Question: Are mushrooms a good source of protein? And costwise, how do they compare with meat as a protein source?
Answer:
Protein is found in all living cells, including animal and plant foods. Some, such as meat, fish and poultry, legumes, eggs, nuts and seeds, are richer protein sources than others, with milk, cheese, yoghurt, other dairy products, wholegrains, vegetables and fruit containing smaller amounts. Fresh mushrooms contain 2-6g of protein per 100g, whereas dried mushrooms contain about 24g.
Protein is a handy energy source and an essential building block for our body. Complex protein molecules, built from various amino acids, play many vital roles – they form enzymes to help carry out the thousands of chemical reactions in body cells, form blood transport molecules and hormones, act as antibodies in our immune system and have structural roles such as providing support for cells and skin.
The proteins in our body are made from about 20 different amino acids, most of which we can synthesise. However, eight amino acids, called essential amino acids, must be provided by diet, as our bodies are unable to synthesise them.
Most plant-derived protein is deficient in one or more of these essential amino acids. However, the protein in edible mushrooms typically contains a complete set of essential amino acids. Thus, they are increasingly being recognised as a source of high-quality protein.
Mushrooms are also high in fibre and certain mushrooms, such as shiitake, reishi and maitake, contain a fibre called beta-glucan. Beta-glucan is also found in oats and barley and has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels, so it’s associated with a reduced heart disease risk.
Thanks to the autumnal weather, mushrooms are popping up along roadsides, on lawns and in paddocks. While foraging for wild fungi may seem a good idea, not all mushrooms are edible, and some, such as deathcap mushrooms, are downright deadly, so caution is recommended.
Indeed, the Food Safety Information Council in Australia recently warned consumers against foraging for wild mushrooms. While there is nothing inherently wrong with foraging, many 21st-century foragers are armed only with the advice of an online social media group or a smartphone app that may not reliably identify all varieties, notes the council, as mushrooms change appearance during their growth cycle and can look different from one country to another.
The council’s chair, Cathy Moir, says, “Deathcap mushrooms are difficult to distinguish from some other wild mushrooms, so we recommend you play it safe and eat only mushrooms that you have purchased from a supermarket, greengrocer or other reputable source.”
In New Zealand, deathcap mushrooms grow mostly around the roots of trees, mainly oaks and chestnuts. They appear like white balls at soil level when young and, as an adult, the cap can measure up to 12cm across with a 15cm stem. They have been responsible for several serious poisoning incidents here.
However, plenty of tasty, edible varieties of mushrooms are available at supermarkets and greengrocers, and from an economic perspective, mushrooms are an affordable food source compared with many animal-derived meats.
As the table shows, they provide relatively more protein per gram than cows’ milk. However, the protein in mushrooms costs comparatively more than in animal meat, as you need to buy a far greater weight of mushrooms to get the same amount of protein. But mushrooms are a fantastic option if you’re looking for a nutritious protein source for meat-free meals.
