Wheat Flour vs. Whey Protein Powder

Nutrition comparison of Wheat Flour and Whey Protein Powder

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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat flour and whey protein powder:

  • Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are high in calories, dietary fiber and protein.
  • Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
  • Whey protein powder has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, wheat flour contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
  • Whey protein powder is an excellent source of calcium and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of wheat flour and whey protein powder 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are high in calories. Wheat flour is very similar to whey protein powder for calories - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, wheat flour is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to whey protein powder for fat. Wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for whey protein powder, 89:7:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Wheat Flour Whey Protein Powder
Protein 14% 89%
Carbohydrates 82% 7%
Fat 4% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and whey protein powder has 91% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 6.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are high in dietary fiber. Whey protein powder has 29% more dietary fiber than wheat flour - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 3.1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wheat flour and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 552% more protein than wheat flour - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 0.78g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Wheat flour has less cholesterol than whey protein powder - whey protein powder has 16mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Wheat flour has more Vitamin E than whey protein powder - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Wheat flour and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Whey protein powder has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, wheat flour contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both wheat flour and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of thiamin.

Wheat Flour Whey Protein Powder
Thiamin 0.812 MG 0.609 MG
Riboflavin 0.512 MG 2.017 MG
Niacin 7.554 MG 1.136 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.438 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.037 MG 0.607 MG
Folate 183 UG 33 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 2.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Whey protein powder is an excellent source of calcium and it has 30 times more calcium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 290% more iron than whey protein powder - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

potassium

Whey protein powder is an excellent source of potassium and it has 400% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both wheat flour and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Wheat Flour Whey Protein Powder
alpha linoleic acid 0.043 G 0.034 G
Total 0.043 G 0.034 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat flour has more linoleic acid than whey protein powder per 100 grams.

Wheat Flour Whey Protein Powder
linoleic acid 0.685 G 0.264 G
Total 0.685 G 0.264 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) .

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FAQ

Does wheat flour or whey protein powder contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are high in calories. Wheat flour is quite similar to whey protein powder for calories - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

Is wheat flour or whey protein powder better for protein?
Both wheat flour and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 550% more protein than wheat flour - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Does wheat flour or whey protein powder have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and whey protein powder has 90% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and whey protein powder has 6.3g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat flour or whey protein powder contain more calcium?
Whey protein powder is a rich source of calcium and it has 30 times more calcium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

Does wheat flour or whey protein powder contain more iron?
Wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 290% more iron than whey protein powder - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

Does wheat flour or whey protein powder contain more potassium?
Whey protein powder is a rich source of potassium and it has 400% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.