Are Mushrooms a Good Source of Protein

There’s no disputing that mushrooms are an extremely nourishing food, with different nutrients and compounds that make them an awesome choice to add to your diet. But are mushrooms a good source of protein? Today on the blog, we’re talking through the benefits of mushrooms and their protein content.

Mushrooms actually come in a wide variety of types, which we’ll detail below. They’ve been used for years to add flavor to recipes. They are a fungi, but are typically considered a vegetable. The most common types found in the grocery store include:

• Shiitake
• Crimini
• Button (white)
• Portobello
• Oyster
• Maitake

Not surprisingly, they all have a different appearance and different flavor.

What are the benefits of mushrooms?

Mushrooms have a whole host of benefits and are even considered to help fight cancer. We’re detailing a few of the most impressive mushroom benefits below:

• They may fight the growth of cancer cells – mushrooms help increase natural killer cells, which support the immune system and destroy cancerous cells. Mushrooms also have a variety of other protective anti-cancer compounds.
• They protect heart health by helping to raise HDL cholesterol and decreasing the production of cholesterol in the liver. The phytonutrients they contain also support heart health.
• They boost the immune system
• They contain an important fiber, beta-glucan, that has been linked to more balanced blood sugar and improved heart health.

And this is only a very small sampling of the benefits!

How much protein is in mushrooms?

Benefits aside, are mushrooms a good source of protein? To some degree, this depends on whether or not you eat animal protein. That’s because animal protein will always contain the most protein per ounce of any food. In other words – it’s all relative! But in the world of plants, mushrooms are a pretty good source of protein!

While it depends on the type of mushroom, they generally contain between 2-3g of protein per cup. They’re far from a high-protein food, even in the plant realm (options like beans or legumes win the battle here). But, the difference between mushrooms and other plant sources of protein is that mushrooms contain a wide-array of amino acids and are highly bioavailable, much in the same way that meat is. This means that your body is better able to utilize the protein in mushrooms compared to other plant foods.

This is a fascinating component of the story of mushrooms that are often overlooked! Moral of the story? Don’t rely on mushrooms as your only source of protein, but they can be a great addition to your diet.

If you want to skip the shopping and prep, leaving the cooking to us here at Snap Kitchen, we’ve got you. Try our customer-favorite spaghetti bolognese or our romesco chicken for a healthy dose of superfood mushrooms with your next meal.