Atta vs Wheat Flour: Difference and Comparison

In order to prepare day-to-day food, certain specific food items are required, and there are some that are very popular all across the globe, no matter which geographical area is being talked about.

A very popular example of such versatility of utilization can be seen in two food products known as Atta and Wheat Flour.

Although these two are very different from one another, it is still a difficult task to lay down all the technical differences between these two products. 

Key Takeaways

1. Atta and wheat flour are both types of flour made from wheat.
2. Atta is a type of whole wheat flour used in Indian cuisine, while wheat flour is a more general term that can refer to any flour made from wheat.
3. Atta is milled from durum wheat, and whole wheat flour can be milled from various wheat types.

Atta vs Wheat Flour 

The difference between Atta and Wheat Flour is that the former is basically obtained after grinding the entire wheat yield and contains a high quantity of proteins and other fibers, while on the other hand the latter is basically ground after sorting out certain things from the entire yield and contains a little less quantity of these fibers and proteins.  

Atta is a very popular and versatile food item, especially across the country of India. A few years ago, in almost all the households, people used to grind this particular flour by themselves.

In order to obtain flour out of this particular yield, the entire contents are ground at once in a fine powder that contains a high quantity of fibers and other nutrients. 

But on the other hand, wheat flour is slightly different from the previously discussed flour.

Wheat flour is never obtained after grinding the entire content of yield, but it is ground after sorting out certain contents from the entire yield in order to bring about a fine powder made up of pure wheat content. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Atta	Wheat Flour
Meaning	It refers to a very popular flour that is yielded after grinding whole wheat content.	It refers to a very popular flour that is yielded after grinding certain excluded content out of the whole wheat content.
Made up of	This particular flour is yielded after grinding the entire content of wheat in a very fine powder.	This particular flour is yielded after grinding the partial content of wheat in a very fine powder.
Used in	This particular product is majorly used in Indian household food items like chapati and roti.	This particular product is majorly used in bakeries and other similar places.
Popular across	This is very popular across the Indian subcontinent.	This product happens to be very popular in Western countries.
Fiber content	The fiber content in this particular flour happens to be very high.	The fiber content in this particular flour happens to be a little less.
Texture	The texture of this flower happens to be very fine.	The texture of this flour happens to be comparatively thick.

What is Atta? 

A very popular variety of wheat flour, also known as atta flour, is a very popular part of everyday cooking in all Asian households.

Although there are many countries that prefer using this flour, the popularity of this material is very high in common Asian houses, especially in South Asian homes. 

Atta is basically obtained when the entire contents of wheat yield are ground in a very fine and super detailed texture.

The nutritional value of this particular item happens to be very high that it is considered a very significant source of energy in the houses of Southern Asia.

After the entire wheat content is ground in fine powder, water is added to prepare a rough dough of this flour. 

This dough is then prepared into multiple dishes such as roots and chapatis in order to make this particular item edible. Apart from the other benefits, this particular item also carries along with certain other health benefits also.

The very first thing is that it is considered very healthy for people who are fighting diabetes as it provides a regular dose of natural sugar and glucose to those people without over-exaggerating the dose.

And this particular flour also helps in reducing weight gain and maintaining other body balances. 

What is Wheat Flour? 

A wheat flour basically represents a very popular variety of flowers all across the world as it happens to be the most dominant and significant one among all others.

This particular item is very similar to the item previously discussed, but due to the process of grinding or the yielding process of flour, there is a distinction. 

Unlike atta flour, wheat flour is not ground directly after taking into account the entire wheat yield. Some of the contents are excluded from the yield so as to smoothen the entire content

and to only allow the major parts to be ground into flour.

Although this particular item is used in many food recipes all across the world, the major part of this item gets utilized in specific places like a bakery where it is used to bake certain specific items. 

In terms of the nutritional value, this product lacks a little bit behind as compared to the previously discussed flour.

However, these days the consumption of this particular item has become a debatable topic owing to the fact that it contains gluten which can be dangerous to some people.

Nevertheless, for people who can easily tolerate the consumption of gluten, this particular item happens to be a very significant source of their day-to-day diet. 

Main Differences Between Atta and Wheat Flour 

1. Atta refers to a very popular flour that is yielded after grinding whole wheat content while on the other hand, Wheat Flour refers to a very popular flour that is yielded after grinding certain excluded content. 
2. Atta happens to be a very fine texture, while on the other hand, Wheat Flour happens to be of a comparatively thick texture. 
3. Atta is most famous in the Indian subcontinent, while on the other hand, Wheat Flour is famous all across the world. 
4. Atta comprises a high nutritional value while on the other hand, Wheat Flour comprises low nutritional value relatively. 
5. Atta is extracted after grinding the entire wheat yield, while on the other hand, Wheat Flour is extracted after grinding certain excluded contents of wheat yield. 

References  

1. https://ir.cftri.res.in/id/eprint/3564 
2. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/glycaemic-index-of-indian-flatbreads-rotis-prepared-using-whole-wheat-flour-and-atta-mixadded-whole-wheat-flour/17DD2F55066FAF8AFEE6B3711AF582D9  

Last Updated : 18 July, 2023