✔ Updated · the botanical and the kitchen answer, plus nutrition and safety
Mushrooms sit in the produce aisle and cook like vegetables, but here's the fun twist: they aren't plants at all. Here's the short answer, the science behind it and why your plate still counts them as veg.
Botanically, no. Mushrooms are fungi, a separate kingdom from plants: they have no roots, leaves, seeds or chlorophyll and don't make food from sunlight. In the kitchen and in nutrition, yes. They are cooked and sold as vegetables, and the USDA's MyPlate counts mushrooms in the vegetable group, under "other vegetables."
- Science: a fungus, not a plant, fruit or vegetable.
- Cooking and diet: counted as a vegetable.
- Not a fruit: the mushroom is the fungus's "fruiting body," which releases spores, not seeds.
- Not a root vegetable: it grows above the soil from a network of threads called mycelium.
Why Mushrooms Are Not Vegetables (Botanically)
In botany, a vegetable is an edible part of a plant: a root (carrot), stem (celery), leaf (spinach), bulb (onion) or flower (broccoli). Mushrooms fail the first test, because they are not plants.
Fungi form their own kingdom. Instead of making energy from sunlight, they absorb nutrients from what they grow on, such as compost, soil or wood. Their cell walls are made of chitin, the same tough material found in insect shells, rather than the cellulose found in plants. Genetically, fungi are actually closer to animals than to plants.
| Feature | Mushrooms (fungi) | Vegetables (plants) |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Fungi | Plants |
| Gets energy from | Absorbing nutrients from compost, soil or wood | Sunlight (photosynthesis) |
| Chlorophyll | No | Yes |
| Roots, stems, leaves | No; a mycelium network | Yes |
| Reproduces with | Spores | Seeds |
| Cell walls | Chitin | Cellulose |
Why Mushrooms Count as Vegetables in Cooking and Nutrition
Kitchens and dietary guidelines sort food by how it is eaten, not by biology. Mushrooms are savory, low in calories, sold in the produce section and cooked like vegetables, so the USDA's MyPlate places them in the vegetable group alongside foods like onions, green beans and zucchini.
The same thing happens with tomatoes, which are botanically fruits but are treated as vegetables in cooking. For more food classification questions, see Is corn a vegetable? and Is garlic a vegetable?.
Are Mushrooms a Fruit?
No. The part of the mushroom you eat is called the fruiting body, because it is the reproductive part of the fungus, much as an apple is the reproductive part of a tree. But it releases microscopic spores instead of seeds, and it isn't a fruit in either the botanical or the culinary sense.
Most of the fungus lives out of sight as mycelium, a web of fine threads spreading through soil or wood. The mushroom only pops up when temperature and moisture are right.
Mushroom Nutrition
Mushrooms earn their place in the vegetable group nutritionally, too. One cup of raw sliced white mushrooms (about 70 grams) has roughly 15 calories, about 2 grams of protein, almost no fat and a little fiber.
- B vitamins: a good source of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Minerals: selenium, copper and potassium.
- Vitamin D: mushrooms exposed to UV light (sometimes labeled as such) are one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin D.
- Umami: naturally rich in savory glutamates, which is why they work as a meaty swap in vegetarian dishes.
Common Edible Mushrooms
These are the mushrooms you are most likely to find in US stores. White button, cremini and portobello are all the same species (Agaricus bisporus) picked at different stages of maturity.
- White button: mild and versatile; good raw in salads or cooked in almost anything.
- Cremini (baby bella): brown, firmer and earthier than white button mushrooms.
- Portobello: the mature, open-capped version; meaty enough to grill or stuff and bake.
- Shiitake: rich and smoky; remove the tough stems and cook them well.
- Oyster: delicate, fan-shaped and quick to cook; great in stir-fries.
- Chanterelle: golden, fruity and peppery; see our chanterelle mushroom guide.
- Enoki and maitake: popular in soups, hot pots and roasted dishes.
Can You Eat Mushrooms Raw?
Store-bought white button and cremini mushrooms are commonly eaten raw in salads in small amounts. Cooking makes them easier to digest, concentrates their flavor and reduces natural compounds such as agaritine, so cooked mushrooms are the better everyday choice. Cook shiitake thoroughly, since raw or undercooked shiitake can cause an itchy rash in some people.
Never eat wild mushrooms unless an expert has identified them. Several poisonous species look very similar to edible ones.
How to Store and Clean Mushrooms
- Fridge: keep whole mushrooms in their original container or a paper bag for about 3 to 7 days; sliced mushrooms last a day or two less. See how long mushrooms last.
- Cooked: refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating to 165°F.
- Freezer: sauté first, cool, then freeze in an airtight bag for up to about 10 to 12 months.
- Cleaning: wipe or brush off dirt, or rinse quickly just before cooking and pat dry. Don't soak them, since they absorb water and turn soggy.
- Out of mushrooms? Try one of these mushroom substitutes, or browse our mushroom recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are mushrooms vegetables?
Botanically, mushrooms are not vegetables because they are fungi, not plants. In cooking and nutrition, they are treated as vegetables, and the USDA's MyPlate counts mushrooms in the vegetable group. So for your diet, a serving of mushrooms counts toward your daily vegetables.
Are mushrooms a fruit or a vegetable?
Neither, in scientific terms. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi, which release spores rather than seeds. In the kitchen they are treated as vegetables, never as fruit, because they are savory and cooked like other vegetables.
Is a mushroom a plant?
No. Mushrooms belong to the fungi kingdom, which is separate from plants. Fungi have no chlorophyll, cannot make food from sunlight and have cell walls made of chitin rather than cellulose. Genetically, fungi are closer to animals than to plants.
Are mushrooms a root vegetable?
No. Mushrooms are not roots and are not vegetables in the botanical sense. The mushroom grows above the ground or on wood from a hidden network of fungal threads called mycelium, which absorbs nutrients from its surroundings.
Are mushrooms vegan?
Yes. Mushrooms are fungi, not animals, so they are suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets. Their savory umami flavor and meaty texture make them a popular swap for meat in burgers, tacos, stir-fries and pasta sauces.
