White Bread vs. Whole Wheat Flour
Nutrition comparison of White Bread 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
white bread
versus
whole wheat flour
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in white bread and whole wheat flour:
- Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
- White bread is an excellent source of calcium.
- Whole wheat flour has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, white bread contains more folate.
- Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in calories. Whole wheat flour has 39% more calories than white bread - white bread has 238 calories per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 332 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, white bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to whole wheat flour for fat. White bread has a macronutrient ratio of 18:74:8 and for whole wheat flour, 11:84:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| White Bread | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 74% | 84% |
| Fat | 8% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in carbohydrates. Whole wheat flour has 70% more carbohydrates than white bread - white bread has 43.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat flour has 42% more dietary fiber than white bread - white bread has 9.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
White bread and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of sugar - white bread has 5g of sugar per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in protein. White bread has 11% more protein than whole wheat flour - white bread has 10.7g of protein per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are low in saturated fat - white bread has 0.63g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are low in trans fat - white bread has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole wheat flour and white bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole wheat flour has 2.7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and white bread does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
White bread and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - white bread has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
White bread and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - white bread has 7.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat flour has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, white bread contains more folate. Both white bread and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
| White Bread | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.51 MG | 0.297 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.255 MG | 0.188 MG |
| Niacin | 4.455 MG | 5.347 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.455 MG | 1.011 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.191 MG |
| Folate | 127 UG | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
White bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 19 times more calcium than whole wheat flour - white bread has 684mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in iron. White bread has 32% more iron than whole wheat flour - white bread has 4.9mg 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 210% more potassium than white bread - white bread has 127mg 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 white bread and whole wheat flour contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| White Bread | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2 UG | 5 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 25 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: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) .
White Bread 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 white bread or whole wheat flour contain more calories in 100 grams?Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in calories. Whole wheat flour has 40% more calories than white bread - white bread has 238 calories in 100g and whole wheat flour has 332 calories.
Does white bread or whole wheat flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in carbohydrates. whole wheat flour has 70% more carbohydrates than white bread - white bread has 43.9g of carbs for 100g and whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbohydrates.
Does white bread or whole wheat flour contain more calcium?
White bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 19 times more calcium than whole wheat flour - white bread has 684mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium.
Does white bread or whole wheat flour contain more iron?
Both white bread and whole wheat flour are high in iron. White bread has 30% more iron than whole wheat flour - white bread has 4.9mg of iron in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron.
Does white bread or whole wheat flour contain more potassium?
Whole wheat flour is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than white bread - white bread has 127mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium.