PG Web Extra: Mushrooms’ Health and Convenience

Shoppers may be interested to learn that mushrooms are not only a versatile and flavorful ingredient, they’re also loaded with nutritional value.

“One of the larger marketing initiatives for Watsonville, Calif.-based Monterey Mushrooms has been promoting health benefits within the category, including one in particular: vitamin D,” says VP of Sales and Marketing Mike O’Brien. “They are the only produce item with natural vitamin D, important not only for bones, but essential for a healthy immune system.”

Mushrooms are also low in calories and an excellent source of B vitamins and minerals such as selenium, copper, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and manganese.

Of course, convenience is always a factor when selling fresh produce, notes O’Brien. Recipes, sampling and demos that show shoppers how to make tasty mushroom dishes in minutes further the cause, as do value-added items. As he observes, “Any time you offer a meal solution to consumers, it moves the needle.”