How To Incorporate Mushrooms Into 10 Popular Low-Fat Diet Plans

With January just around the corner, many people will have one resolution on their list for next year: a new year diet plan.

Well, we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to wait until January to start a low-fat diet plan with meals that are nutritious, filling, and packed with flavor. 

So what’s the catch?

No catch! Just a friendly “fungi” of ours called the mushroom. Mushrooms for weight loss purposes are the perfect option. They’re easy to incorporate into a variety of dishes and can help you eat a healthier diet as soon as today. 

Here are some of the best diet plans that incorporate mushrooms to get you started.

1. Ketogenic (Keto) Diet

The first regimen that many are adopting as their new year diet is the keto diet. This plan prioritizes little to no carbs and focuses on high-fat foods, setting it apart from other low-fat diet plans on this list. One main benefit of the keto diet is its ability to lower blood sugar and insulin levels by shifting the body’s metabolism toward fat and ketones instead of carbs. And keto diet mushrooms are some of the best additions to take this system to the next level.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Keto Diet

Mushrooms are extremely low in carbs and serve as a fantastic vehicle  to sneak nutrients into many keto-approved meals since they won’t cause you to leave ketosis. Before beginning, it’s best to look into a beginner keto diet plan to understand more about this regimen. Following a beginner, no-carb keto diet plan can get you on the right track to ketosis and help you ease into the diet.

Related: 5 Keto Mushroom Recipes to Stick to Your Diet

2. Paleo Diet

The Paleo diet pushes the consumption of lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds — basically whole foods that came into existence before the beginning of farming practices roughly 10,00 years ago. Dairy products and grains are also allowed in moderation.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Paleo Diet

Just like the ​​keto diet, mushrooms of any shape and size check all the Paleo must-have boxes since they are unprocessed and can be found in nature.

3. Whole30 Diet

The Whole30 diet begins with 30 days of eliminating sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, and legumes. On day 31, you begin reintroducing some of those foods back into your daily meals.

The Whole30 diet may provide many health benefits, including:

• Fat reduction
• Improved energy levels
• Healthier sleep quality
• Decreased appetite
• Stronger athletic performances

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Whole30 Diet

Mushrooms are an approved food for all parts of this low-fat diet plan and work wonders with Whole30 recipes, such as this Hearty Whole30 Veggie Chili Dog dish. What’s even better is that you can use our Monterey® White Mushrooms to add an extra layer of tastiness to this recipe!

And speaking of mushrooms, one of our favorite mushroom recipes that goes hand–in-hand with this diet is our Rainbow Vegetable Kebabs with Italian Marinade. This recipe is Whole30 compliant and can be made for parties or small gatherings alike!

4. DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)

The DASH diet is promoted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and focuses on consuming foods low in sodium but high in potassium, calcium, protein, and fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the DASH Diet

So where does our star ingredient come in to steal the show? Mushrooms are the perfect addition to this type of diet because of their rich and versatile “umami” flavor.

Umami counterbalances saltiness and allows up to a 50% salt reduction, without compromising flavor, according to The Mushroom Council. You can use mushrooms instead of salt for DASH-friendly meals.

5. Flexitarian Diet

The Flexitarian Diet (or semi-vegetarian diet plan, according to some) is a diet that encourages eating plant-based foods often, yet allows meat and other animal products in moderation.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Flexitarian Diet

In 2015, The Mushroom Council introduced the concept of The Blend: a cooking technique that blends finely chopped mushrooms with ground meat. The Blend is a technique for those that want reduced calories, cholesterol, and sodium without sacrificing nutrition. As a result, this technique and semi-vegetarian diet plan go hand-in-hand.

6. Mayo Clinic Diet

Developed by Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic, this diet focuses on not just what you eat, but your overall lifestyle. There are two phases: “Lose It!” that starts the weight loss process and “Live It!” that helps continue and maintain new healthy habits.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Mayo Clinic Diet

The Mayo Clinic diet promotes reduced meat consumption; therefore, substituting Portabella mushrooms for steak or beef patties can be a tasty way to enjoy a meatless diet. Oyster mushrooms are another great alternative with a “meaty” texture and robust umami flavor that make them an excellent choice for seafood imitation.

7. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet

The National Institute of Health’s National Cholesterol Education Program created this diet plan to encourage a heart-healthy diet focused on reducing cholesterol.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the TLC Diet

Mushrooms are a cholesterol- and saturated-fat-free food, which means they can easily be added to any dish to replace meat in order to cut cholesterol.

8. Volumetrics

Created by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., Volumetrics focuses on consuming foods with lower calories but at a higher volume. The goal of this diet is to make you feel more full on fewer calories, resulting in weight loss.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Volumetrics Diet

Volumetrics relies on foods with a high water content, making mushrooms an ideal fit for this diet. Fresh fungi are approximately 90% water and low in calories, with only 22 calories per 100 grams.

9. WeightWatchers

WeightWatchers adjusted their company vision to focus more on health and well-being instead of weight loss alone. They still use solutions backed by science, and their program utilizes a SmartPoints system.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the WeightWatchers Diet

All varieties of raw mushrooms are a 0-point food on this diet, meaning you can sneak this nutritious add-on into a meal without any guilt.

For example, you could make a burger with 80% ground beef and 20% finely diced mushrooms; a six-ounce cooked 80/20 beef/mushroom patty is only 10 points on the WeightWatchers diet.

Related: 4 Reasons to Start Blending Mushrooms with Meat

10. Low FODMAP Diet

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligo-di-mono-saccharides and polyols. These groups of carbohydrates may cause gas, bloating, and possible issues for those with irritable bowel syndrome, according to research.

Incorporating Mushrooms Into the Low FODMAP Diet

Low FODMAP mushrooms include oyster mushrooms (0.54mg mannitol) and King Trumpet mushrooms (0.60mg mannitol). Higher FODMAP varieties to avoid include shiitake (10g mannitol) and white button (6g mannitol), according to The Mushroom Council. This is another great option besides the keto diet for a low-carb diet plan.

New Year, New Cookbook!

As you can see, mushrooms for weight-loss meals are easy to incorporate. But if you’re not ready to commit to a full-blown diet shift, maybe an easier resolution is to add more healthy meals to your dinner table. 

Download our More Flavor, Less Guilt cookbook for delicious and nutritious recipes, many of which fit into the best diet plans already! 

Related Healthy Recipes 

• Kale and Basil Pesto Zoodles with Mushrooms
• Blended Beef & Mushroom Sliders with Apple “Buns”
• Grilled Portabella Mushroom “Steaks” with Homemade Marinade