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Grains and bread

White bread

A typical 40 g (1.5 oz) serving of white bread has about 106 kcal and 1.1 g of fiber, from 266 kcal per 100 g.

USDA description: White bread

Estimated satietyHow it is calculated

Starting point+1
Moderate energy density0

Our own estimate from the values per 100 g: useful for comparing foods with each other, not a measurement in people. Holt index (1995): 100 (white bread = 100).

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Last updated
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Sources
6 primary
Data
USDA FDC 174924

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Nutrition facts

Calories
106 kcal per serving
266 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Protein
3.5 g per serving
8.9 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Carbohydrates
19.8 g per serving
49.4 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which sugars
2.3 g per serving
5.7 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fiber
1.1 g per serving
2.7 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Fat
1.3 g per serving
3.3 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
of which saturated
0.3 g per serving
0.7 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Water
14.6 g per serving
36.4 g per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Source: USDA FoodData Central: Bread, white, commercially prepared (includes soft bread crumbs) (FDC ID 174924), accessed September 23, 2026.

A typical 40 g (1.5 oz) serving provides about 106 kcal, 3.5 g of protein, and 1.1 g of fiber.

The typical serving (40 g (1.5 oz)) is a common amount used for the math, not a recommendation. Ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents; the values come from the database entry cited in the sources.

What it is and how to eat it

White bread is made from refined wheat flour, which has had the bran and germ removed, so it has less fiber than whole-wheat bread. In Spain it is bought mostly as a loaf, such as the baguette or the pistola, or sliced (pan de molde), and in Latin America as bolillo or telera in Mexico, pan francés in Argentina and Peru or marraqueta in Chile, and sliced as pan de caja in Mexico, pan lactal in Argentina or pan tajado in Colombia. This page covers commercial white bread according to USDA, with 266 kcal, 8.85 g of protein, 2.7 g of fiber and 490 mg of sodium per 100 g.

A 40 g (1.4 oz) serving, a little more than a typical 29 g sandwich slice according to USDA, provides 106 kcal, 3.5 g of protein and 1.1 g of fiber. It is soft, low in fat and low in fiber, and is usually well tolerated in the first few days of treatment, when the 2025 nutrition advisory on GLP-1 therapy suggests avoiding fatty and very high-fiber foods, and after a dose increase. Because it has little protein, use it as a base for some, with toppings like those of the whole-wheat toast with ricotta and tomato or the cottage cheese toast with smoked salmon, and if you eat little, start with the topping, as the same advisory suggests. Once fiber sits well with you, whole-wheat bread provides more fiber for similar calories.

What the evidence says

White bread is the reference of the Holt satiety index (1995), which gives it 100 by definition; in the same study, whole-wheat bread scored 157. Its glycemic index, however, is almost the same as whole-wheat bread's: 75 versus 74 in the 2008 international tables. With 2.7 g of fiber per 100 g, 1 g per 100 kcal, it meets neither of the EU minimums for a "source of fibre" claim, 3 g per 100 g or 1.5 g per 100 kcal (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). In Spain, since April 2022, everyday bread (pan común), such as the loaf, may not exceed 1.31 g of salt per 100 g when measured as chloride (1.66 g when measured as total sodium), a limit that does not apply to sliced sandwich bread, which the standard classes as a specialty bread (Royal Decree 308/2019).

The sources for this section are listed under "Sources" at the end of the page.

Satiety

The 1 to 5 score is our own estimate: it starts at 1 point, adds points for low energy density, for protein and fiber per 100 kcal, and for the water in solid foods, and subtracts points for drinks with calories. It is useful for comparing foods with each other; it is not a measurement in people.

This food was measured in people: in the satiety index by Holt and colleagues (1995), which compared 240 kcal servings of 38 foods over two hours, it scored 100 versus 100 for white bread. It is the reference food that every other food is compared against. Source: Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995;49(9):675-90.

Frequently asked questions about white bread

How much protein is in a 40 g (1.5 oz) serving of white bread?

100 g (3.5 oz) of white bread has 8.9 g of protein. A typical 40 g (1.5 oz) serving has about 3.5 g of protein. That is 3.3 g of protein per 100 kcal.

How many calories does a 40 g (1.5 oz) serving of white bread have?

100 g (3.5 oz) of white bread has 266 kcal. A typical 40 g (1.5 oz) serving has about 106 kcal. That is a moderate energy density.

Does white bread have fiber?

100 g (3.5 oz) of white bread has 2.7 g of fiber. A typical 40 g (1.5 oz) serving has about 1.1 g of fiber.

Is white bread filling?

Barely filling for the calories it provides: our estimated satiety score is 1 out of 5. It is based on: moderate energy density. White bread is also the reference food (100) of the Holt satiety index (1995), which compared 240 kcal servings of 38 foods in people.

What counts as a normal serving of white bread?

We use 40 g (1.5 oz) as a typical serving. That amount provides about 106 kcal, 3.5 g of protein, and 1.1 g of fiber. It is a reference for calculations, not a recommendation of how much to eat.

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Sources

Sources for the data on this page, with the access date.

  1. Official databaseU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Bread, white, commercially prepared (includes soft bread crumbs) (FDC ID 174924).accessed .
  2. Clinical trialEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition.Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995;49(9):675-90.accessed .
  3. Clinical guidelineObesity (Wiley).Mozaffarian D, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: A joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity. 2025;33(8):1475-1503. doi:10.1002/oby.24336.accessed .
  4. Official databaseDiabetes Care (American Diabetes Association).Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care. 2008;31(12):2281-2283. doi:10.2337/dc08-1239.accessed .
  5. RegulatorOfficial Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods (Annex).accessed .
  6. RegulatorBoletín Oficial del Estado (Spain's official gazette).Real Decreto 308/2019, de 26 de abril, por el que se aprueba la norma de calidad para el pan (Spanish bread quality standard: everyday and specialty bread; maximum salt content, article 11 and second transitional provision).accessed .