Oats vs wheat: which is healthier? Nutrition per 100 g and GI

For most people, oats are slightly healthier than wheat, mainly because of their soluble fibre. Rolled oats carry about 4 g of beta-glucan per 100 g, the soluble fibre linked to lower LDL cholesterol, while wheat has less than 1 g. Traditional rolled oat porridge is also low GI (51 to 57), while most everyday wheat foods, such as bread and wheat biscuits, test 64 to 78. Wheat has its own strengths: whole wheat has more total fibre (11.4 g against 9.5 g per 100 g) and less fat and fewer kilojoules. And the form matters as much as the grain. Instant oats tested 82 to 87, while ordinary wheat pasta tested 44 to 50.

Below is a side by side comparison per 100 g, then the GI of the oat and wheat foods you actually eat. After that, we explain why your own glucose response can differ from what the tables predict.

Oats vs wheat nutrition per 100 g

Figures are from the FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database (uncooked), except beta-glucan, which isn't in that database. GI values are from the University of Sydney GI database, for a common food made from each.

Where oats come out ahead

• Soluble fibre. About 4 g of beta-glucan per 100 g. Beta-glucan turns thick and gel-like in the gut, which slows digestion. Australian food law allows oat foods to carry a health claim about beta-glucan and blood cholesterol. Uncle Tobys bases its claim on 3 g of beta-glucan a day (two 40 g serves) as part of a diet low in saturated fat.
• Lower GI breakfast. Porridge made from traditional rolled oats tested 51 to 57 in Australia, and steel-cut oats 48 to 53. Most wheat breakfast cereals tested higher: Weet-Bix 69, Vita Brits 68, wheat flakes 73.
• A bit more protein and healthy fat. Oats have 12.2 g of protein and 9.5 g of fat per 100 g, mostly unsaturated. That fat is also why oats have more kilojoules.

As Dr Michelle Woolhouse, Vively's Medical Director, explains: "The other thing fibre does, is it slows down the uptake of glucose in the system, and gives the body time to adjust to the glucose load and feed the cells the energy they need. Fibre is also good for the gut bugs, good for making healthy stools (ie detoxification of waste products) and it has the added benefit of making us feel fuller for longer. All good things!"

Where wheat comes out ahead

• More total fibre. Whole wheat has 11.4 g per 100 g against 9.5 g for rolled oats, mostly insoluble fibre from the bran, which helps keep you regular. Wheat biscuits such as Weet-Bix list about 13 g per 100 g.
• Fewer kilojoules and less fat. 1,362 kJ and 2.4 g of fat per 100 g of whole wheat, against 1,564 kJ and 9.5 g for oats.
• Low GI options. Wheat isn't one food. Pasta (44 to 50 for San Remo penne and Vetta spaghetti), boiled wheat kernels (48 to 56) and bulgur (46 to 53 in Canadian tests) are all low GI. It's finely milled wheat flour in soft bread that pushes the GI up.

Are oats wheat?

No. Oats and wheat are different cereal plants. Oats don't contain gluten in the way wheat does. They contain a related protein, avenin, which Coeliac Australia says most people with coeliac disease tolerate, although a small number react to it.

Oats sold in Australia can't be labelled gluten-free, because Australian and New Zealand food law doesn't allow it. Ordinary oats are often contaminated with wheat during growing and milling. If you have coeliac disease, talk to your medical team before adding oats, and choose specially produced uncontaminated oats if they say yes.

Oats vs wheat for blood sugar

Here's how the oat and wheat foods you're likely to eat compare on GI, lowest first. All are Australian tests unless noted.

• Wheat pasta: 44 to 50 (San Remo penne, Vetta spaghetti).
• Steel-cut oat porridge: 48 to 53.
• Burgen Oat Bran and Honey bread: 49 (2002).
• Boiled whole wheat kernels: 48 to 56 (Germany and Sweden).
• Traditional rolled oat porridge: 51 to 57.
• Wholemeal bread: 64 to 78.
• Weet-Bix and Vita Brits: 68 to 69.
• White bread: 70 to 74.
• Wheat flakes: 73 (2019).
• Instant oat porridge: 82 to 87.

So the healthier choice for blood sugar is the less processed one: rolled or steel-cut oats over instant, and pasta, grainy bread or whole kernels over fine-flour bread and flakes. If you have diabetes, the NDSS lists traditional rolled oats and steel-cut oats among lower GI breakfast cereals. Talk to your doctor or dietitian before changing your carbohydrate intake, especially if you take insulin or medicine that can cause lows.

Oat flour vs wheat flour, and oat bread vs wheat bread

Oat flour is milled whole oats, so its nutrition is close to rolled oats (the FSANZ database doesn't list it separately). It has no gluten network, so it won't rise on its own, and bread recipes usually replace only part of the wheat flour with it.

Most "oat" breads on the shelf are wheat bread with some oats added. The ones with a published GI tested lower than plain wholemeal: Burgen Oat Bran and Honey at 49 and Vogel's Honey and Oats at 55 (1995), against 64 to 78 for wholemeal. A wheat loaf with lots of whole grains or seeds, such as Burgen Wholemeal and Seeds (39), can test lower still. Our low GI flour guide ranks more flours.

What a GI number can't tell you

A GI test feeds about 10 healthy people a fixed amount of carbohydrate from one food, on its own, after an overnight fast, and averages the results. Your breakfast has milk, fruit or honey, and a portion that's your own. People also respond differently to the same bowl, depending on sleep, stress, activity and metabolism. A GI number is an average, and you're not an average.

Why your own response matters more than the GI

Our members' continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data shows how far real responses can sit from the lab numbers. Porridge has a low GI in the tables, yet it didn't come out lowest in everyday use.

• Porridge raised glucose by a typical 2.1 mmol/L across 458 members, more than white bread (1.8) or sourdough (1.7). Weet-Bix was highest at 2.5. We can't tell rolled from instant oats in the logs, and honey, sugar or a big portion may sit behind some of those porridge readings.
• The spread was wide. For porridge, the middle half of members rose between 1.4 and 2.9 mmol/L. About 1 in 5 (18%) rose less than 1 mmol/L, while just over half (52%) rose 2 mmol/L or more.
• Adding protein helped some people, not all. In 42 members who logged porridge both on its own and with only protein, fat or vegetable foods alongside, the typical rise was 2.1 mmol/L alone and 1.7 mmol/L with the extras. But only half of them (50%) rose less with the extras.

This is real-world app data, not a lab test. Portions weren't measured, and someone may have eaten something they didn't log. The members don't have type 2 diabetes. See the full curves on our porridge and Weet-Bix glucose response pages.

How to make oats or wheat easier on your glucose

• Choose traditional rolled or steel-cut oats over instant sachets.
• Pick pasta, grainy bread or whole wheat kernels over soft white bread and wheat flakes.
• Add protein. Michelle notes: "It's not uncommon to consume a meal with very little protein, think gnocchi Napoli, jam on toast or a baked potato with salad." Porridge made with water belongs on that list too, so cook it with milk or stir in Greek yoghurt, and add nuts or seeds.
• Use berries or grated apple instead of honey, brown sugar or syrup.
• Keep to one serve: 40 g of dry oats or two wheat biscuits.
• Take a short walk after eating.

See your own response

Lab tables can't tell you whether porridge or toast suits you better. A Vively CGM can: eat each breakfast on a different morning and compare the curves in the app. Our guide to blood sugar after eating explains what the numbers mean, and our shredded wheat guide compares the wheat biscuit cereals.

Frequently asked questions

Are oats healthier than wheat?

Slightly, for most people. Oats have about 4 g of beta-glucan per 100 g against under 1 g in wheat, and rolled oat porridge is low GI (51 to 57). Whole wheat has more total fibre and fewer kilojoules.

Are oats made from wheat?

No. Oats and wheat are different cereal plants. Oats don't contain wheat gluten, but they are often contaminated with wheat, and in Australia they can't be labelled gluten-free.

What is the GI of oats vs wheat?

Traditional rolled oat porridge tested 51 to 57 and steel-cut oats 48 to 53, while instant oats tested 82 to 87. For wheat, pasta tested 44 to 50, wheat biscuits 68 to 69 and white bread 70 to 74.

Oats or wheat: which is better for diabetes?

Rolled or steel-cut oats are a good lower GI breakfast, and the NDSS lists them as such. Wheat pasta and grainy breads are good lower GI choices later in the day. Ask your dietitian how much carbohydrate suits you.

Oats or wheat: which is better for weight loss?

Neither is clearly better. Oats have more kilojoules per 100 g (1,564 against 1,362 for whole wheat) because of their fat, but beta-glucan may help you feel full. Portion size and what you add matter more.

Is oat bread healthier than wheat bread?

Often, if it's a genuine oat bread. Burgen Oat Bran and Honey tested GI 49 and Vogel's Honey and Oats 55, against 64 to 78 for wholemeal. Check the ingredients, because many oat breads are mostly wheat flour.

What is the nutritional difference between oats and wheat per 100 g?

Per 100 g uncooked, rolled oats have 1,564 kJ, 12.2 g protein, 9.5 g fat, 9.5 g fibre and 54.5 g available carbs. Whole wheat has 1,362 kJ, 11.2 g protein, 2.4 g fat, 11.4 g fibre and 58.3 g available carbs (FSANZ).

Sources

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3 (oats, rolled, uncooked; wheat, whole, uncooked; wheat flour, wholemeal and white plain; downloaded 3 Nov 2026).
• Uncle Tobys, Traditional Oats nutrition information and beta-glucan claim (checked 3 Nov 2026).
• Sanitarium, Weet-Bix nutrition information (checked 3 Nov 2026).
• Fujita AH, Figueroa MOR. Composição centesimal e teor de beta-glucanas em cereais e derivados (Nutrient profile and beta-glucan content of cereals). Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos, 2003; 23 (oats 5.9% to 6.5%, wheat under 1%).
• FSANZ, Beta-glucan and blood cholesterol health claims (checked 3 Nov 2026).
• University of Sydney GI database, glycemicindex.com (Lowan, Woolworths Select and steel-cut porridge, Uncle Tobys and unbranded instant oat porridge, Burgen, Vogel's, Weet-Bix, Vita-Brits, wheat flakes, wholemeal and white bread, San Remo and Vetta pasta, wheat kernel and bulgur entries; accessed 1 Nov 2026).
• Coeliac Australia, Oats and the gluten-free diet (checked 3 Nov 2026).
• NDSS, Glycaemic index fact sheet (checked 3 Nov 2026).
• Vively member CGM data, 1 Jan 2022 to 12 Oct 2026: porridge (458 members on its own; 42 members logged it both on its own and with protein, fat or vegetables), Weet-Bix (138), white bread (151), sourdough (522). De-identified, members without type 2 diabetes, minimum 30 members per figure.