Not everyone is a big fan of mushrooms. Whether it’s the taste or the texture, it can be difficult to sway people over to ingesting the fungus they’ve seen grow on dead trees and logs. However, the majority of mushrooms that are safe to eat are relatively healthy for you. That’s because they’re filled with polysaccharides called beta-glucans that have been shown to boost the immune system and prevent infections from occurring. Although you may think that ordering mushrooms on your pizza will give you everything you need, that’s not the case, unfortunately.

To reap the rewards that mushrooms have to offer, they have to be washed and eaten raw. One good idea is to slice them up and add them to a salad with a dressing. It may take some getting used to the texture, but when you focus on how much you’re helping your body, you will probably learn to overlook it eventually. Besides, there are beta-glucans supplements that you can take if you still can’t get over your hang-ups with mushrooms.