Wholemeal bread: how many calories?

Wholemeal bread carries 247 calories per 100 grams; a typical portion (30 g) comes to 74 calories. The tables below give the same figure in cups, spoons and slices.

100 g247kcal
  • Protein13.0 g
  • Carbs41.0 g
  • Fat3.4 g
  • Fibre7.0 g
1 portion · 30 g74kcal
  • Protein3.9 g
  • Carbs12.3 g
  • Fat1.0 g
  • Fibre2.1 g

Where do the calories come from?

  • Protein 21%
  • Carbs 67%
  • Fat 12%

These percentages come from calories, not from grams: a gram of protein or carbohydrate counts as 4 calories, a gram of fat as 9. Alcohol is left out of the sum, fibre is counted with the carbohydrate, and the total always lands on one hundred.

What do these numbers mean on the plate?

Wholemeal bread carries 2.5 calories per gram: 100 calories work out to 40 grams. This is the band of bread and dry grains; one slice too many is both visible and noticeable in the total.

A typical portion is 30 g. Because tables are written per 100 grams, counting the portion as 100 grams too is a common mistake; for Wholemeal bread that means overstating the calories by 233%.

In calories, one portion (30 g · 74 kcal) comes to: 29 g Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked. Ground beef — 20% fat, cooked page

One portion every day adds up to 27,046 calories a year — roughly a 3.5 kg difference. This is a linear estimate and an upper bound: as weight changes, daily needs change with it. Build your own timeline

With bread, slice thickness decides the calories. Toasting drives off water: the slice gets lighter, but the calories per gram go up.

Household measure equivalents

MeasureGramCaloriesProtein
1 slice30 g74 kcal3.9 g

A cup measures 200 millilitres, not 200 grams; the grams in the table therefore come from the food's own bulk density rather than from volume. Packing the cup down or chopping more finely shifts the figure by 10-20%. Convert your own measure

How much of the daily reference intake?

NutrientDaily reference100 g1 portion · 30 g
Calories2,000 kcal12%4%
Fat70 g5%1%
Carbs260 g16%5%
Protein50 g26%8%
Fibre25 g28%8%

The reference values are the figures EU Regulation 1169/2011 gives for an average adult — the %RI column on labels rests on the same numbers. They are not a personal target; the fibre row is not in the regulation, the 25 grams there is EFSA's adequate intake for adults. Work out your own calorie needs

Where does it sit within its group?

It is number 1 of the 5 foods in the Bread and breakfast cereal group by calories per 100 grams. The group averages 303 kcal; Wholemeal bread is 19% below that average.

Wholemeal bread is the lowest-calorie food in its group; there is no lighter alternative at the same weight.

How long does it take to burn one portion (30 g)?

  • Walking — brisk (5.6 km/h)18 min
  • Running — 8 km/h (7:30 min/km)8 min
  • Cycling — 16-19 km/h10 min

These minutes are the NET burn for a 70 kg body: the resting calories that would have been spent sitting on the sofa anyway are already taken out of the total. A heavier body gets the same work done in less time. Calculate with your own weight

Foods with similar calories

Which claims could its label carry?

EU Regulation 1924/2006 ties every label claim to a numeric threshold. Wholemeal bread meets 2 of them:

  • High protein21% of its calories come from protein · threshold: at least 20%
  • High fibre100 g → 7.0 g fibre · threshold: at least 6.0 g

A claim on a label rests on that product's OWN laboratory analysis, whereas the numbers here come from average composition tables. The list is therefore not a permit but an estimate of which side of the threshold a product sits on. For drinks, the calorie and fat thresholds are set per 100 millilitres and are lower. Interpret your own label

Apply these numbers to your own portion

The values are averages taken from standard composition tables; a 10-15% difference between two products with the same name is normal, and the cooking method can double that gap. This page is for information and is not medical advice.