A mushroom is the spore-forming part of a fungus.A serving of mushrooms can contain 1/3 of a person’s daily need for selenium. Mushrooms contain large amounts of riboflavin, plus decent amounts of niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms contain a small amount of naturally occurring MSG. A serving of mushrooms contains about 10% of a person’s daily need for potassium. Mushrooms are low in calories.