Whole Wheat Bread vs. Flour
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Flour
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
flour
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and flour:
- Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein.
- Flour has 22.6 times less sugar than whole wheat bread.
- Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and potassium.
- Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in calories. Flour has 37% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and flour has 364 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to flour per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:66:14 and for flour, 12:86:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Bread | Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 66% | 86% |
| Fat | 14% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in carbohydrates. Flour has 76% more carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread has 174% more dietary fiber than flour - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flour has 2.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Flour has 22.6 times less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and flour has 0.27g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in protein. Whole wheat bread has 29% more protein than flour - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and flour has 10.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat bread and flour are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flour has 0.16g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Whole wheat bread and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat bread and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flour has 0.06mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat bread and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both whole wheat bread and flour contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.279 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.131 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Niacin | 4.042 MG | 1.25 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.336 MG | 0.438 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.263 MG | 0.044 MG |
| Folate | 75 UG | 26 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 587% more calcium than flour - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and flour has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 114% more iron than flour - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and flour has 1.2mg of iron.
potassium
Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium and it has 115% more potassium than flour - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and flour has 107mg 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,
| Whole Wheat Bread | Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 94 UG | 18 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than flour per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.205 G | 0.022 G |
| Total | 0.205 G | 0.022 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than flour per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.667 G | 0.391 G |
| Total | 1.669 G | 0.391 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Whole Wheat Bread or Flour .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) .
Whole Wheat Bread g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
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 whole wheat bread or flour contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat bread and flour are high in calories. Flour has 40% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and flour has 364 calories.
Does whole wheat bread or flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat bread and flour are high in carbohydrates. flour has 80% more carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat bread or flour contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 590% more calcium than flour - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and flour has 15mg of calcium.