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Cracked wheat

Cracked wheat is wheat berries broken into smaller pieces and used in porridges, pilafs, breads, and salads.

Cracked wheat — illustrative ingredient image

About Cracked wheat

Cracked wheat is made from wheat berries mechanically broken into smaller pieces, without implying the parboiling and drying used for bulgur. It is cooked in porridges, pilafs, stuffings, and grain salads, and may be incorporated into breads and other baked goods.

The dry pieces are tan to reddish brown, irregular, and hard, with a mild wheat flavour. After soaking or cooking, they become tender and chewy with a distinct grain texture. Coarse, medium, and fine grades differ in cooking time and final texture.

It may be sold dry in different particle sizes. Soaking or cooking softens the pieces, while baking incorporates them into dough and changes their texture; the product is not automatically bulgur because the description does not specify whole-grain, pearled, parboiled, or other processing.

Ingredient type
whole food

Forms & related ingredients

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Where cracked wheat appears

11 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 1–11 of 11

Main dishes

Desserts

Soups

Breakfasts

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for cracked wheat

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Cracked wheat

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Cracked wheat nutrition & diet

Cracked wheat nutritional value

Product example: CRACKED WHEAT (Friday Music, Inc)

Per 100 g of this specific product as recorded by USDA, per 100 g.

Calories
338kcal
Protein
12.5g
Carbs
72.5g
Fat
0.0g

A product-specific label example, not a generic average. Formulations can change; use the nutrition label on the product being eaten.

Portions & preparation

Use a reference for wheat berries broken into pieces of comparable size, distinguishing dry cracked wheat from cooked, hydrated portions. Preparation in pilafs, porridges, breads, or salads can add oils, dairy, sweeteners, legumes, or other grains. The edible portion should exclude packaging, rinse water, and any discarded cooking liquid.

Compare the right form: Match broken wheat berries by particle size and dry or cooked state; do not substitute bulgur, wheat flour, or whole wheat berries without verification.

Diet considerations

Cracked wheat is plant-derived cereal grain and retains wheat identity. Compatibility changes with dairy, meat stock, sweeteners, coatings, or recipes containing other cereals. Its portion-dependent carbohydrate pattern also changes after hydration and when served in bread or grain mixtures. Wheat-specific dietary restrictions require checking the complete product and preparation, not just the grain name.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically compatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically compatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    Depends on the version
  • Paleo
    Typically incompatible
  • Low-carb
    Depends on the version
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Vegetarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
The plain ingredient profile is plant, fungal or mineral based. Added ingredients in a prepared product need a separate check.
Keto · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Paleo · Typically incompatible
This profile falls outside the conventional paleo pattern used here (grains and pseudograins, legumes, dairy or refined sugar).
Low-carb · Depends on the version
Compatibility depends on the portion and preparation. A sourced carbohydrate amount for a defined serving is not available.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central branded product — CRACKED WHEAT ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .