White Bread vs. Whole Wheat Bread

Nutrition comparison of White Bread and Whole Wheat Bread

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 bread (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 bread:

  • Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in calcium, calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
  • Whole wheat bread has more Vitamin B6.
  • Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of white bread and whole wheat bread 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: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of White Bread src
Image of Whole Wheat Bread src
Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between white bread and whole wheat bread. marks particularly rich nutrients.

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nutrition comparison of white bread vs. whole wheat bread

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in calories. Whole wheat bread has 11% more calories than white bread - white bread has 238 calories per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 265 calories.

White Bread Whole Wheat Bread
Protein 18% 20%
Carbohydrates 74% 65%
Fat 8% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in carbohydrates. White bread is very similar to whole wheat bread for carbohydrates - white bread has 43.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in dietary fiber. White bread has 24% more dietary fiber than whole wheat bread - white bread has 9.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

White bread and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of sugar - white bread has 5g of sugar per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in protein. Whole wheat bread has 25% more protein than white bread - white bread has 10.7g of protein per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are low in saturated fat - white bread has 0.63g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are low in trans fat - white bread has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

White bread and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - white bread has 1.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

White bread and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - white bread has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

White bread and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - white bread has 7.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

White Bread Whole Wheat Bread
Thiamin 0.51 MG 0.279 MG
Riboflavin 0.255 MG 0.131 MG
Niacin 4.455 MG 4.042 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.455 MG 0.336 MG
Vitamin B6 0.08 MG 0.263 MG
Folate 127 UG 75 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in calcium. White bread has 564% more calcium than whole wheat bread - white bread has 684mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium.

iron

Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in iron. White bread has 96% more iron than whole wheat bread - white bread has 4.9mg of iron per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron.

potassium

Whole wheat bread is a great source of potassium and it has 81% more potassium than white bread - white bread has 127mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 230mg 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 bread contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

White Bread Whole Wheat Bread
beta-carotene 2 UG 1 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG 94 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than white bread per 100 grams.

White Bread Whole Wheat Bread
alpha linoleic acid 0.083 G 0.205 G
EPA 0.003 G ~
Total 0.086 G 0.205 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both white bread and whole wheat bread contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

White Bread Whole Wheat Bread
other omega 6 0.005 G 0.002 G
linoleic acid 0.879 G 1.667 G
Total 0.884 G 1.669 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: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) .

White Bread 28g

( slice )
Daily Values (%)

Whole Wheat Bread 28g

( oz )
67KCAL 3%
calories 12%
75KCAL 4%
12G 5%
carbohydrates
12G 5%
2.6G 10%
24% dietary fiber
2.1G 8%
1.4G sugar 29% 1.8G
0.6G 1%
total fat 100%
1.2G 2%
0.18G 1%
saturated fat 39%
0.25G 1%
0.11G monounsaturated fat 100% 0.22G
0.27G polyunsaturated fat 96% 0.53G
0.01G >999% trans fat
134MG 9%
24% sodium
108MG 7%
Vitamins and Minerals
>999% Vitamin A
Vitamin C >999%
192MG 19%
562% calcium
29MG 3%
1.4MG 8%
97% iron
0.71MG 4%
7.3MG 2%
magnesium 201%
22MG 7%
36MG 2%
potassium 81%
65MG 3%
0.14MG 13%
75% thiamin (Vit B1)
0.08MG 7%
0.07MG 7%
75% riboflavin (Vit B2)
0.04MG 3%
1.2MG 9%
9% niacin (Vit B3)
1.1MG 8%
0.02MG 2%
Vitamin B6 249%
0.07MG 6%
0.13MG 3%
30% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.1MG 2%
36UG 9%
71% folate (Vit B9)
21UG 5%
0.11MG 1%
10% Vitamin E
0.1MG 1%
2.2UG 2%
450% Vitamin K
0.4UG 0.4%
3G 6%
protein 27%
3.8G 8%
2.3MG 1%
choline 170%
6.2MG 2%
0.04MG 4%
copper 100%
0.08MG 7%
0.18MG 10%
manganese 217%
0.57MG 32%
29MG 4%
phosphorus 124%
65MG 9%
4.5UG 8%
selenium 107%
9.3UG 17%
0.27MG 3%
zinc 78%
0.48MG 6%
11G 10% Water 10G
7.6G 4% Starch 7.3G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol.

FAQ

Does white bread or whole wheat bread contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in calories. Whole wheat bread has 10% more calories than white bread - white bread has 238 calories in 100g and whole wheat bread has 265 calories.

Does white bread or whole wheat bread have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in carbohydrates. white bread is very similar to whole wheat bread for carbohydrates - white bread has 43.9g of carbs for 100g and whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbohydrates.

Does white bread or whole wheat bread contain more calcium?
Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in calcium. White bread has 560% more calcium than whole wheat bread - white bread has 684mg of calcium in 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium.

Does white bread or whole wheat bread contain more iron?
Both white bread and whole wheat bread are high in iron. White bread has 100% more iron than whole wheat bread - white bread has 4.9mg of iron in 100 grams and whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron.