Barley vs. Banana
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Banana
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
banana
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and banana:
- Both barley and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than barley.
- Barley has 14.2 times less sugar than banana.
- Barley has more lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than barley.
- Barley has more thiamin and niacin.
- Barley is a great source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Banana (Bananas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Barley is high in calories and banana has 75% less calories than barley - barley has 352 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to banana for fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for banana, 5:93:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 93% |
| Fat | 3% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and banana has 71% less carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both barley and banana are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 500% more dietary fiber than banana - barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley has 14.2 times less sugar than banana - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 809% more protein than banana - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both barley and banana are low in saturated fat - barley has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than barley - banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Barley and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Barley and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Barley and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Barley has more thiamin and niacin. Both barley and banana contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Barley | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.031 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 0.665 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.334 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.367 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 20 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Barley has 480% more calcium than banana - barley has 29mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Barley is a great source of iron and it has 862% more iron than banana - barley has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both barley and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 28% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, barley has more lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than barley per 100 grams. Both barley and banana contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Barley | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 26 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 160 UG | 22 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, barley has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than banana per 100 grams.
| Barley | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.027 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.027 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, barley has more linoleic acid than banana per 100 grams.
| Barley | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.046 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.046 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Banana g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does barley or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Barley is high in calories and banana has 80% less calories than barley - barley has 352 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Does barley or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and banana has 70% fewer carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does barley or banana contain more potassium?
Both barley and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 30% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.