Calories in whole wheat bread (wholemeal bread)

Commercially prepared. 252 kcal (1,054 kJ) per 100 g. Choose a portion below and every figure on the page updates.

Whole wheat bread, called wholemeal bread in the UK and Australia, is made from flour that keeps the bran and germ of the wheat grain. Commercial loaves have 252 kcal (1054 kJ) per 100 g, mostly from starch, with 12.5 g of protein. Its advantage over white bread is fibre and minerals rather than lower energy.

Where the energy comes from

Share of total energy contributed by each macronutrient, using the standard 4/4/9 kcal per gram factors:

Things worth knowing

• One slice (32 g) has about 81 kcal (337 kJ), and two slices for a sandwich about 161 kcal (675 kJ).
• Calories are almost the same as white bread, which has about 266 kcal per 100 g, but wholemeal has about 6 g of fibre per 100 g against 2.7 g, more than double.
• Toasting removes water, not energy. Toasted whole wheat bread has about 306 kcal per 100 g because the same calories sit in a lighter slice.
• Two slices provide about 48 mg of magnesium and 1.4 mg of manganese, the latter more than half the Daily Value. In the US, 'wheat bread' is not necessarily whole wheat, so check the label.

Converting these figures

One 1 slice of whole wheat bread is 81 kcal, which is 337 kJ. To convert any other figure, divide kilojoules by 4.184 for calories, or use the converter on the home page.

It takes 95 g of whole wheat bread to reach 1,000 kJ (239 kcal). See how that compares with other foods on the 1000 kJ to calories page.