Why the Blenditarian Movement is a Win-Win For Healthy Eaters

When it comes to losing weight and eating healthfully, many people tend to turn to the latest fad diet. However, these are often restrictive and end up backfiring, creating a yo-yo dieting trend. At first glance, you might think the blenditarian movement is just another fad diet, but it’s not restrictive — in fact, it’s actually about adding to your plate and making healthy, eco-friendly choices by reducing meat consumption.

The blenditarian movement is an initiative from The Mushroom Council that encourages people to add finely chopped mushrooms to ground meat. It’s intended to help people curb their meat consumption, save money and add more plant-based foods to their daily intake — without ditching meat altogether.

SHOULD YOU TRY IT?

Since it’s more a way of cooking than an actual diet, anyone could follow this practice when it makes sense. And if you’ve been trying to cut back on meat while upping your veggie intake, this is for you. Adding mushrooms to ground meat dishes can lower the total calorie count per serving while still giving it a hearty, meat-like texture. In addition, mushrooms provide several important nutrients such as B-vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, copper and selenium, which support metabolism, immunity, blood pressure regulation and bone health.

Blending ground meat and mushrooms can help people eat less meat, especially red meat. Population studies show consuming large amounts of red meat is associated with various chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer, which is why health experts generally agree limiting red meat is a good thing.

Finally, embracing the blenditarian movement offers a way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Not only are mushrooms less expensive than meat pound-for-pound, but they’re also more eco-friendly since they require fewer resources to produce.

HOW TO COOK THE BLENDITARIAN WAY

The mushroom-to-meat ratio varies depending on what you’re looking to cook. Here are some suggested proportions:

25-75 mushroom-to-meat ratio in burgers and meatloaf to maintain the texture and integrity
50-50 mushroom-to-meat ratio for tacos and burritos
70-30 mushroom-to-meat ratio for pasta sauces such as bolognese

That being said, you can always experiment with adding a little more or less to achieve your desired consistency.

About the Author

Edwina Clark

Edwina is a pioneer for dietitians in innovation and has worked for a number of startups as a nutrition strategist, brand spokesperson, and content creator. She is formerly the Head of Nutrition and Wellness at Yummly, where she was responsible for developing nutrition solutions for over 28 million users. Prior to working in tech, Edwina worked in corporate wellness for EXOS, serving clients such as State Street, Google Europe, and Intel. She is a prominent media dietitian and has been featured in SELF, Women’s Health, and Teen Vogue, among others. Edwina hails from Sydney, Australia and is dually credentialed as a dietitian in the US and her home country. She is a former captain of the Boston University Track and Field Team and a Certified Specialty Sports Dietitian. In her free time, you can find Edwina blogging on edwinaclark.com, running, and planning her next travel adventure