Whole Wheat Bread vs. Cheese

Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Cheese


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 cheese (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and cheese:

  • Both whole wheat bread and cheese are high in calcium, calories and protein.
  • Cheese has more beta-carotene than whole wheat bread, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
  • Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheese contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B12.
  • Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and potassium.
  • Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of whole wheat bread and cheese 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: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Whole Wheat Bread src
Image of Cheese src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both whole wheat bread and cheese are high in calories. Cheese has 45% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cheese per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:66:14 and for cheese, 25:0:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Whole Wheat Bread Cheese
Protein 20% 25%
Carbohydrates 66% ~
Fat 14% 75%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and cheese has 100% less carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheese - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Cheese has less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both whole wheat bread and cheese are high in protein. Cheese has 76% more protein than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and whole wheat bread has 95% less saturated fat than cheese - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Whole wheat bread has less cholesterol than cheese - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Whole wheat bread and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than whole wheat bread - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Cheese has more Vitamin D than whole wheat bread - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Whole wheat bread and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole wheat bread and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheese contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B12. Both whole wheat bread and cheese contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

Whole Wheat Bread Cheese
Thiamin 0.279 MG 0.023 MG
Riboflavin 0.131 MG 0.318 MG
Niacin 4.042 MG 0.114 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.336 MG 0.249 MG
Vitamin B6 0.263 MG 0.061 MG
Folate 75 UG 13 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 1.23 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both whole wheat bread and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 540% more calcium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.

iron

Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 324% more iron than cheese - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.

potassium

Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium and it has 171% more potassium than cheese - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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, cheese has more beta-carotene than whole wheat bread per 100 grams, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cheese per 100 grams.

Whole Wheat Bread Cheese
beta-carotene 1 UG 56 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 94 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both whole wheat bread and cheese contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Whole Wheat Bread Cheese
alpha linoleic acid 0.205 G 0.332 G
Total 0.205 G 0.332 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than cheese per 100 grams.

Whole Wheat Bread Cheese
other omega 6 0.002 G ~
linoleic acid 1.667 G 0.532 G
Total 1.669 G 0.532 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 Cheese .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) .

Whole Wheat Bread 100g

( 100 g )
Daily Values (%)

Cheese 100g

( 100 g )
265KCAL 13%
calories 45%
384KCAL 19%
43G 17%
>999% carbohydrates
0.13G 0.1%
7.4G 30%
>999% dietary fiber
6.4G >999% sugar
4.2G 7%
total fat 662%
32G 50%
0.87G 5%
saturated fat >999%
16G 89%
0.76G monounsaturated fat 939% 7.9G
1.9G 121% polyunsaturated fat 0.86G
cholesterol >999% 95MG
381MG 25%
sodium 59%
607MG 41%
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin A >999%
174UG 25%
0.1MG 0.1%
>999% Vitamin C
Vitamin D >999%
21IU 4%
103MG 10%
calcium 540%
659MG 66%
2.5MG 14%
324% iron
0.59MG 3%
78MG 25%
212% magnesium
25MG 8%
230MG 10%
171% potassium
85MG 4%
0.28MG 25%
>999% thiamin (Vit B1)
0.02MG 2%
0.13MG 12%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 146%
0.32MG 29%
4MG 29%
>999% niacin (Vit B3)
0.11MG 1%
0.26MG 20%
333% Vitamin B6
0.06MG 5%
0.34MG 7%
36% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.25MG 5%
75UG 19%
477% folate (Vit B9)
13UG 3%
Vitamin B12 >999%
1.2UG 51%
0.37MG 3%
48% Vitamin E
0.25MG 2%
1.4UG 2%
Vitamin K 79%
2.5UG 3%
13G 27%
protein 85%
24G 47%
22MG 5%
37% choline
16MG 4%
0.28MG 24%
831% copper
0.03MG 2%
fluoride >999%
8.7UG 0.3%
2MG 113%
>999% manganese
0.02MG 1%
228MG 33%
phosphorus 92%
438MG 63%
33UG 60%
120% selenium
15UG 27%
1.7MG 21%
zinc 76%
3MG 38%
37G Water 8% 40G
26G >999% Starch


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, iodine, molybdenum, biotin (Vit B7), trans fat.

FAQ

Does whole wheat bread or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both whole wheat bread and cheese are high in calories. Cheese has 50% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.

Does whole wheat bread or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and cheese has 100% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

Does whole wheat bread or cheese contain more calcium?
Both whole wheat bread and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 540% more calcium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.