Dave's Killer Bread vs Nature's Own: 6 g vs 3 g Protein

Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds lists more calories, protein and fiber per labeled slice than Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat, which lists less per slice, but the slices weigh different amounts (45 g and 26 g). Per-slice figures are shown alongside per-100 g calculations so the gap can be read on equal weights.

Key takeaways

• Per slice, Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds (45 g) lists 110 calories, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugars and 170 mg sodium.
• Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat (26 g) lists 60 calories, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber, under 1 g sugars and 140 mg sodium.
• Slice weight differs, so per-slice numbers need to be read next to the grams per serving.
• Both ingredient lists include cultured wheat flour and vinegar. Dave's states 'no artificial preservatives or ingredients,' and Nature's Own states 'no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.'
• Whole grain grams are 22 g per 45 g slice for Dave's and 13 g per 26 g slice for Nature's Own, where the Nature's Own figure is a brand claim.

At a glance

Per labeled slice	Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds (45 g)	Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat (26 g)
Calories	110	60
Protein	6 g	3 g
Dietary fiber	4 g	2 g (7% DV)
Total sugars	4 g	Less than 1 g
Added sugars	Not on brand page. Open Food Facts records conflict (4 g or 1.58 g)	Less than 1 g (2% DV)
Sodium	170 mg	140 mg (6% DV)
Total fat	1.5 g	0.5 g
Saturated fat	Not on brand page. Open Food Facts lists 0 g	0 g
Whole grains	22 g (per 45 g slice)	13 g (per 26 g slice, brand claim)
Sweeteners	Organic cane sugar, organic molasses	Brown sugar
Preservative wording	No artificial preservatives or ingredients (brand page)	No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives (brand page)

Figures come from each brand's product or nutrition page unless marked as Open Food Facts, so check the panel on the package you buy.

How Do Protein and Fiber Compare Per Slice?

How much protein is in Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds?

One 45 g slice of Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds contains 6 g protein per the brand's nutrition page. Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat lists 3 g protein in a 26 g slice. Because the slices weigh different amounts, the per-100 g figures in the next section give a closer comparison.

How much fiber is in each slice?

Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds lists 4 g dietary fiber per 45 g slice. Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat lists 2 g dietary fiber (7% DV) per 26 g slice.

The Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds Thin-Sliced version is a different listing. The brand's nutrition page shows 60 calories, 3 g protein and 3 g fiber per 28 g slice.

How Do Slice Sizes Change the Comparison: 45 g vs 26 g?

FDA explains that serving sizes reflect the amount people typically eat and are not a recommendation, and that all nutrient amounts on the label refer to that serving size. Because the two slices weigh 45 g and 26 g, the per-slice numbers are not based on equal amounts of bread.

Calculated per 100 g from the labeled slice weights, Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds works out to about 13.3 g protein, 8.9 g fiber and 378 mg sodium. Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat works out to about 11.5 g protein, 7.7 g fiber and 538 mg sodium. These are arithmetic results, not figures printed on either package.

In this calculation, Nature's Own shows higher sodium per 100 g. Sodium can come from ingredients other than table salt, and Sodium Beyond Salt: 6 Scanned Labels With Sodium Additives covers sodium sources on other labels.

Why Do Dave's and Nature's Own Show Different Sugar Numbers?

How much sugar is in Nature's Own 100% Whole Wheat bread?

Nature's Own lists total sugars of less than 1 g and less than 1 g of added sugars per 26 g slice, which is 2% DV for added sugars. Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds lists 4 g sugars per 45 g slice on the brand's nutrition page.

The brand page does not list added sugars for the 21 Whole Grains and Seeds loaf. Open Food Facts records conflict: barcode 0013764027053 shows 4 g added sugars per 45 g slice, while another record for the same loaf shows 1.58 g, so the added-sugar amount for this loaf should be read from the package.

The ingredient lists also differ in sweetener type. Dave's lists organic cane sugar and organic molasses, while Nature's Own lists brown sugar. Ingredient lists are generally arranged by weight, but neither label discloses how much of each sweetener it contains, so the ingredient list alone cannot show the sugar total.

Do Dave's and Nature's Own Have Preservatives?

Does Nature's Own bread have preservatives?

Nature's Own states that its 100% Whole Wheat bread has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Its ingredient list includes cultured wheat flour, vinegar and acerola cherry powder.

Dave's states 'no artificial preservatives or ingredients.' The Dave's 21 Whole Grains and Seeds ingredient list includes organic cultured wheat flour, organic vinegar and organic acerola cherry powder.

Neither brand states whether cultured wheat flour, vinegar or acerola cherry powder inhibits mold, and that function was not disclosed. This is a label-literacy point: the ingredient list shows what is added, not what each ingredient does.

The wording also differs: 'no artificial preservatives or ingredients' on one brand page and 'no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives' on the other. For a broader look at how labels explain ingredient roles, see To Protect Taste: 6 Scanned Labels That Explain Their Ingredients.

The term 'preservative-free' is not the same as either brand's wording, so read the exact phrase printed on the package.

What Do the Ingredient Lists Show About Whole Grains and Added Ingredients?

Both ingredient lists start with whole wheat. Dave's lists organic whole wheat flour and organic cracked whole wheat, then a 21 Whole Grains and Seeds mix that names more than 20 grain, seed and flour items, including flax, quinoa, rye, oats, barley, spelt, KAMUT khorasan wheat, buckwheat and poppy seeds. Nature's Own lists whole wheat flour, then ingredients such as flax seed meal and expeller pressed canola oil.

Both labels list wheat gluten, yeast, salt, vinegar, enzymes and acerola cherry powder. Dave's also lists organic oat fiber and organic molasses. The amount of wheat gluten in either loaf was not disclosed.

The allergen statements differ in detail. Both state 'Contains: Wheat.' Nature's Own adds that it is manufactured on shared equipment that also processes products containing sesame and may contain sesame. The Dave's listing shows only the wheat statement. Readers who manage a wheat or sesame allergy should read the full allergen statement on the package, since these labels describe manufacturing conditions and do not establish risk for any individual.

What Do Whole Grain Claims Measure on These Labels?

Dave's lists 22 g whole grains per 45 g slice. Nature's Own states 13 g whole grains per 26 g slice. Other whole grain gram amounts for Nature's Own were not disclosed. Dave's 100% Whole Wheat lists 25 g whole grains per 42 g slice.

FDA's February 2006 draft guidance, which is non-binding, says whole wheat flour should be considered a whole grain flour and that products labeled '100 percent whole grain' should not contain grain ingredients other than whole grains. FDA has not defined any claims concerning the grain content of foods. The name '100% Whole Wheat' and the phrase '21 Whole Grains' are therefore not measured against a federal grain-content definition.

A whole grain number answers one question, the grain content, and leaves sugar, sodium and calories to the rest of the Nutrition Facts panel.

To check either loaf yourself, scan its barcode with the Aurascan app and read each ingredient explained with cited evidence.

Related reading: for Dave's against sprouted-grain Ezekiel bread, see Is Ezekiel Bread Healthier Than Dave's Killer Bread?.