Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread: Labelgrade B (75/100)
B 75 / 100 — Very low saturated fat and substantial fiber.
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Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread delivers 6g of protein and 120 calories per 2 SLICES (USDA FDC 2107271). Per 100g that’s 12g of protein; per oz, 3.4g. The Labelgrade is B (75 / 100): Very low saturated fat and substantial fiber.
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C+ | 68 / 100 | 12g per 100g — moderate; the per-serving total matters more than the per-unit density |
| Ingredient quality | B | 75 / 100 | 18 ingredients, recognizable, no significant additive flags |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g saturated fat — perfect |
| Sodium load | D | 50 / 100 | 230mg per serving (130mg per oz) — meaningful per 100g |
| Sugar load | A- | 88 / 100 | 3g sugar; USDA omits the added-sugar line, but the ingredients list a sweetener — scored as added, not naturally-occurring |
| Fiber | B- | 72 / 100 | 3g per serving — good |
| Overall | B | 75 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 25% · ingredients 22% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 12% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread (this product) | 6g | 12g | 3.4g | 120 |
| Nature’s Own Specialty Honey Wheat Bread | 5g | 11.6g | 3.3g | 100 |
| Thomas’ Mini Bagels | 5g | 11.6g | 3.3g | 120 |
| Dave’S Killer Bread Powerseed, Organic Bread | 5g | 11.1g | 3.1g | 110 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
The protein leader of the everyday whole-wheat loaves
Among the standard supermarket whole-wheat breads we’ve graded, Sara Lee tops the protein table: 6g per serving and 12g per 100g, edging out Nature’s Own (11.6g) and Oroweat (10.5g) on a same-weight basis. It earns that the honest way — whole wheat flour is the only flour in the loaf, and a little added wheat gluten and soy flour lift the protein without any of the additive-heavy fortification you’d see in a refined bread. Pair that with 3g of fiber and zero saturated fat and you have the strongest macro line in this group.
Keep the word “leader” in proportion, though. Six grams of protein is a useful contribution to a sandwich, not a protein source in its own right — for context, the same two slices carry about a third of the protein you’d get from the meat you’d put between them. If protein is the actual goal of buying bread, this is the best of the everyday loaves but still a tier below a dedicated seeded bread like Dave’s Killer Bread (graded separately on the site), which stacks more seeds, protein and fiber into each slice.
The catch is sodium — and the two-slice serving that hides it
Sara Lee’s one genuine weak spot is salt. At 230mg of sodium per serving it carries the most of any whole-wheat loaf in this set, and it’s the reason the overall grade lands at 75 — a notch below Oroweat and Nature’s Own (both 77) despite Sara Lee’s protein edge. On our scale that sodium load scores a D; everything else about the bread is B-or-better.
Two things make this easy to misread. First, that 230mg is per two slices — Sara Lee prints its whole panel on a 50g, two-slice basis, so the figure looks alarming next to a loaf that lists one slice at a time. Per single slice it’s a more ordinary ~115mg. Second, bread sodium is sneaky precisely because bread doesn’t taste salty; it’s structural, baked into the dough, and it adds up across a day faster than people expect. The practical move isn’t to avoid this loaf — it’s to keep the rest of the sandwich lower-sodium, or eat it open-faced, so the bread’s salt isn’t stacked on top of salty fillings. If sodium is a firm limit, Oroweat or Nature’s Own come in lower per serving.
Scope
This page covers Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread (16 oz/1 lbs/454 g), UPC 077633750497, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 2107271. Sara Lee sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, SUGAR, WHEAT GLUTEN, YEAST, WHEAT BRAN, MOLASSES, SALT, SOYBEAN OIL, DATEM, CALCIUM PROPIONATE (PRESERVATIVE), MONOGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM SULFATE, SOY LECITHIN, CITRIC ACID, GRAIN VINEGAR, POTASSIUM IODATE, SOY FLOUR.
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 2 SLICES
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (2 SLICES) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 120 |
| Protein | 6g |
| Total Fat | 1.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 0g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 23g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g |
| Total Sugars | 3g |
| Sodium | 230mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 60mg |
| Iron | 1.44mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to 100% Whole Wheat Bread (16 oz/1 lbs/454 g) · UPC 077633750497. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread healthy?
It's one of the better mainstream sandwich loaves. It's 100% whole wheat — whole wheat flour is the only flour — with 6g of protein and 3g of fiber per two slices and no saturated fat. The one honest knock is sodium: at 230mg per serving it carries the most salt of the everyday whole-wheat loaves we've graded. As a balanced-meal bread it's a sound choice; if you're watching sodium closely, it's the one to portion carefully.
Is 100% whole wheat actually better than white bread?
Yes, and Sara Lee is a clean example of why. '100% whole wheat' means every bit of the flour keeps its bran and germ — that's the source of the fiber and most of the protein. Refined white bread mills those out and adds a few vitamins back, which is why a white loaf like Wonder grades lower (B-) than this one (B) on ingredient quality and fiber. Whole wheat is the better default base; the trade-off here is the sodium, not the grain.
Why does Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread get a B (75/100)?
It leads this group on protein (6g per serving, 12g per 100g) and brings solid fiber (3g) with 0g saturated fat (A+) — all pluses. What pulls it to a 75, the lowest of the three whole-wheat loaves here, is sodium: 230mg per serving scores a D, the harshest sodium mark in the set. Strong on protein and grain quality; held back by salt.
How big is a serving — and why do Sara Lee's numbers look bigger than other breads?
Because Sara Lee declares its panel per TWO slices (50g total), not one. So 120 calories, 6g protein, 3g fiber, 3g sugar and 230mg sodium all cover two slices — i.e., a whole sandwich's worth of bread. Per single slice that's about 60 calories, 3g protein and 115mg sodium. This is the most common mistake when comparing breads: a per-2-slice panel looks 'worse' next to a per-1-slice loaf (like Oroweat) until you put them on the same basis.
It has the most sodium here — what should I do about it?
Mostly just account for it. 230mg from two slices is about 10% of the day's limit before any fillings, and a deli-meat-and-cheese sandwich can push the whole build well past that. You don't need to drop the bread; keep the fillings lower-sodium, or use one slice open-faced. If sodium is a hard constraint, Oroweat or Nature's Own come in lower per serving.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2107271. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.