Mushroom powder can be added into food. Photo by Stella Naigino
When Irene Mutesi started growing mushrooms, she simply did it to improve her financial status.
Little did she know that she would eat them and benefit from the nutritional values that come with eating mushrooms.
Mutesi today says her health has greatly improved. Her appetite and immunity too have been boasted and she attributes this to eating mushrooms.
Experts say mushrooms have lots of nutritional values and they advise people to include them on their menu and if possible grow them at home.
Josette Sanyu, a nutritionist at New Diets, says mushrooms are fungus that can be eaten in all forms. Some people opt to dry them before preparing them as sauce. Others prefer to eat them fresh while others make porridge out of them.
"Whichever way you eat them, you will still not miss out on the health benefits that come with consuming mushrooms," says Sanyu.
She notes that mushrooms have antioxidants especially the selenium which could help you fight against diseases such as cancer.
She adds that mushrooms help a lot to boost the immunity of people, especially those living with HIV/AIDS.
Children with low appetite could be helped improve their eating habits by giving them mushroom porridge or soup.
Low in fats
"Mushrooms are low in fats and proteins and this could help reduce your risk of suffering from heart diseases which occur as a result of having too much fat in the blood," notes Sanyu.
Rich in Fibre and folate
Sanyu says it also has a fiber called glucan which is believed to lower one's levels of cholesterol.
She adds that mushrooms are also a rich source of folic acid which is very important to pregnant mothers.
Dr Steven Mukasa of St Vincent Hospital Nsambya, says it is important for everyone to consume mushrooms because they contain vitamin B and also help the body to function well.
Preparation
Jamil Mpiima, a nutritionist, notes that mushrooms can simply be steamed with spices like tomatoes, onions and others that you would wish to add. Steaming can be for about 30 minutes and the mushrooms are ready for eating.
He notes that some people prefer to fry them but this should come with little oil.
