Barley vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and pasta:
- Both pasta and barley are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and barley are high in calories. Pasta has a little more calories (5%) than barley by weight - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is heavier in carbs and similar to pasta for protein and fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 82% |
| Fat | 3% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both pasta and barley are high in carbohydrates. Pasta is very similar to pasta for carbohydrates - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 388% more dietary fiber than pasta - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and barley are high in protein. Pasta has 32% more protein than barley - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and barley are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Barley and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate. Both barley and pasta contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Barley | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 237 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and barley contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Both pasta and barley are high in iron. Pasta has 32% more iron than barley - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and barley are high in potassium. Barley has 26% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, barley has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Barley | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both barley and pasta contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Barley | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.54 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 (%) |
Pasta 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 pasta or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and barley are high in calories. Pasta has a little more calories ( 10%) than barley by weight - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does pasta or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both pasta and barley are high in carbohydrates. pasta is very similar to pasta for carbohydrates - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or barley contain more iron?
Both pasta and barley are high in iron. Pasta has 30% more iron than barley - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
Does pasta or barley contain more potassium?
Both pasta and barley are high in potassium. Barley has 30% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.