Nutritional Content of White vs. Crimini Mushrooms
White mushrooms are a common variety of mushrooms also known as button mushrooms. White mushrooms have a firm texture and a mild flavor. Crimini or cremini mushrooms are in the same family as white mushrooms, but they have some differences.
White mushrooms are a common variety of mushrooms also known as button mushrooms. White mushrooms have a firm texture and a mild flavor. Crimini or cremini mushrooms are in the same family as white mushrooms, but they have some differences. Criminis are similar in size to white mushrooms, but they are light brown in color and have a firmer flesh and a more prominent earthy flavor than white mushrooms. White and crimini mushrooms have similar nutritional makeups with a few slight differences.
Vitamins
White mushrooms are a better source of vitamin C than crimini mushrooms. Eating a 100 g serving of white button mushrooms adds 4 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C to your diet. Eating the same amount of crimini mushrooms does not add any vitamin C to your diet. The two mushroom varieties contain similar amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, riboflavin and niacin.
Minerals
Crimini mushrooms contain a bit more beneficial minerals than white button mushrooms. A 100 g serving of criminis contains 2 percent of your recommended daily intake of calcium, 13 percent of your intake of potassium and 37 percent of your intake of selenium. A 100 g serving of white mushrooms contains less than 1 percent of your calcium intake, 9 percent of potassium and 13 percent of selenium. The only mineral found in higher amounts in white button mushrooms than criminis is iron, although the difference is small: 100 g of white mushrooms provides 3 percent of the daily value for iron, while criminis provide 2 percent.
Fat and Carbohydrates
Both varieties of mushrooms are low in fat, although criminis have slightly less fat with .1 g per 100 g serving compared to .34 g in 100 g white mushrooms. However, crimini mushrooms contain more carbohydrates with 4.1 g per 100 g serving as opposed to the 3.3 g found in 100 g white mushrooms.
Fiber and Protein
White mushrooms contain slightly more fiber than criminis, with 1 g of fiber in a 100 g serving. Criminis contain .6 g fiber in the same serving size. Protein levels are also higher in white mushrooms. Eating 100 g of white mushrooms adds 3.1 g protein to your diet, versus 2.5 g in 100 g of crimini mushrooms.