Whole Wheat Bread vs. Squash

Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Cooked Squash

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 cooked squash (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both whole wheat bread and squash are high in calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Squash has 69% less sugar than whole wheat bread.
  • Squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than whole wheat bread, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash.
  • Squash is a great source of Vitamin C.
  • Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
  • Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
  • Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron.
  • Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of whole wheat bread and squash 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 Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Whole Wheat Bread src
Image of Squash src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Whole wheat bread is high in calories and squash has 85% less calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to squash per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:65:14 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Whole Wheat Bread Squash
Protein 20% 8%
Carbohydrates 65% 91%
Fat 14% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and squash has 76% less carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both whole wheat bread and squash are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread has 131% more dietary fiber than squash - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Squash has 69% less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of protein and it has 13 times more protein than squash - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both whole wheat bread and squash are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 150 times more Vitamin C than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than whole wheat bread - squash has 558ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Whole wheat bread and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole wheat bread and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and squash has 1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Whole Wheat Bread Squash
Thiamin 0.279 MG 0.072 MG
Riboflavin 0.131 MG 0.017 MG
Niacin 4.042 MG 0.969 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.336 MG 0.359 MG
Vitamin B6 0.263 MG 0.124 MG
Folate 75 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both whole wheat bread and squash are high in calcium. Whole wheat bread has 151% more calcium than squash - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.

iron

Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 317% more iron than squash - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.

potassium

Both whole wheat bread and squash are high in potassium. Squash has 23% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg 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, squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than whole wheat bread per 100 grams, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams.

Whole Wheat Bread Squash
beta-carotene 1 UG 4570 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 94 UG ~
alpha-carotene ~ 1130 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Whole Wheat Bread Squash
alpha linoleic acid 0.205 G 0.024 G
Total 0.205 G 0.024 G

omega 6s

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

Whole Wheat Bread Squash
other omega 6 0.002 G ~
linoleic acid 1.667 G 0.014 G
Total 1.669 G 0.014 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 Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) .

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FAQ

Does whole wheat bread or squash contain more calories in 100 grams?
Whole wheat bread is high in calories and squash has 90% less calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.

Does whole wheat bread or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and squash has 80% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.

Does whole wheat bread or squash contain more calcium?
Both whole wheat bread and squash are high in calcium. Whole wheat bread has 150% more calcium than squash - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.

Does whole wheat bread or squash contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat bread and squash are high in potassium. Squash has 20% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium in 100 grams and squash has 284mg of potassium.