It is a finely ground flour of whole wheat berries. It is derived by grinding the whole grain of wheat. It is high in fiber and more healthy and nutritious than white flour. It is a brownish flour with a coarse texture and sweet nutty flavor. The word ‘whole’ is used to describe this flour as it includes every aspect of the grain, the bran, germ and the endosperm as well. It is also known as Whole meal flour and is called Atta in India.

Whole wheat flour is much more nutritious than white flour (Maida) as maida is a refined product of wheat – meaning it is obtained after processing the wheat, which makes it less nutritious. The lesser a grain or vegetable is processed the more nutrients it retains. The outer brownish layer is removed from the wheat and the inner white portion is used to make maida flour. Whole wheat flour contains fiber and various other nutrients which are missing in maida.