By Amy McDonnell | Published on May 23, 2017
Mushrooms are a great addition to any boring salad, bland pasta dish or even a classic British fry up. They’re packed full of nutritional value, high in vitamin D and are a great source of fiber. Plus, they’re versatile, cheap and are bound to make any meal better. But what’s the best way prepare them? Fry or boil? Grill or microwave? Does it actually make any difference?
New research published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition has concluded that grilling or microwaving mushrooms keeps the fungi highly nutritious. The study, carried out by scientists at the Mushroom Technological Research Centre of La Rioja, Spain, proved that alternative cooking methods such as frying or boiling can actually decrease their nutritional value.
Grilling and microwaving mushrooms, however, increases antioxidant activity on top of maintaining the existing nutrients they have before cooking.
“When mushrooms were cooked by microwave or grill, the content of polyphenol and antioxidant activity increased significantly, and there are no significant losses in nutritional value of the cooked mushrooms,” explains study co-author, Irene Roncero.
“Frying and boiling treatments produced more severe losses in proteins and antioxidants compounds, probably due to the leaching of soluble substances in the water or in the oil, which may significantly influence the nutritional value of the final product.â€
– RELATED: 4 Reasons You Should Be Eating More Mushrooms –
You may be wondering whether mushrooms can still have their tasty flavour without the prospect of being fried. Well, even though frying might be off the table, the authors of the study noted that drizzling a little bit of olive oil shouldn’t cause any problems. In fact, using olive oil while grilling might enhance the fatty acid profile without increasing the calorie content.
Armed with this new information, what’s the best way to grill a mushroom? Portobello mushrooms are probably the easiest, as they are big and just slip under the grill. Simply drizzle on some olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper and put under the grill on a medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes.
You can chop it up and add to a salad or serve as a burger alternative. The possibilities are endless!
