Bulgur is a cracked whole-wheat grain that appears in tabbouleh, pilafs, grain bowls, and breakfast porridge. Although it is a carbohydrate-rich food, its natural sugar content is very low: dry bulgur contains about 0.41 g of sugar per 100 g, while cooked bulgur contains about 0.10 g per 100 g. This calculator converts any serving size — grams or cups, dry or cooked — into the exact amount of sugar in that serving, with a step-by-step breakdown you can use for food logs, macros, or healthy-eating plans.
This tool is useful for anyone monitoring daily sugar intake, following lower-sugar or diabetic-friendly meal patterns, or comparing whole grains side by side. It also includes a custom mode for packaged bulgur mixes and recipes that contain added sweeteners, plus a daily-value percentage based on the 50 g reference amount used for added-sugar labeling. Simply choose the bulgur state, enter a serving amount, and click Calculate.
⚙️ Serving Details
How to Use This Tool
Enter the amount of bulgur you plan to eat, choose grams or cups, and then select whether the bulgur is dry/uncooked or cooked. The calculator applies the appropriate sugar-per-100g reference value automatically. A serving of dry bulgur absorbs water during cooking, so the same 50 g of dry grain becomes roughly 120–130 g of cooked bulgur; the sugar stays the same, but the per-100g number drops. Use the quick-fill buttons for common serving sizes, or enter any custom amount in the main field.
If you are tracking a branded bulgur mix or a homemade dish that contains added sugar, tick the 'Use custom sugar value' box and type the nutrition label's sugar content per 100 g. All results will recalculate using your value instead of the USDA defaults. The breakdown panel shows each step of the conversion so you can follow the math and include it in your food diary.
Step-by-Step Example
Here is how the calculation works in practice.
Example 1 — dry bulgur: You measure 45 g of dry bulgur.
- State: dry; amount: 45 g
- Sugar reference: 0.41 g per 100 g
- Sugar in serving = 45 × 0.41 ÷ 100 = 0.18 g
Example 2 — cooked bulgur: You eat ½ cup of cooked bulgur.
- State: cooked; amount: 0.5 cup
- Convert to grams: 0.5 × 182 g/cup = 91 g
- Sugar reference: 0.10 g per 100 g
- Sugar in serving = 91 × 0.10 ÷ 100 = 0.09 g
As these examples show, a normal bulgur portion contributes less than a tenth of a gram of sugar before any sweetened ingredients are added.
Why Bulgur's Sugar Content Is So Low
Bulgur is made from whole wheat kernels that are parboiled, dried, and then cracked into pieces. Most of its carbohydrate is in the form of starch, not free sugars. Only about 0.4% of dry bulgur's weight is sugar, which is why bulgur appears near the bottom of sugar rankings among common grains. Cooking hydrates the grain significantly, spreading the same nutrients across more water and lowering the sugar per 100 g to about 0.1 g.
This does not mean bulgur has no effect on blood sugar — its starch is digested into glucose — but the naturally occurring sugar fraction itself is negligible. For a broader look at the carbohydrate side of wheat-based foods, you can pair this tool with this whole-wheat carb calculator.
Standard Reference Values
The default values in this calculator come from USDA FoodData Central entries for bulgur. Cup weights are approximate because they depend on packing and grind size.
| Bulgur form | Sugar per 100 g | Total carbohydrate | Approx. weight per cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry / uncooked | 0.41 g | ~75 g | 180 g |
| Cooked | 0.10 g | ~24.5 g | 182 g |
If your package lists a different sugar value, use the custom field rather than the defaults.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much sugar is in 100 g of cooked bulgur?
Cooked bulgur contains about 0.10 g of sugar per 100 g, which is about 0.1% of its weight. In practice, a bowl of plain bulgur contributes well under 0.2 g of sugar.
Why do nutrition labels sometimes show higher sugar numbers?
Some packaged bulgur mixes include dried fruits, sweeteners, flavoring powders, or other grains. The nutrition label on those products reflects added sugar as well as the bulgur itself. In that case, enter the label's per-100g sugar value in the custom field.
Is bulgur keto-friendly if it has almost no sugar?
No. Bulgur is still a starchy grain with roughly 24–25 g of total carbohydrates per cooked 100 g. Low sugar does not mean low carb. For ketogenic diets, the total carb count matters far more than the sugar line.
Does cooking bulgur remove sugar?
Cooking does not remove sugar; it adds water. The absolute amount of sugar in the portion stays the same, but the per-100g concentration decreases because the food now contains more water.