Whole Wheat Bread vs. Flour

Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Flour


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and flour:

  • Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein.
  • Flour has 22.6 times less sugar than whole wheat bread.
  • Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and potassium.
  • Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of whole wheat bread and 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: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Whole Wheat Bread src
Image of Flour src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in calories. Flour has 37% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and flour has 364 calories.

Whole Wheat Bread Flour
Protein 20% 12%
Carbohydrates 65% 86%
Fat 14% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in carbohydrates. Flour has 76% more carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread has 174% more dietary fiber than flour - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flour has 2.7g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Flour has 22.6 times less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and flour has 0.27g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in protein. Whole wheat bread has 29% more protein than flour - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and flour has 10.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both whole wheat bread and flour are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flour has 0.16g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Whole wheat bread and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Whole wheat bread and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flour has 0.06mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole wheat bread and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both whole wheat bread and flour contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

Whole Wheat Bread Flour
Thiamin 0.279 MG 0.12 MG
Riboflavin 0.131 MG 0.04 MG
Niacin 4.042 MG 1.25 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.336 MG 0.438 MG
Vitamin B6 0.263 MG 0.044 MG
Folate 75 UG 26 UG

Minerals

calcium

Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 587% more calcium than flour - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and flour has 15mg of calcium.

iron

Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 114% more iron than flour - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and flour has 1.2mg of iron.

potassium

Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium and it has 115% more potassium than flour - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and flour has 107mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids,

Whole Wheat Bread Flour
beta-carotene 1 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 94 UG 18 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Whole Wheat Bread Flour
alpha linoleic acid 0.205 G 0.022 G
Total 0.205 G 0.022 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than flour per 100 grams.

Whole Wheat Bread Flour
other omega 6 0.002 G ~
linoleic acid 1.667 G 0.391 G
Total 1.669 G 0.391 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: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) .

Whole Wheat Bread g

()
Daily Values (%)

Flour g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does whole wheat bread or flour contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in calories. Flour has 40% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and flour has 364 calories.

Does whole wheat bread or flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat bread and flour are high in carbohydrates. flour has 80% more carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.

Does whole wheat bread or flour contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 590% more calcium than flour - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and flour has 15mg of calcium.