Wheat Flour vs. Whole Wheat Flour
Nutrition comparison of Wheat 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
wheat 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 wheat flour and whole wheat flour:
- Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
- Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in calories. Wheat flour has a little more calories (9%) than whole wheat flour by weight - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 332 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat flour is similar to whole wheat flour for protein, carbs and fat. Wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for whole wheat flour, 11:84:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Wheat Flour | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 84% |
| Fat | 4% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in carbohydrates. Wheat flour is very similar to wheat flour for carbohydrates - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat flour has 446% more dietary fiber than wheat flour - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wheat flour and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in protein. Wheat flour has 25% more protein than whole wheat flour - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole wheat flour and wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole wheat flour has 2.7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Wheat flour and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Wheat flour and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Wheat Flour | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.812 MG | 0.297 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.512 MG | 0.188 MG |
| Niacin | 7.554 MG | 5.347 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.438 MG | 1.011 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.037 MG | 0.191 MG |
| Folate | 183 UG | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat flour has 120% more calcium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in iron. Wheat flour has 19% more iron than whole wheat flour - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron.
potassium
Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of potassium and it has 294% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 394mg 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, both wheat flour and whole wheat flour contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Wheat Flour | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 5 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 79 UG | 220 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) .
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 wheat flour or whole wheat flour contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in calories. Wheat flour has a little more calories ( 10%) than whole wheat flour by weight - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and whole wheat flour has 332 calories.
Does wheat flour or whole wheat flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in carbohydrates. wheat flour is very similar to wheat flour for carbohydrates - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat flour or whole wheat flour contain more iron?
Both wheat flour and whole wheat flour are high in iron. Wheat flour has 20% more iron than whole wheat flour - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron.
Does wheat flour or whole wheat flour contain more potassium?
Whole wheat flour is a rich source of potassium and it has 290% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium.