Lads, you might be usually up to eat your meat to keep strong and hard, but what about if there was another super food that helped you stay sharp, drop weight and lift your libido?
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Several studies have shown mushrooms can unlock a host of nutritional benefits that can positively impact your health, appearance, and overall vitality. The Australian Mushroom Growers' Association is encouraging Aussie men to incorporate just 3-4 button mushrooms into their daily diet and cash in on the benefits.
In light of Men's Health Week last week (June 12-18), it would be remiss of us not to jump up about the mighty mushie. And stick with us for a fantastic meaty (sort of) recipe.
Mushrooms are the only food that after exposure for around 15 minutes to sunlight can provide the daily 1000IU recommended dose of vitamin D, which is good for strong bones and teeth.
Dietitian and nutritionist Dr Jane Freeman said research has shown that it is also a nutrient that plays a role in men's health, as vitamin D appears to help contribute to optimal testosterone level, which in turn helps with muscle strength, energy levels, libido, and mood.
"It seems as if vitamin D communicates a signal to the cells in testes, that then actions the production and conversion of testosterone into free testosterone, which is the form that is more potent to male virality." She said.
It's also good for helping shed pounds; a year-long study where obese men substituted mushrooms for red meat found they took in less calories and fat compared with a standard diet, had greater weight loss, reduced body fat levels and shrunk their waist circumference.
Other studies have shown that mushroom consumers generally have a lower risk of dying from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, independent of other aspects of the participants' diet.
Feeling a bit sluggish mentally? Mushies might help; a unique and potent antioxidant called ergothioneineis standing out in trials as an agent that could help prevent cellular damage of nerve cells and reduce the risk of neurogenerative disorders of the brain. As our bodies are unable to make this important nutrient, eating 3-4 mushrooms a day may help stave off a neurodegenerative disease or dementia.
Down the bottom end of business, mushrooms have also been linked with lower rates of prostate cancer. A large study published in the International Journal of Cancer revealed that men who consumed mushrooms once or twice a week had an 8 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer compared to those who did not consume mushrooms. Furthermore, men who ate mushrooms three or more times a week experienced a 17 per cent reduction in their risk of prostate cancer. Remarkably, this association remained significant regardless of other dietary factors.
Now with all of that, we present to you a very ballsy recipe - meatballs without the meat. This writer made some at the weekend and can vouch that they actually tasted pretty good.
Vegetarian mushroom 'meatless balls'
- Serving size: 4
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stalks chopped, leaves reserved
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 500 g swiss brown mushrooms (see notes)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- cup grated parmesan (25g), plus extra to serve
- 1 egg
- 500 g jar tomato pasta sauce
- Cooked pasta, to serve
Method
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add onion, parsley and season with freshly cracked black pepper and salt. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme and paprika and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Add to onion mixture with tomato paste and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms start to caramelise. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan-forced.
- Finely chop 2 tablespoons of the parsley leaves. Add to the chilled mushroom mixture with quinoa, parmesan and egg. Stir to combine. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and arrange on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Brush with oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Heat sauce in a deep frying pan over medium high heat. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then add meatballs to gently coat. Spoon sauce and 4 to 5 meatballs over cooked pasta and sprinkle with extra grated parmesan and fresh parsley leaves. Serve.
Note: You can use white cup mushrooms instead of Swiss Brown. You can easily make this into a vegan recipe by switching the egg for flax and using nutritional yeast flakes instead of cheese.
Find this and other mushroom recipes here.
