7 Reasons to Love Mushrooms after Bariatric Surgery
October 21, 2024Mushrooms after Bariatric Surgery: Ready? Guess the vegetables. It’s fat-free, low in calories, gluten-and cholesterol-free, good for your immune system, very low in sodium, and may contain vitamin D depending on how it’s grown. What’s your guess? If you guessed marvelous mushrooms, you’re correct.
Technically, mushrooms are not a vegetable. They’re included along with vegetables in nutrition education but scientifically are classified as fungi. They are not a true vegetable, as they have no leaves, roots, or seeds and don’t need light to grow. However, the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, considers mushrooms a vegetable when educating consumers because they have many similar nutrition characteristics to other veggies. So botanically, they are a fungi and considered a vegetable for nutrition.
To look at mushrooms, you wouldn’t necessarily think of them as a nutrition powerhouse, but don’t be fooled. You’ll love these seven health benefits to your body of adding mushrooms to your bariatric diet. And, by the way, I’m including all varieties of mushrooms such as white button, crimini, portabella, shiitake, maitake, lion’s mane, and oyster.
Mushrooms after Bariatric Surgery: 7 Health Benefits to Your Body
1.
Mushrooms contain the naturally occurring phytochemical or plant nutrient called ergosterol. Don’t miss this next tip, as it’s quite unusual. With the help of UV light, this ergosterol can be converted to vitamin D2. Not all mushrooms are exposed to UV light, so you need to look on the packaging or shelf labels to find out. Vitamin D is not found in very many foods, so what a great way to help increase your intake of vitamin D.
2.
Mushrooms act as a prebiotic in the body, which means they act as food for your beneficial gut bacteria, such as probiotics. Good for your gut health, mushrooms also support a healthy immune system through interaction with these microorganisms in the digestive tract, also called your gut microbiota, to improve immune cell functionality.
3.
A nutritional power player, mushrooms are fat-free, cholesterol-free, and gluten-free, plus they are low in calories and sodium and may contain vitamin D2 if exposed to UV light, as mentioned previously.
4.
A nutrition who’s who, mushrooms contain more than 12 valuable nutrients, from potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, and niacin to pantothenic acid and B vitamins, including folate and copper.
5.
Mushrooms are umami rich. In the kitchen, from a culinary viewpoint, an easy way to add extra vegetables is to blend chopped mushrooms with ground meat. You don’t lose texture or compromise taste because finely chopped, umami-rich mushrooms look similar and take on the flavor properties of meat. What is umami? It’s the fifth basic taste after sweet, salty, bitter, and sour, with a deep savory, full-bodied taste or flavor profile.
6.
Mushrooms contain selenium, which feeds your immunity. Another interesting fact about mushrooms is that they cross over and have features typically found in beans, grains, and meat. For example, many grains and animal foods are good sources of selenium. Mushrooms are one of the best sources in the produce bin of selenium, which plays a role in feeding your immune system and keeping it healthy.
7.
Mushrooms can help replace higher-sodium foods in your daily diet. Reducing sodium can help lower your blood pressure. Most of the time, you’re told to give something up when you have a medical issue, right? Well, here’s a time when adding mushrooms, which are low sodium, can help replace higher sodium foods. Two reasons: In their raw state, they are low sodium. Number two, because of their umami or savory flavor, mushrooms add rich flavor to food you are preparing—a win-win. When you sear or roast mushrooms, you really notice the savory umami flavor.
Mushrooms and Digestion
One tip about mushrooms and digestion to be aware of after bariatric surgery. Raw mushrooms seem to be well tolerated. However, when you cook them, especially after bariatric surgery, be sure and cut them into small pieces and don’t overcook to the point where they are rubbery. Rubbery mushrooms can equal gastrointestinal distress. When cooking mushrooms, think of it like a do-not-disturb sign in a hotel room. Instead of moving the mushrooms around like a stir fry where they become rubbery, leave them alone and let them caramelize just a little, and that’s enough.
Be sure and try our recipe for Magic Mushroom Burgers: https://www.breakingdownnutrition.com/blog/magic-mushroom-burger
Add mushrooms to your bariatric menu this week. Choose a variety that you like, or maybe be bold and try a variety you’ve never had. Add mushrooms to a salad or omelet or finely chop and add to meat as in our burger recipe. Lots of flavor, lots of nutrition, hardly any calories. What’s not to love?
Bariatric dietitian Dr. Susan Mitchell is host of the podcast Bariatric Surgery Success.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bariatric dietitian Dr. Susan Mitchell is host of the podcast Bariatric Surgery Success. Selected as one of the Best 35 Dietitian Podcasts, Bariatric Surgery Success was chosen from thousands of podcasts on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority, and freshness. With a focus on nutrition before and after bariatric surgery, I help you eat for success while you conquer cravings, emotional eating, and weight regain. |
