Is a Mushroom a Vegetable, a Fungus, or a Fruit?

There are thousands of different types of mushrooms, but the ones you’re probably most familiar with include white button, portobello, shiitake, and cremini mushrooms, to name a few. 

Mushrooms aren’t technically a vegetable but are considered a vegetable in culinary and nutrition terms. They aren’t a type of fruit, but are instead a type of fungus – edible, of course!

So why are mushrooms considered vegetables, and what exactly is a fungus? We’ll answer those questions and more in this article!

Are mushrooms considered vegetables?

Many foods we believe to be vegetables aren’t technically considered vegetables at all – just look at tomatoes and pumpkins!

Mushrooms fall into this category as well. They’re not technically considered a vegetable because they aren’t a plant-based food. However, mushrooms are generally considered a vegetable in broader, more relaxed culinary and nutrition terms. 

Mushrooms are used in ways like actual vegetables are, such as in savory dishes, topping pizza, etc, and their nutritional profile is similar to other vegetables (low in calories, generally low in carbohydrates, not a significant source of protein or fat, etc.).

So what is the definition of a vegetable? Put in the simplest terms, vegetables are the edible portions of plants. Because mushrooms are technically a type of fungus (more on that soon!), that means that they can’t also be a vegetable since fungi aren’t plants.

Mushrooms = fungi

So mushrooms aren’t a vegetable, but they’re considered a type of fungus. Fungi (the plural of fungus) are a “species of organisms of the kingdom Fungi, which includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts (plant diseases), mildews, molds, and mushrooms.” (Brittanica definition)

Notice that Fungi is an entirely separate kingdom in biological classification, much like the animal kingdom (Animalia) or the plant kingdom (Plantae). All vegetables are in the plant kingdom, so a mushroom can’t technically be a vegetable any more than a cheetah could!

While many types of fungi live in soil or water, some types of fungi form parasitic or symbiotic (a mutually beneficial relationship between two different organisms) relationships with animals or plants.

Unlike plants, which gain energy from photosynthesis (using nutrients to obtain food), mushrooms get their energy by absorbing nutrients like sugar and protein from decomposing plants in their surrounding environment, such as the soil.

Are mushrooms a type of fruit?

Not all fruit is sweet, so that shouldn’t be the main way to differentiate whether a food is a fruit, vegetable, or something else. Fruit comes from flowers and contains seeds – since neither is true of mushrooms, we can say with certainty that mushrooms aren’t a type of fruit.

Nutritional benefits of mushrooms

Like vegetables, mushrooms offer a host of potential health benefits!

• Some mushrooms are a source of vitamin D, a nutrient that helps promote bone health. Deficiencies in vitamin D are common and can cause symptoms like fatigue, bone pain, hair loss, and depression.

• Mushrooms are a good source of ergothioneine, a type of amino acid that has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help prevent cell damage and inflammation, which can help reduce your risk of getting certain types of cancer.

• Mushrooms might help reduce levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while helping to boost your HDL (good) cholesterol, according to studies! They might also help reduce triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood that can be associated with fatty liver disease.

• Because they are low in calories and carbohydrates, mushrooms can be a helpful addition to your diet if you’re working to maintain your weight or manage your blood sugar levels.

Are mushrooms high in protein?

Mushrooms are higher in protein compared to many vegetables because they contain more amino acids, the building blocks of protein. In fact, mushrooms are considered a complete protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids (the ones your body can’t make and needs to obtain from your diet). 

You might have noticed that mushrooms are a popular ingredient in vegan dishes as a meat substitute, such as large grilled portobello mushrooms. While mushrooms are relatively high in protein given their mass (around 20% of their dried mass is protein), a cup of diced portobello mushrooms contains just shy of two grams of protein, which isn’t a significant source of protein.

However, when combined with other sources of protein, mushrooms can help contribute essential amino acids to your diet, helping to meet your protein needs!

Nutritional information for mushrooms

Here are the nutritional stats for one cup of mushroom pieces:

Calories	16
Fat	0.2 g
Carbohydrates	2.3 g
Sugars	1.4 g
Dietary fiber	0.7 g
Protein	2.2 g

Source: USDA

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