that have been allowed to grow to full maturity.  They have a meaty texture and are great grilled and roasted.  In fact, you can cut your calorie intake by replacing ground beef with these wonderful mushrooms.

Portobello Mushrooms are a great source of vitamins and minerals, including selenium, copper, zinc, potassium, niacin, and riboflavin.  They also have antioxidant phytonutrients that help support a healthy immune system (guard against cancer), have anti-inflammatory benefits (protect against arthritis) and provide cardiovascular benefits (heart health). Also, unlike many other foods, most of their antioxidant levels are not destroyed by cooking.

So, I say give them a try.  They are healthy and delicious, and I will give you some great recipes using these fungi.

One note of caution though.  Mushrooms contain naturally occurring substances called purines.  So, if you have kidney problems or gout, you should limit or avoid intake of purine containing foods.