Wheat is divided into different classes depending on when it is planted (spring or winter), whether it is red or white and hard or soft. Red wheat results in baked goods that are slightly darker, have a stronger wheat flavor, and produce denser bread. All of the different types are great sources of vitamins, minerals, protein and dietary fiber.
Wheat: Basic Nutrition
One cup of soft wheat is 168 g but a cup of hard wheat is 192 g, so portions of 100 g have been used to compare the nutritional values of soft white, hard white, soft red winter, hard red winter, and hard red spring wheat. They're all about equal in calories (327 to 342), have 2 to 3 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) of fat, 25 percent DV of carbohydrates, and just a trace of sugar. They're great sources of dietary fiber (49 to 51 percent DV) and protein (21 to 31 percent DV).
Wheat: Vitamins and Minerals
All of the classes of wheat are good sources of most of the B vitamins, providing thiamin (26 percent DV), niacin (22 to 27 percent DV), vitamin B6 (14 to 19 percent DV), folate (10 percent DV), pantothenic acid (9 to 10 percent DV), and riboflavin (6 percent DV). They also supply 5 percent of the daily value of vitamin E and 2 percent of vitamin K.
You'll find all of the essential minerals but some--calcium (3 percent DV), potassium (10 to 12 percent DV), zinc and copper (18 to 23 percent DV), and calcium--are provided in the same amount by all types of wheat. They're also exceptionally high in manganese, providing 170 to 220 percent DV of this essential mineral.
Wheat Differences
Hard red spring wheat is the highest in protein. It supplies 31 percent DV compared to 21 to 23 percent from the other varieties. The red types are lower in iron, providing 18 percent compared to an average of 25 percent DV for the white types. Red classes of wheat are higher in magnesium (31 percent DV) compared to white classes (23 percent DV). The hard types are lower in phosphorus (average of 32 percent DV) compared to the soft types (40 to 49 percent DV).
Bran Nutrition
Wheat bran, which is the outer shell of the wheat kernel, supplies all the same vitamins, minerals and protein as whole wheat. The bran is high in dietary fiber (48 percent DV) and protein (9 percent DV). It's a great source of manganese (161 percent DV), magnesium (42 percent DV), selenium (31 percent DV), phosphorus (28 percent DV), iron (16 percent DV), zinc and copper (14 percent DV), and potassium (9 percent DV). The wheat bran provides 18 to 19 percent of the daily value of vitamin B6 and niacin, 10 percent of thiamin and riboflavin, and 6 percent of folate and pantothenic acid. It also supplies 2 percent DV of vitamin E and 1 percent of vitamin K.
Wheat vs. Bran
The nutrients in bran look almost identical to wheat, but there's one very big difference: The nutritional values for bran are based on a 1-oz. serving, which is only 28 grams. Comparing 100 grams of bran to wheat demonstrates that the bran is a significantly higher source of all nutrients. At 100 grams, bran's protein jumps to 31 percent, which is equal to hard red spring wheat, but it provides 171 percent of fiber and at least twice the amount of all minerals and vitamins.
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