Barley vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and kale:
- Both kale and barley are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Barley is a great source of iron and protein.
- Kale has more riboflavin and folate, however, barley contains more niacin.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Barley is high in calories and kale has 90% less calories than barley - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 41% |
| Fat | 3% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and kale has 94% less carbohydrates than barley - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 280% more dietary fiber than kale - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 239% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and barley are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than barley - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 240 times more Vitamin A than barley - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and barley has 1ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 176 times more Vitamin K than barley - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin and folate, however, barley contains more niacin. Both barley and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Barley | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 776% more calcium than barley - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Barley is a great source of iron and it has 56% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and barley are high in potassium. Kale has 24% more potassium than barley - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg 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 | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 2873 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 160 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both barley and kale contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Barley | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.294 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 (%) |
Kale 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 kale or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Barley is high in calories and kale has 90% less calories than barley - kale has 35 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does kale or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and kale has 90% fewer carbohydrates than barley - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or barley contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 780% more calcium than barley - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
Does kale or barley contain more potassium?
Both kale and barley are high in potassium. Kale has 20% more potassium than barley - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.