<p>The Mushroom Council is set to kick off its inaugural “Swap It or Top It” summer promotion on June 1. The contest challenges consumers to spice up traditional grilling recipes with mushrooms for a chance to win $5,000.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“The Trend is to Blend,” said President Bart Minor, “Mushrooms and meat are a natural pairing, this contest will elevate the concept with the consumer while increasing mushroom sales.”<img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/swap-it-cropped.jpg" alt="IMAGES MAY 27 2013" />Summer grilling represents a huge opportunity for increased mushroom consumption. It’s the ideal time as consumers are looking for lighter fare, to create retail sales lift, increase shopper awareness, and build mushroom impulse buys.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Deemed “Swap it or Top It,” the promotion highlights the two cooking techniques that allow mushrooms to add their healthy flair to summer favorites. Swapping is the process of exchanging meat for mushroom: for example by swapping 50 percent of beef in a burger with finely ground mushrooms, calories, fat, and saturated fat intake are drastically reduced. Topping involves garnishing dishes with mushrooms to add more vegetables to a plate.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Premier Mushrooms President Bob Murphy states, “By supporting ‘Swap It or Top It,” retailers can uphold promoting healthier choices to consumers at their market, which consumers continue to demand.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The council also offers POS materials to promote the program. The contest is held in partnership with the Produce for Better Health Foundation and MyPlate to further amplify awareness.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Categories for entry include: Swapability/Blendability, Best Topped Burger, and MyPlate Burger. Consumers can enter one, two or all three categories. The top two recipes in each category will be put to public vote to determine the grand prize winning recipes. With a total of $8,500 up for grabs, the grand prize winner<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">will walk away with $5,000 in cash and gift cards. The contest begins Saturday, June 1on MushroomInfo.com.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://mushroomcouncil.org/" target="_new">Mushroom Council </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
