Study Finds Mushrooms are as Filling as Meat

A new study published this month in research journal Appetite found that mushrooms are as satiating as meat. Researchers at the University of Minnesota split a group of 17 women and 15 men into two groups that consumed an equal amount of calories twice per day, one derived from meat and the other from mushrooms. The 10-day study found that participants in the mushroom group reported significantly less hunger, a greater feeling of fullness, and decreased desire to eat later in the day. “Consumers are interested in the benefits of protein food choices,” Mushroom Council nutrition researcher Mary Jo Feeney said, “so it’s important for them to know that plant-based sources of protein, such as mushrooms, can be satisfying.” A separate study conducted in May found similar results—wherein 65 percent of participants reported that plant-based foods were just as “meaty and satisfying” as animal products.