Mushrooms, white raw

Fruit
Written By Mark Corkin

Introduction

White mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), a common edible fungus, are a cultivated button form of a species that also appears as cremini and portobello at different maturity stages; they can be eaten raw or cooked, though cooking mellows their mild, slightly earthy flavour and improves digestibility and nutrient availability.

They are typically smooth and creamy white due to a lack of pigmentation in the cap and stem, with gills that are initially pale and darken with age; the white colour stems from selective cultivation for less melanin and other pigments.

Nutritionally, white mushrooms are low in energy and fat, provide modest protein and dietary fibre, and supply micronutrients including B vitamins (notably riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid), selenium, potassium, phosphorus and small amounts of copper and vitamin D (especially when exposed to UV light), along with antioxidants such as ergothioneine.

Nutrition Snapshot per 100g

  • Kcal nn kcal

  • Protein nn g | nn %

  • Fat nn g | nn %

  • Carbohydrates nn g | nn %

Percentages reflect this food’s Balance*

  • Fibre nn g

  • Total Sugars nn g

  • Saturated Fat nn g

  • Salt nn mg

Nutritional values are per 100g and sourced from UK CoFID data.
Carbohydrates value includes Fibre (AOAC method).
Carbohydrates value includes Total Sugars including naturally occurring sugars such as glucose, fructose, lactose or sucrose.

Balance*

The Balance value expresses how protein, carbohydrate and fat contribute to a food’s total energy.

Using CoFID data per 100g, each macronutrient is converted into energy using the standard Atwater convention (protein × 4 kcal, carbohydrate × 4 kcal, fat × 9 kcal). The energy from each macronutrient is then calculated as a percentage of the total macro energy.

This provides a simple way to see whether a food is predominantly carbohydrate-based, protein-based or fat-based.

It does not determine whether a food is “good” or “bad”, but helps visualise its macronutrient profile within a broader eating pattern.

When assessing a full meal or daily intake, portion sizes should be taken into account.

 

Why this matters

Understanding the structure of individual foods can help you make more confident decisions when adjusting to a health diagnosis or long-term condition.

If you are organising meals, tracking intake or reflecting on patterns, you may find the Aardelia digital journals helpful.

 
Mark Corkin
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