Highest Protein Mushrooms – The Ultimate Guide
Mushrooms can add more than just texture and taste to a meal. They are a great source of protein and can be the perfect addition to vegan or vegetarian diets.
The meaty texture and flavor of mushrooms, and the decent protein content, make them a good meat substitute.
Not only do mushrooms contain protein, but they have some other great vitamins and minerals that you can benefit from too.
If you are looking to add more protein to your diet, but avoid meat products, which are the highest protein mushrooms? There are a few mushrooms that have a higher protein content than the rest. These include oyster mushrooms, morel mushrooms, white button mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and more. Oyster mushrooms come out on top, but the others can offer good protein to your diet too.
Whether you are looking for a mushroom to add substance to a meal or one to snack on, take a look through the below list to find out which mushrooms have the highest protein content!
Are Mushrooms A Good Source Of Protein?
The different types of mushrooms have different protein and nutrient contents, so if you are looking for a good source of protein, you do have to do some research on which would be best for your diet.
Mushrooms are not necessarily considered a high protein food, as most types of mushrooms only contain between 5-7% of the daily recommended value for protein.
However, they do work well to add additional protein to your meals and to replace meat in meat-free diets.
You can also enjoy mushrooms as a snack during the day, to add a little more protein to your diet without having to prepare a full meal!
The Highest Protein Mushrooms
We have listed the mushrooms with the highest protein content, from the highest to the lowest.
There is a good range of flavors and textures of mushrooms on the list, so you can really experiment with your cooking and how you enjoy the mushrooms!
Some of the mushrooms on the list are fairly easy to come across at the grocery stores, but some others are more difficult to find, and you might have to visit specialty stores or order them online.
These are the mushrooms with the highest protein content, and some tips on how to enjoy them!
Oyster Mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are often considered a delicacy and can be such a delicious addition to a meal. They are fan or oyster-shaped and can either be white, tan, or gray.
Oyster mushrooms are very popular in Asian meals, but they can adapt well to many different dishes and recipes.
You can prepare oyster mushrooms in a variety of ways, as their sturdy texture holds up well. They can be grilled, fried, roasted, sauteed, and even served in casseroles and soups.
As they have become more popular worldwide, they are easier to find in most grocery stores.
Oyster mushrooms contain the highest protein content, and also contain a wide range of other vitamins and nutrients. Oyster mushrooms provide a high protein content and are a source of riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B5.
A 100g serving of oyster mushrooms contains:
- 7% DV protein
- 25% DV niacin
- 13% DV pantothenic acid
- 21% DV riboflavin
- 12% DV potassium
Morel Mushrooms
Morel mushrooms have quite a unique texture. They are spongy and fairly unique and have quite an earthy flavor to them.
The color of morel mushrooms ranges from dark to light cream, but if you are picking some out, look for darker ones as these have a better flavor.
As they are hard to grow and need to be foraged, morel mushrooms can be difficult to come by, so you will have to find specialty stores that keep them or visit your local farmers market.
When cooking morel mushrooms, they are best when sauteed or grilled, as this makes the most of their spongy texture. The earthy notes can be quite noticeable, but this can complement many other flavors quite well.
While hard to come by, it is definitely worth looking out for morel mushrooms as they are high in antioxidants and full of good nutrients and minerals, as well as having a decent protein content.
They are also a good source of iron, potassium, fiber, and vitamin D.
A 100g serving of morel mushrooms contains:
- 6% DV protein
- 68% DV iron
- 25% DV vitamin D
- 10% DV fiber
White Button Mushrooms
White button mushrooms are the most common mushrooms found in stores and are used at home in most recipes. They are so versatile, and can be used in just about every dish you could want to cook at home!
The mild texture of white button mushrooms, as well as the subtle taste, allows them to blend in well with other ingredients and not be overpowering.
You can cook white button mushrooms just about any way you could want, whether frying, roasting, sauteeing, topping them on a pizza, or adding them to pasta.
White button mushrooms can also be enjoyed raw, sliced up as a snack, or added raw to a salad. However, the flavor of white button mushrooms is brought out more when cooked.
Out of all the mushrooms, white button mushrooms have the highest riboflavin content, and have a good selenium content too, which is great for the immune system. They are also high on this list thanks to their good protein content!
A 100g portion of white button mushrooms contains:
- 6% DV protein
- 24% DV riboflavin
- 15% DV pantothenic acid
- 18% DV niacin
- 16% DV copper
- 13% DV selenium
Enoki Mushrooms
You might not be too familiar with enoki mushrooms, but they are a popular mushroom enjoyed in China, Korea, and Japan. They are low in calories, but high in protein, which makes them suitable for a few different diets.
Enoki mushrooms have a great nutrient and vitamin content, but they are also such a delicious mushroom too.
They are an interesting mushroom with long thin stalks and small, slight heads. The color ranges from off-white to light brown, and all taste great.
Some of the nutrients and vitamins that enoki mushrooms contain include folate, niacin, thiamin, and fiber. They are a good choice for protein when you want to watch your calorie intake.
A 100g portion of enoki mushrooms contains:
- 5% DV protein
- 12% DV thiamin
- 30% DV niacin
- 13% DV folate
- 11% DV pantothenic acid
- 11% DV fiber
Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are a very popular mushroom and are found in many different Vietnamese and Asian dishes.
Shiitake mushrooms are mostly found on decaying trees and can be foraged if you know what you are looking for.
One interesting thing to note about shiitake mushrooms is that if you want to make the most of the protein content and nutrients, then you should enjoy the mushrooms’ dried.
The nutrient content of shiitake mushrooms does also vary depending on where they were grown, and the time of the year they were gathered.
Many grocery stores sell shiitake mushrooms, but you can also order them dried online (we’d recommend these mushrooms). There are many different ways to serve shiitake mushrooms, but they go great in soups and broth!
A 100g serving of shiitake mushrooms include:
- 4% DV protein
- 6% DV potassium
- 35% DV selenium
- 9% DV fiber
- 36% DV pantothenic acid
Portabello Mushrooms
Portabello mushrooms are another popular mushroom used in many dishes and many households. You can easily come across portobello mushrooms in most grocery stores and markets, and they are usually quite affordable too.
Portobello mushrooms have a good protein content, and as they have a good taste and texture, they can easily be added to many recipes. They taste similar to button mushrooms, but have a richer umami flavor and give more depth to a dish.
Other than a good protein content, portobello mushrooms also have high contents of niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B5, and selenium, all great nutrients to add to your diet.
Many people opt to include portobello mushrooms into their meat-free diet, as they are large and can even be cooked up like a steak, or placed on a burger in place of a meat burger patty.
A 100g portion of portobello mushrooms includes:
- 5% DV protein
- 23% DV niacin
- 28% DV riboflavin
- 14% DV potassium
- 16% DV selenium
Maitake Mushrooms
Maitake mushrooms can be fairly difficult to find at local grocery stores, so to enjoy their protein content and unique taste, you will have to either look at specialty markets, shop online, or learn how to forage them yourself!
Maitake mushrooms are commonly used as medicinal mushrooms, but they can be cooked and served in meals too. A great way to prepare these mushrooms is to sautee or fry them up. They can be added to pasta, soup, pizza, and stir-fry.
Great for boosting the immune system and adding protein to your diet, you should definitely try to source some maitake mushrooms.
A 100g serving of maitake mushrooms include:
- 4% DV protein
- 10% DV thiamin
- 33% DV niacin
- 14% DV riboflavin
Chanterelle Mushrooms
Chanterelle cup mushrooms have a beautiful appearance, with their wrinkled edges and trumpet shape.
These mushrooms also come in different colors, from yellow to orange and white, with the color depending on where the chanterelle mushroom is grown.
You should be able to find chanterelle mushrooms in some grocery stores, but otherwise, they can be found online, and if you know how to forage mushrooms, you can find them growing next to trees.
Chanterelle mushrooms have a good, fruity flavor, and this makes them a great option to add to your diet for an extra dose of protein.
These mushrooms are great served fried as a side dish, as a garnish for chicken, steak, and eggs, or served with pasta in a sauce.
High in protein, fiber, vitamin D, iron, and potassium, you should definitely experiment with different ways to cook up chanterelle mushrooms.
A 100g serving of chanterelle mushrooms include:
- 3% DV protein
- 26% DV vitamin D
- 14% DV fiber
- 19% DV iron
Protein Content Of Mushrooms Ranked
For a quick analysis of how much protein the highest protein-content mushrooms have, here is a chart to refer to:
| Type Of Mushroom | Protein Per 100g |
|---|---|
| Oyster mushrooms | 7% DV |
| Morel mushrooms | 6% DV |
| White button mushrooms | 6% DV |
| Enoki mushrooms | 5% DV |
| Shiitake mushrooms | 4% DV |
| Portabello mushrooms | 5% DV |
| Maitake mushrooms | 4% DV |
| Chanterelle mushrooms | 3% DV |
Protein Content Of Mushrooms Vs Meat
It does help to understand the protein content difference between mushrooms and meat, especially when you are looking to substitute mushrooms for meat in your diet.
While mushrooms do have a good protein content, they do not contain anywhere near as much protein as meat and poultry do.
Here are some of the protein contents for different types of meat, per 100g:
- Pork loin – 55% DV
- Steak – 57% DV
- Chicken – 41% DV
- Duck – 37% DV
As you can see, even compared to oyster mushrooms which have the highest protein content, it comes nowhere close to the protein that meat does, even duck, which has the lowest protein content of the above.
You can easily reach your protein quota for the day when eating meat or poultry, only needing about 200-250g of each.
However, when it comes to getting your protein from mushrooms alone, you would need to eat up to 1500g of mushrooms or more to meet the daily value!
You really cannot consume such a large amount of mushrooms in one day, as the other nutrients and vitamins they contain might cause some issues as well.
If you are cutting meat out of your menu, you will need to look for alternative sources of protein, and not just rely on mushrooms alone!
However, they can add some good protein, tastes, and texture to your daily meals, and work as a great snack too!
Other Sources Of Protein
If you are looking for protein-rich sources other than meat, here are some good options to try along with mushrooms:
- Legumes and beans such as chickpeas, lentils, and kidney beans
- Bean sprouts
- Soybeans, and products such as tempeh and tofu
- Wheat gluten
Options such as tempeh and tofu contain a very similar protein content to meat products, so they work well to provide the right amount of protein to your diet without adding in meat!
Related Questions
Now that we’ve gone over some of the highest protein mushrooms, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!
What is a good-tasting mushroom?
Maitake mushrooms are good-tasting mushrooms. Also known as hen-of-the-wood, these mushrooms are packed with flavor, and once you have a taste, you will be hunting down maitake mushrooms whenever you can!
The best way to prepare maitake mushrooms is to sautee them with butter and serve, or even top them on pizza.
What is the most popular mushroom?
The most popular mushroom is most likely white and brown button mushrooms. They have a mild flavor and texture and blend in beautifully with any dish that they are added into.
You can sautee mushrooms up with some garlic and butter, and even some white wine, to create a great flavored side dish.
If you’re looking for some great recipes to try out mushrooms in, here’s a great video from Gordon Ramsay covering how to cook and use mushrooms in your next dish!
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