Monterey Mushrooms Celebrates the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
WATSONVILLE, CA - The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) for 2015-2020 have been released, and they have a lot of produce companies smiling. The 2015-2020 DGA supports the adoption of healthy dietary patterns that are plant and grain focused, citing vitamin D, potassium, and dietary fiber as under-consumed nutrients—all which can be found in mushrooms! Companies like Monterey Mushrooms will help consumers incorporate these nutrients into their diets to meet the guidelines, the mushroom provider says.
“For us, this means more mushroom consumption across America and what better way to promote mushrooms than through their health benefits,” said Mike O’Brien, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “People are changing their diets for health reasons and that’s where mushrooms come in.”
Mushrooms respond to UV light in the same way humans and other animals convert a form of cholesterol into vitamin D, according to a press release. Monterey Mushrooms says that by exposing mushrooms to UV-B light for a short period of time, it assists the mushroom in producing precise levels of vitamin D in a natural way. As a result, mushrooms can provide 100% of the recommended value of vitamin D. Mushrooms are the only source of vitamin D in the produce aisle, the company says, and one of very few non-fortified food sources.
“We are excited about the opportunity to play an even bigger role in helping people achieve a healthy diet,” said John Kidder, Monterey Mushroom’s Vice President of Product Development. “What makes Monterey Mushrooms unique is that we’re the only commercial grower/packer/shipper who offers a full line of mushrooms high in vitamin D. Years ago we worked with the USDA to replicate what happens in nature when mushrooms growing in the wild are exposed to sunlight.”
O’Brien offered one easy way to incorporate mushrooms in your menu—blending them. Mushrooms and ground meat blend seamlessly to add an extra serving of vegetables to the plate and extend your portion size, providing a simple way to keep off the pounds.
