Flour vs. Whole Wheat Flour
Nutrition comparison of Flour and Whole Wheat Flour
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
flour
versus
whole wheat flour
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flour and whole wheat flour:
- Both whole wheat flour and flour are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein.
- Whole wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat flour and flour are high in calories. Flour has a little more calories (10%) than whole wheat flour by weight - whole wheat flour has 332 calories per 100 grams and flour has 364 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, flour is similar to whole wheat flour for protein, carbs and fat. Flour has a macronutrient ratio of 12:86:2 and for whole wheat flour, 11:84:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Flour | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 12% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 84% |
| Fat | 2% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole wheat flour and flour are high in carbohydrates. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for carbohydrates - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat flour and flour are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat flour has 385% more dietary fiber than flour - whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flour has 2.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Whole wheat flour and flour contain similar amounts of sugar - whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and flour has 0.27g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both whole wheat flour and flour are high in protein. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for protein - whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein per 100 grams and flour has 10.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat flour and flour are low in saturated fat - whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flour has 0.16g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole wheat flour and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole wheat flour has 2.7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat flour and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flour has 0.06mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat flour and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both flour and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of folate.
| Flour | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.12 MG | 0.297 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.188 MG |
| Niacin | 1.25 MG | 5.347 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.438 MG | 1.011 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.044 MG | 0.191 MG |
| Folate | 26 UG | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat flour has 120% more calcium than flour - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and flour has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 217% more iron than flour - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron per 100 grams and flour has 1.2mg of iron.
potassium
Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of potassium and it has 268% more potassium than flour - whole wheat flour has 394mg 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,
| Flour | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 220 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 5 UG |
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: Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) .
Flour g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Wheat Flour g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does whole wheat flour or flour contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat flour and flour are high in calories. Flour has a little more calories ( 10%) than whole wheat flour by weight - whole wheat flour has 332 calories in 100g and flour has 364 calories.
Does whole wheat flour or flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat flour and flour are high in carbohydrates. whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for carbohydrates - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbs for 100g and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat flour or flour contain more iron?
Whole wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 220% more iron than flour - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron in 100 grams and flour has 1.2mg of iron.
Does whole wheat flour or flour contain more potassium?
Whole wheat flour is a rich source of potassium and it has 270% more potassium than flour - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium in 100 grams and flour has 107mg of potassium.