Bulgur is a whole-grain wheat product that often surprises people with how low its sugar content is. This Bulgur Sugar Calculator lets you estimate the sugar in any serving, whether you measure dry groats before cooking or scoop cooked bulgur from the pot. It also shows total carbohydrates, fiber, net carbs, and calories, so you get the full nutritional picture rather than a single number.
Choosing the correct bulgur form matters: dry bulgur contains about 0.41 g of sugar per 100 g, while cooked bulgur, which holds much more water, drops to about 0.10 g per 100 g. The calculator uses the right values automatically for grams, ounces, or cups.
Whether you are tracking macros, managing blood sugar, or simply curious about your grain intake, this tool gives quick, practical answers for meal planning and healthy eating.
🍚 Bulgur Sugar Calculator
Find the sugar and carb content in any serving of bulgur.
Values based on USDA FoodData Central averages for dry and cooked bulgur.
Quick Start: Enter Your Serving
The fastest way to use this calculator is to pick whether your bulgur is dry or cooked, then enter the amount in grams, ounces, or cups. Most nutrition labels list dry bulgur values, while recipes usually measure cooked bulgur by the cup. Because cooked bulgur absorbs water, a cup of cooked bulgur weighs more than a cup of dry bulgur but contains about the same dry-grain material. The calculator automatically uses the correct weight per cup: 160 g for dry bulgur and 182 g for cooked bulgur.
The Simple Formula Behind the Calculator
The calculation is based on USDA FoodData Central values:
Sugar (g) = serving weight (g) × sugar per 100 g ÷ 100
Bulgur is a whole grain, so its sugars are naturally occurring in the wheat kernel. The grain is parboiled, dried, and cracked, but no sugar is added in the traditional milling process. That means the sugar you see in the results is intrinsic carbohydrate, not added sweetener.
Worked Examples
Example 1: 1 cup cooked bulgur
A cup of cooked bulgur weighs about 182 g. Sugar = 182 × 0.10 ÷ 100 = 0.18 g. Total carbs ≈ 33.8 g, fiber ≈ 8.2 g, and net carbs ≈ 25.6 g.
Example 2: 100 g dry bulgur
100 g dry bulgur contains 0.41 g sugar, about 75.9 g total carbs, 12.5 g fiber, and roughly 342 kcal. That is a large dry portion; after cooking it expands to about 2.5 cups.
Example 3: 2 oz dry bulgur
2 oz = 56.7 g. Sugar = 56.7 × 0.41 ÷ 100 = 0.23 g, or about 0.06 teaspoons. Calories ≈ 194 kcal.
If you are comparing bulgur with other grains, the oatmeal sugar calculator uses the same approach for oats.
Reference Values per 100 g
| Nutrient | Dry bulgur | Cooked bulgur |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 0.41 g | 0.10 g |
| Total carbohydrate | 75.87 g | 18.58 g |
| Fiber | 12.5 g | 4.5 g |
| Net carbs | 63.4 g | 14.1 g |
| Calories | 342 kcal | 83 kcal |
Values are rounded from USDA FoodData Central and may vary slightly by brand and cooking method.
How to Use This for Meal Planning
Bulgur's sugar content is small compared with refined grain products, sweetened cereals, or dried fruit. Most of the carbohydrate in bulgur is starch, which the body digests at a moderate pace because of the fiber. If you track net carbs, the fiber matters: cooked bulgur provides about 4.5 g fiber per 100 g, so net carbs are roughly 14 g per 100 g cooked.
For a protein-rich pairing, try bulgur with beans or chicken. You can also use the barley calorie calculator to compare another whole-grain side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using dry values for cooked portions — cooked bulgur has more water, so 100 g cooked has less sugar and fewer calories than 100 g dry.
- Assuming all “sugar” in the result is added sugar — bulgur's sugar is naturally occurring.
- Forgetting that cup volume changes after cooking — 1 cup dry bulgur yields roughly 2.5 to 3 cups cooked.
- Skipping the fiber column — fiber lowers the effective carbohydrate impact, and bulgur is a good source.