As someone who’s watched Fantastic Fungi on Netflix twice, I know that all the hype around mushrooms is legit. But while I cook with mushrooms all the time (especially since starting to frequent my local farmer’s market, where I can usually find some pretty cool varieties of mushrooms you’d never see at the grocery store), I’d never jumped on the mushroom supplement bandwagon. Other than a daily greens powder and multivitamin, I keep my routine pretty simple.
I was starting to get the sense that this whole mushroom thing is more than a passing fad, though, so I was curious about supplementation, particularly Force Factor’s Modern Mushrooms, which package up a bunch of popular mushrooms into chews that would apparently not taste like mushrooms at all.
About Force Factor Modern Mushrooms
The Force Factor mushroom chews contain seven types of functional mushrooms that are typically used to support energy, focus, digestion, and immunity. According to the label, every serving (two soft chews) contains 500 milligrams of these mushrooms, which include cordyceps, reishi, chaga, lion’s mane, shiitake, turkey tail, and maitake.
The label also promises that these ‘shroomy chews taste like cinnamon buns—and that they achieve this sweet flavor without any artificial sweeteners (which I’m not a fan of).
Making good-for-you mushrooms taste like a sticky, delicious bakery treat seems like a pretty solid way to get people on board, if you ask me. I’m typically a savory kind of guy, but adding something sweet to my day that also comes with health benefits certainly appealed.
Snacking On The ‘Shrooms
I stashed my bag of Modern Mushrooms at my desk so that they’d be in my line of sight throughout the day (and I’d thus remember to take them). I figured they’d be a nice pick-me-up in the afternoon when my productivity starts to drag a bit and I find myself feeling a bit snacky.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I unwrapped my first two chews—and while they, of course, couldn’t compete with an actual hot, gooey cinnamon bun (what could?), they were definitely pleasant to eat and had zero detectable mushroom flavor.
From there on, I had no issues remembering to take my daily chews. My wife, who happens to have a hardcore sweet tooth, also made a habit of popping into our home office every morning to steal a couple for herself. The bag started to disappear so quickly that I considered hiding it.
Read More: Do’s And Don’ts For Getting Focused And Boosting Productivity
The chews didn’t replace my morning coffee, and I can’t know if they did my immune system enough good to keep me from catching some bug I may have been exposed to while taking them, but they were tasty enough that I consistently took them every day—a win in itself. Ultimately, I felt good knowing that my sweet fix also had some healthy stuff in it that was supporting my body beneath the surface.
Final Thoughts
My favorite way to get more mushrooms into my body will always start at the farmer’s market and end in my kitchen with lots of butter and a cast iron pan—but I’ve got to give these chews major points for creativity. (Cinnamon bun-flavored mushrooms? I mean, come on!) The fact that I got into a consistent routine of taking them pretty much speaks for itself. I’m not sure I would have been as motivated to take capsules every day—even if I did keep the bottle right in front of my eyes. And since the many mushroom-y drinks out there just don’t appeal to me, the Modern Mushrooms definitely stand out as a fun way to get my fungi in.
Read More: Which Mushroom Supplement Is Right For You?