Did you know a single portobello mushroom has more potassium than a banana or a glass of orange juice? Or that brown rice has four times as much fiber as white rice? Nutrition secrets like these are your golden ticket to healthy living. Here’s another — brown rice and mushrooms form a formidable health combination. Brown rice has more magnesium, selenium and fiber than its white counterpart. Magnesium is important for bone, nerve and muscle health, while fiber boosts each meal by making you feel fuller, longer. A good dose of fiber also helps keep blood sugar steady.
To maximize the health properties of brown rice, dietitians recommend pairing it with other vitamin-stacked ingredients, such as mushrooms.- naturally overflowing with essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals.
White button mushrooms promote immune support by upping the production of antiviral proteins and immune system cells while crimini and shiitake mushrooms have nearly half the recommended daily intake of selenium, a vital antioxidant. Fungi of all kinds are loaded with the following other nutrients: vitamin D, iron, potassium, B vitamins and copper. The effects of vitamin-packed mushrooms are just as plentiful — they increase your metabolism, lower blood pressure and promote bladder health.
Adding mushrooms to a dish with brown rice is an easy way to increase the health value of any meal. Try the following delicious recipe from www.riceselect.com:
WALNUT, MUSHROOM & SPINACH RICE
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 (3oz.) package light cream cheese, cubed
- 2 cups fresh spinach, torn
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups Texmati Brown Rice
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; cook until soft, 2 to 4 minutes. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add rice; stir until well blended and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. In large bowl, combine rice mixture, spinach, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, salt and pepper. Toss well.
