Calories in Bread by Type: White, Whole Grain, Sourdough, Rye, Baguette, Naan
Quick answer: Almost all bread sits between 250 and 290 kcal per 100 g. A standard 30 g slice of white or whole-wheat sandwich bread is 75–80 kcal; a thick-cut 50 g slice is 130. The type of bread changes fiber, protein and how full you feel; it barely changes calories per gram. What changes calories is the weight of the piece — a baguette, a bagel or a naan is 3–4 slices' worth — and what goes on it. Butter, oil and cheese routinely double a bread's calories.
Calories per typical piece
| Bread | Typical piece | Weight | Calories | Fiber | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sandwich bread | 1 slice | 30 g | 75–80 kcal | 0.8 g | 2.5 g |
| Whole-wheat sandwich bread | 1 slice | 30 g | 75–80 kcal | 2 g | 3.5 g |
| Thick-cut white or whole-wheat | 1 slice | 45–50 g | 120–130 kcal | 1–3 g | 4–5 g |
| Sourdough | 1 slice | 50 g | 130 kcal | 1.5 g | 4.5 g |
| Rye, light | 1 slice | 35 g | 90 kcal | 2 g | 3 g |
| Rye, dense whole-grain (German-style) | 1 slice | 50 g | 100–110 kcal | 4–5 g | 3.5 g |
| Pumpernickel | 1 slice | 40 g | 100 kcal | 3 g | 3 g |
| Baguette | ¼ baguette | 65 g | 180 kcal | 1.5 g | 6 g |
| Baguette | whole | 250 g | 680 kcal | 6 g | 22 g |
| Ciabatta | 1 roll | 90 g | 240 kcal | 2 g | 8 g |
| Bagel | 1 plain | 95–100 g | 270–290 kcal | 2 g | 10 g |
| Pita, white | 1 medium | 60 g | 165 kcal | 1.5 g | 5.5 g |
| Pita, whole-wheat | 1 medium | 60 g | 160 kcal | 4 g | 6 g |
| Naan | 1 plain | 90 g | 260–300 kcal | 2 g | 8 g |
| Naan, butter or garlic | 1 | 100 g | 320–370 kcal | 2 g | 8 g |
| Flour tortilla | 1 medium (8") | 45 g | 140 kcal | 1 g | 4 g |
| Corn tortilla | 1 | 25 g | 55 kcal | 1.5 g | 1.5 g |
| Brioche | 1 slice | 50 g | 175–200 kcal | 1 g | 5 g |
| Croissant | 1 | 60 g | 230–260 kcal | 1.5 g | 5 g |
| Focaccia | 1 square | 80 g | 250 kcal | 1.5 g | 6 g |
| English muffin | 1 | 60 g | 135 kcal | 1.5 g | 5 g |
| Dinner roll | 1 | 40 g | 110 kcal | 1 g | 3.5 g |
Per 100 g: why the type barely matters
| Bread | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| White | 260–270 kcal |
| Whole wheat | 250–260 kcal |
| Sourdough | 260 kcal |
| Rye (light) | 260 kcal |
| Rye (dense whole-grain) | 200–220 kcal |
| Baguette | 270–280 kcal |
| Bagel | 280–290 kcal |
| Pita | 275 kcal |
| Naan | 290–320 kcal |
| Brioche | 350–400 kcal |
| Croissant | 400–430 kcal |
Bread is flour, water, yeast and salt. Flour is about 340 kcal per 100 g; add water and you get 250–290 for almost everything. The outliers are the ones with fat or sugar in the dough — brioche, croissant, naan, some "soft" sandwich loaves — and the dense rye breads, which hold more water per gram.
So "whole wheat is fewer calories" is essentially false. Whole wheat is more filling per calorie, which is a different and more useful thing.
What the type actually changes
Fiber. White: under 1 g per slice. Whole wheat: 2 g. Dense rye: 4–5 g. Over two slices a day, that is the difference between 2 g and 10 g toward a 25–30 g target — and fiber is what determines whether the sandwich holds you until dinner. How much fiber per day →
Protein. Similar across types, 8–10 g per 100 g. Bagels and baguettes are slightly higher because they are made from high-protein flour.
Salt. Bread is the largest single source of salt in most Western diets, at 0.4–0.6 g per slice. Two slices at breakfast and a sandwich at lunch is 2 g — 40% of the day's limit — before any filling. How much salt per day →
Sugar. Most bread has 1–3 g per slice. "Soft" white loaves, brioche, and many US sandwich breads have 3–5 g. Check the label if sugar is a number you track.
Blood sugar. White bread has one of the highest glycaemic responses of common foods. Sourdough, dense rye and whole-grain breads are noticeably slower. If the afternoon crash is your problem, the bread type at lunch is a real lever. Why you crash after lunch →
What goes on it matters more
A slice of bread is 80 kcal. Then:
| Topping | Amount | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 10 g (a thin spread) | +75 kcal |
| Butter | 20 g (a generous spread) | +150 kcal |
| Olive oil for dipping | 1 tbsp | +120 kcal |
| Cheese | 30 g | +110 kcal |
| Peanut butter | 1 tbsp (16 g) | +95 kcal |
| Jam | 1 tbsp | +55 kcal |
| Avocado | ½ | +120 kcal |
| Mayonnaise | 1 tbsp | +90 kcal |
| Hummus | 2 tbsp | +70 kcal |
Two slices of toast with butter: 310 kcal. Two slices of toast with butter and jam: 420 kcal. The bread is a third of that. When people say they "only had toast," the toast is rarely the problem.
How to log bread accurately
Barcode for packaged sliced bread — the label gives per-slice values exactly. Check that the slice weight on the label matches your loaf's slices; "thick-cut" and standard versions of the same brand differ by 60%.
Photo for bakery bread, rolls and restaurant bread. Say the type ("sourdough", "baguette", "naan") because the app cannot tell brioche from white by sight, and the difference is 100 kcal per piece. Estimate the weight if you can; a bakery slice is usually 50 g, not 30.
Voice for the quick log: "two slices of whole-wheat toast with butter."
CalMePlease pulls fiber, salt and sugar per slice into its ten metrics, which is where bread's real story is — the calories are similar across the shelf; the fiber and salt are not.
FAQ
How many calories are in a slice of bread? About 75–80 kcal for a standard 30 g slice of white or whole-wheat sandwich bread; 120–130 kcal for a thick-cut 45–50 g slice.
Is whole-wheat bread lower in calories than white? No — roughly the same per gram. It has 2–3 times the fiber, which makes it more filling and slower to digest.
How many calories are in a baguette? About 270–280 kcal per 100 g; a whole 250 g baguette is around 680 kcal. A quarter baguette is 180 kcal.
How many calories are in sourdough bread? About 260 kcal per 100 g — the same as other white breads. A typical 50 g bakery slice is 130 kcal. Its advantage is a slower blood-sugar response, not fewer calories.
How many calories are in naan? A plain naan (90 g) is 260–300 kcal; butter or garlic naan 320–370. It is the equivalent of 3–4 slices of bread.
Which bread is best for weight loss? Any bread fits a deficit if the portion and toppings are counted. For fullness per calorie, dense whole-grain rye and whole-wheat are best; for blood-sugar stability, sourdough and rye.
Related: Calories in rice · How much salt per day · Barcode scanner for calories
CalMePlease logs bread and what is on it from a photo or a voice note, with fiber and salt per slice. Free on the App Store.
