White bread vs Whole-wheat bread

The short answer

Similar calories per slice. Whole-wheat keeps the bran, so it carries more fibre and protein; white bread is softer, milder and lighter in fibre. Whole-wheat for the fibre, white for a softer crumb — the gap is fibre, not calories.

White bread and Whole-wheat bread, per 100 g and per portion. A gap means USDA has no value for it — not zero.

White bread · per 100 gWhole-wheat bread · per 100 g
Calories266252
Protein8.9 g12.5 g
Fat3.3 g3.5 g
Carbs49.4 g42.7 g
Fiber2.7 g6 g
Sugars5.7 g4.3 g
Sodium490 mg455 mg
Vitamins & minerals — where both carry data
Calcium144 mg161 mg
Folate111 µg42 µg
Iron3.6 mg2.5 mg
Magnesium23 mg75 mg
Niacin4.8 mg4.4 mg
Phosphorus98 mg212 mg
Potassium126 mg254 mg
Riboflavin0.2 mg0.2 mg
Thiamin0.5 mg0.4 mg
Vitamin A0 µg0 µg
Vitamin B120 µg0 µg
Vitamin B60.1 mg0.2 mg
Vitamin C0 mg0 mg
Vitamin D0 µg0 µg
Vitamin E0.2 mg2.7 mg
Vitamin K0.2 µg7.8 µg
Zinc0.7 mg1.8 mg
At equal calories (per 100 kcal)
ProteinWhite bread: 3.3 g, Whole-wheat bread: 4.9 g · FiberWhite bread: 1 g, Whole-wheat bread: 2.4 g · SodiumWhite bread: 184.2 mg, Whole-wheat bread: 180.6 mg

Generic USDA foods (not brands), so both carry micronutrients. Numbers are per 100 g unless the portion toggle is on. USDA FoodData Central, as of 2026-08-12.

Common questions
Is White bread or Whole-wheat bread better?

Neither is “better” on its own — it depends what you want from it. The table shows where each is higher; the short answer says when each one fits. Compare on the same basis (per 100 g) and pick for your dish and your goal.

How were these numbers worked out?

Straight from USDA FoodData Central for the generic form of each food, per 100 g. We show the portion view too, but portion sizes differ between foods, so per 100 g is the fair comparison.

Why does one column say “no data”?

Because USDA has no value for that nutrient in that food — so we leave it blank rather than print a 0 that would read as “none”. A real zero from USDA still shows as 0.

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