White mushroom · raw

The white button mushroom is the most widely eaten cultivated mushroom in France. Raw, it provides 22 kcal per 100 g, with 2.5 g of protein, 1 g of carbohydrates, 0.4 g of fat and 1.5 g of fibre. Around 92% of its weight is water: it fills the plate for very few calories, an obvious asset when you follow a deficit.

It is neither a vegetable nor a fruit in the botanical sense: it is a fungus, cooked like a vegetable. Its natural glutamate content gives it an umami flavour that makes dishes tasty with less salt and less fat. It is an excellent way to lift a cutting meal without adding useless calories.

Mushrooms are an interesting source of B vitamins (B2, B3, B5), useful for turning food into energy during exercise. They also provide potassium, copper, phosphorus and selenium, an antioxidant involved in protecting cells. These micronutrients matter when you cut calories and still want a nutrient-dense diet.

Mushrooms are one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin D, provided they have been exposed to sunlight or UV light: some products state this on the packaging. Do not rely on them to cover all your needs, especially in winter, but it is a welcome extra for bones and muscle.

With 2.5 g of protein per 100 g, mushrooms are richer in protein than many vegetables, but they are not enough to meet your needs. Use them as a bulking element in a protein-rich meal: in the turkey and mushroom omelette, they add texture and taste for barely 30 extra kcal per 150 g portion.

When bulking, it lets you enrich sauces, rice and pasta without weighing down digestion. When cutting, it forms the base of large, low-calorie meals: a skillet, soup, tartare or light gratin. Its low carbohydrate content makes it compatible with low-carb or ketogenic diets.

Never soak it: it absorbs water like a sponge and turns rubbery. Wipe it with a damp cloth or paper towel, trim the end of the stem and slice it. Sear it in a very hot pan without overcrowding, so it browns instead of steaming. Salt only at the end of cooking to avoid drawing out its water.

Cooked for 5 to 8 minutes over high heat, mushrooms brown and concentrate their aromas. Add a small knob of butter or a drizzle of olive oil only once the water has evaporated: you keep the taste while limiting calories. They work well in the chicken and crunchy vegetable skillet, with garlic, parsley or thyme.

White mushrooms can be eaten raw, thinly sliced in a salad with lemon. However, cooking improves their digestibility and reduces some natural compounds present when raw. Health authorities recommend eating them mostly cooked, particularly if you eat them often or in large amounts.

Cooking also drives off water: 100 g of raw mushrooms give roughly 60 to 70 g once sautéed, which concentrates nutrients per gram. So weigh them raw for your tracking, consistent with the values on this page, and log the oil used separately.

Choose firm mushrooms, white to lightly beige, with a closed cap and no slimy patches or strong smell. Store them in a paper bag or a box lined with paper towel in the fridge, never in sealed plastic: they last 3 to 5 days. Do not leave them in water and wash them only at the last moment.

Classic mistakes: cooking too many mushrooms at once in a pan that is too small, drowning them in butter, salting too early or keeping them cooked for several days. Reheat leftovers only once and eat them within 2 to 3 days. The canned version is handy but higher in sodium: rinse it before use.

For a high-protein breakfast, make an omelette with sautéed mushrooms, eggs and a few strips of turkey: about 25 g of protein for under 300 kcal. At lunch, mix them with whole-grain rice and chicken breast with a little light cream for a smooth sauce.

You can also stuff large mushrooms with fromage blanc and herbs and roast them in the oven for 15 minutes, or slice them into a creamy soup without cream. A veggie burger, a papillote or a whole-wheat noodle wok also gain flavour from their umami touch without weighing down the macros.

The button mushroom comes in several forms: white, blond (pinkish) or brown, and when more mature it becomes the portobello, larger and meatier. The brown one has a stronger taste, perfect grilled or stuffed. Macros remain very close to those on this page, at roughly 22 to 27 kcal per 100 g.

You can also replace it, or mix it, with oyster, shiitake or cep mushrooms depending on the season and budget. Dried mushrooms are very concentrated in flavour: a small rehydrated handful is enough to scent a sauce. Avoid picking wild mushrooms without the advice of a pharmacist or a mycologist.

Mushrooms contain fibre, including beta-glucans, which feed the gut flora and contribute to fullness. Some people with a sensitive colon tolerate them less well in large amounts because of fermentable sugars such as mannitol. In that case, start with small portions and chew well.

On the safety side, always buy cultivated mushrooms from a reliable source and throw away any that are slimy, mouldy or smelly. If you have allergies or a history of digestive reactions, listen to your body. The values on this page are indicative and do not replace the advice of a healthcare professional.

Prepare a big pan of mushrooms on Sunday: dry-sautéed then seasoned, they keep 2 to 3 days and serve as a base for omelettes, bowls, whole-wheat pasta or homemade pizzas. This trick saves time every lunchtime and secures your macro tracking, since the cooked portion is easy to weigh.

To balance a meal, aim for a protein source, a whole-grain starch and a generous portion of vegetables including mushrooms. Log your portions in your GymProgress diary: a few dozen grams of mushrooms barely change the numbers, but the habit of weighing everything makes your tracking more reliable over several weeks.