Whole Wheat Bread vs. Banana
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Banana
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
banana
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and banana:
- Both whole wheat bread and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Banana has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than whole wheat bread, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than banana.
- Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than whole wheat bread.
- Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin and folate.
- Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron.
- Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Banana (Bananas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Whole wheat bread is high in calories and banana has 66% less calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to banana per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:65:14 and for banana, 5:93:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Bread | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 93% |
| Fat | 14% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and banana has 47% less carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat bread and banana are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread has 185% more dietary fiber than banana - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Whole wheat bread has 48% less sugar than banana - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of protein and it has 11 times more protein than banana - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat bread and banana are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Banana and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - banana has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat bread and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat bread and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin and folate. Both whole wheat bread and banana contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.279 MG | 0.031 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.131 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 4.042 MG | 0.665 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.336 MG | 0.334 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.263 MG | 0.367 MG |
| Folate | 75 UG | 20 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 19 times more calcium than banana - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 862% more iron than banana - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both whole wheat bread and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 56% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg 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, banana has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than whole wheat bread per 100 grams, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 26 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 94 UG | 22 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than banana per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.205 G | 0.027 G |
| Total | 0.205 G | 0.027 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than banana per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.667 G | 0.046 G |
| Total | 1.669 G | 0.046 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 Banana (Bananas, raw) .
Whole Wheat Bread g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Banana 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 bread or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Whole wheat bread is high in calories and banana has 70% less calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Does whole wheat bread or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and banana has 50% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat bread or banana contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 19 times more calcium than banana - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
Does whole wheat bread or banana contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat bread and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 60% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.