Barley vs. Wheat Flour

Nutrition comparison of Barley and Wheat Flour


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of barley versus wheat flour (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and wheat flour:

  • Both wheat flour and barley are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
  • Barley is a great source of potassium.
  • Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, barley contains more Vitamin B6.
Detailed nutritional comparison of barley and wheat flour is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Barley src
Image of Wheat Flour src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat flour and barley are high in calories. Wheat flour is very similar to barley for calories - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, barley is heavier in carbs and similar to wheat flour for protein and fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for wheat flour, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Barley Wheat Flour
Protein 11% 14%
Carbohydrates 86% 82%
Fat 3% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both wheat flour and barley are high in carbohydrates. Wheat flour is very similar to wheat flour for carbohydrates - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both wheat flour and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 550% more dietary fiber than wheat flour - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both wheat flour and barley are high in protein. Wheat flour has 21% more protein than barley - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wheat flour and barley are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Barley and wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, barley contains more Vitamin B6. Both barley and wheat flour contain significant amounts of niacin and pantothenic acid.

Barley Wheat Flour
Thiamin 0.191 MG 0.812 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.512 MG
Niacin 4.604 MG 7.554 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.282 MG 0.438 MG
Vitamin B6 0.26 MG 0.037 MG
Folate 23 UG 183 UG

Minerals

calcium

Barley has 93% more calcium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.

iron

Both wheat flour and barley are high in iron. Wheat flour has 76% more iron than barley - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.

potassium

Barley is a great source of potassium and it has 180% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg 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, both barley and wheat flour contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Barley Wheat Flour
beta-carotene 13 UG 1 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 160 UG 79 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both barley and wheat flour contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Barley Wheat Flour
alpha linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.043 G
Total 0.055 G 0.043 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both barley and wheat flour contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Barley Wheat Flour
linoleic acid 0.505 G 0.685 G
Total 0.505 G 0.685 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) .

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FAQ

Does wheat flour or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat flour and barley are high in calories. Wheat flour is quite similar to barley for calories - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.

Does wheat flour or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both wheat flour and barley are high in carbohydrates. wheat flour is very similar to wheat flour for carbohydrates - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat flour or barley contain more iron?
Both wheat flour and barley are high in iron. Wheat flour has 80% more iron than barley - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.