“Already out of lunch ideas after the first weeks of school? Dietitians have some practical tips to help your kids increase their vegetable & fruit and milk product intake which are two problems areas for many school-age boys and girls,” says Mary Sue Waisman, registered dietitian.
Try one or more of these tips to keep lunches nutritious, delicious and fun: • Keep supplies handy to make packing lunches easier. • Work with your family to make a list of appealing healthy lunch options and keep it on the fridge so it's always handy. Make sure there are at least a few favourites on the list for each family member. • Invite your child into the kitchen to become the lunch-making chef!
According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, 59% of Canadian children and adolescents reported consuming less than 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. In addition, 61% of boys and 83% of girls aged 10 to 16 did not get the recommended 3 to 4 servings of milk and alternatives. As a result, your child could be missing out on key nutrients to help them grow well and do their best in school.
100 grams of fresh Canadian mushrooms count as 1 serving of Fruits & Vegetables, and with so many ways to enjoy them, you will have no problem incorporating them into your families meals. For more meal planning tools and resources visit the Dietitians of Canada's website. Delicious mushroom recipe ideas can be found in our Recipe Library.
This video really hits home for me. It is amazing to see how much food is imported into Canada, even though we grow/farm those products right here.
One thing is for sure, Canadian mushrooms are grown fresh every day here in Canada. There is no seasonality, they are grown and picked 365 days a year.
One way to be sure you are purchasing Canadian mushrooms is to check the label or the bulk box to make sure that it says "Product of Canada."
If you cannot find Canadian products, ask! The most powerful thing you can do is request your grocery store buys local products. This movement starts with you!
So far, so good with the Mushroom Monday Challenge! I hope that it is encouraging you to explore the different types of mushrooms, as well as all the different ways you can serve fresh mushrooms, because really... the possibilities are endless!
Here's another quick and easy recipe from my kitchen.
Easy Oven Roasted Vegetables Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time: 15-20 min.
This recipe was a quick side dish to my Tuna Casserole. I felt like I needed more veggies on my plate, so I raided my fridge for whatever I could find. The baby bella mushrooms I used added a nice meaty texture to the dish, and absorbed the flavour of the dressing nicely. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand; zucchini, carrots, and even corn would make a nice addition. This fast side dish recipe could also be used over pasta or rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients 1/2 large green pepper, cut into chunks 1/2 large red pepper, cut into chunks 1/4 onion, thickly sliced 5 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half 2 tablespoons sundried tomato & oregano salad dressing
Method 1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). 2. Cut up all veggies, and place in a glass baking dish. 3. Drizzle with sundried tomato and oregano salad dressing, or use any oil-based salad dressing you may have on hand. 4. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender. 5. Serve hot as a side, or on top of pasta or rice for a complete meal.
Did you know that here in Canada, September 14th-18th is Prostate Cancer Awareness Week? It is with good reason, as prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men.
The Canadian Cancer Society statistics estimate that 25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009, and 4,400 will die from it.
The good news is, research shows 30 to 35 percent of all cancers can be prevented by eating well, being active and not being overweight. Along with physical activity and not smoking, healthy eating is one of the cornerstones for cancer prevention.
The Canadian Cancer Society recommends choosing 5 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit every day to reap the benefits of their disease-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals. As they are low in calories and fat, have very little carbohydrate and provide some fibre, fresh mushrooms are a delicious way to eat healthy. In addition, emerging research suggests that nutrients in mushrooms, specifically beta-glucans and selenium, may have potent anti-prostate cancer activity.
Beta-Glucans
Beta-glucans, a type of carbohydrate, found in Maitake mushrooms, destroyed human prostatic cancers cells in a laboratory setting.
Selenium
Researchers in the Netherlands found that men who ate the most selenium in their diet had a 31% lower risk of developing prostate cancer.
Eating foods rich in selenium may also lower the likelihood of developing prostate cancer and slow prostate cancer tumor progression according to results from the Physicians’ Health Study.
A single 100 gram serving of fresh crimini mushrooms provides 37% of your Daily Value of Selenium.
Check Us Out: Mushroom News Online brings together all the interesting and delicious mushrooms stories from the web to one place. Get all your mushroom info right here!
News Finds:
Mushrooms: Can They Prevent Colds and Flu? Are you looking for a natural way to prevent colds and viruses this season? Mushrooms are a plant based food that will keep your immune system primed and ready!
Kebabs feature classic Greek flavours Marinated mushrooms and pork tenderloin quickly absorb the wonderful flavours of the classic Greek kebab. Serve with rice or orzo pilaf.
Strawberries and Kale and Mushrooms, Oh My! Meghan Telpner, a Toronto-based nutritionist, used to hate the taste of mushrooms, but after a tour of an Organic mushroom farm she started to see the potential in the delicious and healthy fungi.
Seared salmon and wild mushroom ragu Get into the mood for autumn with a hearty and delicious meal. Celebrated chef Charlie Palmer, cookbook author and owner of Aureole in New York City, shares his recipe for a filling dish that will warm your belly.
Fall Green Salad With Roasted Mushrooms and Pear Vinaigrette Stephanie Witt Sedgwick is a big mushroom lover, whether they're raw or cooked, in salads, soups, eggs or stews, but her latest, greatest way to use fresh mushrooms is in this salad.
Please note that links provided will redirect to another website. Mushrooms Canada does not endorse or take any responsibility for content provided on such websites.
I love getting emails from all of you about Mushroom Monday recipes, but today I was lucky enough to receive a handwritten recipe from Mary E. in London, Ontario.
She wanted to share her tried, tested and true pickled mushroom recipe with everyone...
Quick Pickled Mushrooms
1 pkg mushrooms 1/2 cup oil 3 tbsp white vinegar 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup table salt 2 cloves chopped garlic Fresh Basil 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Wipe mushrooms and trim stems. Combine with ingredients in a glass, stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Cover and cook mushrooms for 8-10 minutes. Chill in marinade. Makes about 1 pint for immediate use.
She also noted that she has tried this recipe with portabellas, and even added some chopped red peppers (but preferred it without.)
Thanks Mary for sharing your favourite recipe with us!
Do you have any favourite Mushroom Monday recipes? You can leave your experiences in the comments section of this post, email me, or blog about the Mushroom Monday Challenge on your own blog.
The process of growing mushrooms has mystified people for years, leading to the misconception that mushrooms grow in straight manure. This belief has cause people to clean mushrooms in very unusual ways. From peeling to scrapping out the gills, people will try almost anything to get that dirt off the mushrooms.
Not very often is the question asked, what exactly are those specs of dirt on the mushrooms?
That dirt is most often sterilized peat moss. All Canadian mushroom growers use peat moss as the ‘casing layer’ on the top of the mushroom beds. Mushrooms are grown in beds in large growing rooms. The beds are made of wood, steel or aluminum. Before each crop is planted, the rooms and beds are sterilized at 160°F (71°C) for 24 hours, this ensures they will start with clean equipment.
The beds are then filled with a growth medium called substrate, which supplies carbon and nitrogen nutrients. The substrate is pasteurized at 136°F (58°C) for 8 hours before the mushroom ‘spawn’ are mixed into it. Spawn is mushroom mycelia attached to sterile grain, such as millet or rye. It is the seedstock of mushrooms. Spawn is delivered to the grower, in sealed bags from sterile laboratories that specialize in mushroom mycelia genetics.
In the beds, the substrate layer is about 8 inches (20 cm) thick. Two inches (5 cm) of peat moss is spread over the substrate to supply moisture. This is called the ‘casing layer’. The mushroom mycelia permeate throughout the substrate and grow up through the casing layer. By controlling the temperature, humidity, oxygen and CO2, the grower stimulates the mycelia to form mushrooms on the surface of the peat moss. The whole process from spawning to harvest takes about 14 days.
So what should you do to remove the specs of dirt? Simply give the mushrooms a quick rinse under cold running water and pat dry just before you enjoy them!
Mushrooms Canada would like to congratulate this year's winner of the Cap Crew Back to School Colouring Contest:
Amy M. from Peterborough, Ontario
Amy has won a fabulous new Back to School Prize Pack, valued at $150, it included:
Backpack
Lunch bag
Markers
Pencil Crayons
Crayons
Paper
Writing Supplies
Binders
Duotangs
and much more!
Once again, thank you to all who entered.
Be in the know! Sign up for the Mushrooms Canada Mailing List and receive our monthly recipe ideas, our quarterly newsletter, and invites to great contests. Never miss a Mushrooms Canada contest again!
Funding for this project has been granted through the Canada-Ontario Research and Development Program,
as funded by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
This recipe was a quick side dish to my Tuna Casserole. I felt like I needed more veggies on my plate, so I raided my fridge for whatever I could find. The baby bella mushrooms I used added a nice meaty texture to the dish, and absorbed the flavour of the dressing nicely. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand; zucchini, carrots, and even corn would make a nice addition. This fast side dish recipe could also be used over pasta or rice for a complete meal.
