Brown Rice vs. Wheat Germ

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Wheat Germ


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

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked brown rice versus wheat germ (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and wheat germ:

  • Both wheat germ and brown rice are high in calories.
  • Brown rice has 5.4 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
  • Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Wheat germ has signficantly more calcium than brown rice.
  • Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of brown rice and wheat germ 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Brown Rice src
Image of Wheat Germ src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between brown rice and wheat germ. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat germ and brown rice are high in calories. Wheat germ has 193% more calories than brown rice - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to wheat germ per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for wheat germ, 24:54:23 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Brown Rice Wheat Germ
Protein 9% 24%
Carbohydrates 84% 54%
Fat 7% 23%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and brown rice has 51% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 725% more dietary fiber than brown rice - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Brown rice and wheat germ contain similar amounts of sugar - brown rice has 0.24g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Wheat germ is an excellent source of protein and it has 745% more protein than brown rice - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Brown rice has 5.4 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin E

Brown rice and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Brown rice and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Brown Rice Wheat Germ
Thiamin 0.178 MG 1.882 MG
Riboflavin 0.069 MG 0.499 MG
Niacin 2.561 MG 6.813 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 2.257 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 1.3 MG
Folate 9 UG 281 UG

Minerals

calcium

Wheat germ has signficantly more calcium than brown rice - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than brown rice - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.

potassium

Wheat germ is an excellent source of potassium and it has 937% more potassium than brown rice - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than brown rice per 100 grams.

Brown Rice Wheat Germ
alpha linoleic acid 0.011 G 0.723 G
Total 0.011 G 0.723 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than brown rice per 100 grams.

Brown Rice Wheat Germ
other omega 6 0.004 G ~
linoleic acid 0.355 G 5.287 G
Total 0.359 G 5.287 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) .

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FAQ

Does wheat germ or brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat germ and brown rice are high in calories. Wheat germ has 190% more calories than brown rice - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.

Does wheat germ or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and brown rice has 50% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat germ or brown rice contain more iron?
Wheat germ is an abundant source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than brown rice - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.

Does wheat germ or brown rice contain more potassium?
Wheat germ is a rich source of potassium and it has 940% more potassium than brown rice - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.