Brown Rice vs. Wheat Flour

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Wheat Flour

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked brown rice versus wheat flour (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and wheat flour:

  • Both wheat flour and brown rice are high in calories.
  • Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, brown rice contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Wheat flour is a great source of dietary fiber and protein.
  • Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of brown rice and wheat flour is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

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Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between brown rice and wheat flour. marks particularly rich nutrients.

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nutrition comparison of brown rice vs. wheat flour

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat flour and brown rice are high in calories. Wheat flour has 193% more calories than brown rice - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is lighter in protein and similar to wheat flour for carbs and fat. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for wheat flour, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Brown Rice Wheat Flour
Protein 9% 14%
Carbohydrates 84% 82%
Fat 7% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and brown rice has 65% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Wheat flour is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 50% more dietary fiber than brown rice - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wheat flour and brown rice contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.24g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 337% more protein than brown rice - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wheat flour and brown rice are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Wheat flour and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - wheat flour has 0.6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Wheat flour and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wheat flour and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, brown rice contains more Vitamin B6. Both brown rice and wheat flour contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

Brown Rice Wheat Flour
Thiamin 0.178 MG 0.812 MG
Riboflavin 0.069 MG 0.512 MG
Niacin 2.561 MG 7.554 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.438 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.037 MG
Folate 9 UG 183 UG

Minerals

calcium

Wheat flour has 400% more calcium than brown rice - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 688% more iron than brown rice - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.

potassium

Wheat flour and brown rice contain similar amounts of potassium - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat flour has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than brown rice per 100 grams.

Brown Rice Wheat Flour
alpha linoleic acid 0.011 G 0.043 G
Total 0.011 G 0.043 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both brown rice and wheat flour contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Brown Rice Wheat Flour
other omega 6 0.004 G ~
linoleic acid 0.355 G 0.685 G
Total 0.359 G 0.685 G


Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) .

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FAQ

Does wheat flour or brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat flour and brown rice are high in calories. Wheat flour has 190% more calories than brown rice - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.

Does wheat flour or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and brown rice has 70% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat flour or brown rice contain more iron?
Wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 690% more iron than brown rice - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.