Maize vs wheat: makki vs wheat nutrition, taste and which roti

Wheat carries more protein, iron and calcium — 10.6 g of protein and 4.0 mg of iron per 100 g against maize's 8.8 g and 2.5 mg.

Maize is the gluten-free one, with a little more fibre (12.2 g against 11.2 g per 100 g), a golden colour and a GI of 73 against wheat's 47.

Neither is a bad choice. Whole wheat and whole maize are both whole grains, and the energy gap is tiny: 334 kcal against 322 kcal per 100 g, about 12 kcal.

If you want the numbers first, the table below puts the two grains side by side; for blood sugar, the glycemic index section has the measured figures; and if you are choosing for a specific person, skip to which for whom. The maize hub covers makki on its own.

The table below compares the two grains per 100 g. Energy is a near tie: 334 kcal for maize against 322 kcal for wheat, about 12 kcal apart. The differences sit in the other rows. Wheat carries 10.6 g of protein to maize's 8.8 g, 4.0 mg of iron to 2.5 mg and 39.4 mg of calcium to 8.9 mg; maize answers with fibre, 12.2 g against 11.2 g, and its 145 mg of magnesium is higher than wheat's 125 mg. Fat is 3.8 g against 1.5 g, and carbohydrate is a dead heat at 64.8 g against 64.7 g.

Put another way, wheat has about 20 percent more protein and 59 percent more iron, and maize about 9 percent more fibre. Per roti the portions differ too: one roti made from 40 g of makki atta gives about 134 kcal, 3.5 g of protein and 4.9 g of fibre, while one phulka made from 30 g of wheat atta gives about 97 kcal, 3.2 g of protein and 3.4 g of fibre.

Both flours are whole grain, and both sit among the whole cereals the Dietary Guidelines for Indians group together, corn next to whole wheat; the guidelines add that dietary fibre delays and retards the absorption of carbohydrates and fats. On gluten the split is sharp: the NHS lists wheat, barley and rye as the gluten-carrying grains, so wheat is out for a gluten-free diet and maize, which COWBERRY's product page states is naturally gluten-free, is in. Wheat's own full picture sits on the gehu atta hub.

Per 100 g raw, edible portion. Composition: IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN). GI: University of Sydney GI database. — means not reported. These are average values for the food; the label on a pack gives the values for that product.

Makki roti. Golden, with a mild sweetness, it is patted by hand into a flat disc and cooked on a tawa, and the dough is kneaded with warm water; the roti goes straight from the tawa to the plate. See the makki ki roti recipe page.

Wheat roti and phulka. The same tawa, a thinner result: the dough is rolled thin, so a phulka is lighter and plainer, a clean base for dal and sabzi, and wheat atta covers chapatis and parathas in the same pan.

Beyond rotis. Makki atta also suits tortillas and porridge, uses listed for maize flour on COWBERRY's product page; wheat atta is the everyday flour for the daily phulka.

The University of Sydney GI database gives whole wheat a GI of 47, the mean of two India-tested entries (steamed whole kernels, and wheat of unstated form), and maize a GI of 73, from one test of maize grain steamed for 40 minutes in South Korea. The same database classes 55 and below as low GI and 70 and above as high, so wheat sits low and maize sits high on the index.

Rotis have been tested too: a Chennai study in 18 healthy non-diabetic adults measured a GI of about 45 for whole-wheat rotis (Radhika 2010). No GI for makki roti is given here, and this page does not guess one.

For the longer view, a 2016 meta-analysis of 45 prospective studies in the BMJ reported relative risks of 0.81 for coronary heart disease and 0.83 for death from any cause per 90 g a day rise in whole grain intake, and found little evidence of an association with refined grains; a 2013 analysis of 16 cohort studies reported a relative risk of 0.68 for type 2 diabetes per three servings of whole grains a day. Whole wheat and whole maize both count among whole grains, and the practical lesson is portion and meal, not grain alone; changes to a diabetic diet go through your doctor or dietitian.

Both are everyday flours, and the difference is in the dish. Makki atta is the flour for makki ki roti, tortillas and porridge, and COWBERRY's product pages note the grain's golden colour and the flour's earthy aroma. Wheat atta is the neutral everyday flour, the base for phulkas, chapatis and parathas that sit under dal, sabzi and gravies. COWBERRY's product page advises keeping maize flour airtight, somewhere cool and dry. COWBERRY's maize and maize flour are India Organic, USDA & EU certified.

• Gluten-free: maize, plainly. The NHS names wheat, barley and rye as the gluten cereals, and maize is not one of them; COWBERRY's product page states maize is naturally gluten-free. Check the pack for how the flour was milled.
• Diabetes: whole-wheat roti tested at a GI of about 45, and no GI for makki roti is given here, so the roti comparison is incomplete; portion and the rest of the meal matter. Talk to your doctor or dietitian before changing your diet.
• Weight loss: the makki roti is the heavier plate: about 134 kcal from 40 g of flour against 97 kcal from a 30 g phulka. See makki for weight loss.
• Protein and iron: wheat, at 10.6 g of protein and 4.0 mg of iron per 100 g.
• Fibre: maize, at 12.2 g of fibre per 100 g against 11.2 g in wheat.
• Everyday cooking: both, each for its own dish — wheat atta for the daily phulka, makki atta for makki ki roti.

What is the difference between maize and wheat?

Both are whole cereal grains with nearly the same energy, 334 kcal against 322 kcal per 100 g, but they differ in three things that matter. Wheat carries gluten and more protein (10.6 g against 8.8 g), iron and calcium; maize is gluten-free with more fibre (12.2 g against 11.2 g). Wheat's GI is 47, maize's is 73.

Does makki atta have gluten?

No. Makki atta is maize flour, and maize flour is naturally gluten-free, which COWBERRY's product page states. Wheat is a gluten cereal, so wheat rotis stay out of a gluten-free diet and makki roti fits it, while the NHS lists wheat, barley and rye as the three gluten-carrying grains. When gluten must be avoided for medical reasons, check how the flour was milled.

Is makki roti good for weight loss?

It can fit, if the portion does. A makki roti is made from 40 g of flour and carries about 134 kcal, against a 30 g phulka's 97 kcal, so the makki roti is the heavier one. Per 100 g the two flours are near equals, so the portion decides, not the grain. Talk to your doctor or dietitian before changing your diet for weight loss, and the makki for weight loss page works through portions.

Is makki good for diabetes?

It can fit in a measured portion, but its GI is high. Maize is carbohydrate, 64.8 g per 100 g, and its GI of 73, for steamed maize grain, is in the high band, while whole-wheat rotis tested at about 45. What matters is the portion and the meal around it, not the grain alone. Talk to your doctor or dietitian before changing your diet, and see makki for diabetes.

Which is better, makki atta or wheat atta?

Wheat for protein, iron and calcium — wheat carries 10.6 g of protein, 4.0 mg of iron and 39.4 mg of calcium per 100 g, against maize's 8.8 g, 2.5 mg and 8.9 mg. Maize for fibre, 12.2 g against 11.2 g, and for gluten-free cooking. For GI, wheat is 47 and maize 73. Each leads in different rows, and the right choice follows the person and the meal.