Barley vs. Quinoa

Nutrition comparison of Barley and Cooked Quinoa


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

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

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

  • Both quinoa and barley are high in calories and dietary fiber.
  • Barley has more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Barley is a great source of iron, potassium and protein.
  • For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more dha than barley.
Detailed nutritional comparison of barley and quinoa 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 Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Barley src
Image of Quinoa src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both quinoa and barley are high in calories. Barley has 193% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to quinoa per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for quinoa, 15:71:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Barley Quinoa
Protein 11% 15%
Carbohydrates 86% 71%
Fat 3% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Barley is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 73% less carbohydrates than barley - quinoa has 21.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both quinoa and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 457% more dietary fiber than quinoa - quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Quinoa and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - quinoa has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Barley is a great source of protein and it has 125% more protein than quinoa - quinoa has 4.4g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both quinoa and barley are low in saturated fat - quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Quinoa and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Barley and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Barley has more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both barley and quinoa contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and folate.

Barley Quinoa
Thiamin 0.191 MG 0.107 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.11 MG
Niacin 4.604 MG 0.412 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.282 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.26 MG 0.123 MG
Folate 23 UG 42 UG

Minerals

calcium

Barley has 71% more calcium than quinoa - quinoa has 17mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.

iron

Barley is a great source of iron and it has 68% more iron than quinoa - quinoa has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.

potassium

Barley is a great source of potassium and it has 63% more potassium than quinoa - quinoa has 172mg 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 quinoa contain small amounts of beta-carotene.

Barley Quinoa
beta-carotene 13 UG 3 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 160 UG 53 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, quinoa has more DHA than barley per 100 grams. Both barley and quinoa contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Barley Quinoa
alpha linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.085 G
DHA ~ 0.015 G
Total 0.055 G 0.1 G

omega 6s

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

Barley Quinoa
linoleic acid 0.505 G 0.974 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.003 G
Total 0.505 G 0.977 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Barley or Quinoa .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does quinoa or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both quinoa and barley are high in calories. Barley has 190% more calories than quinoa - quinoa has 120 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.

Does quinoa or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and quinoa has 70% fewer carbohydrates than barley - quinoa has 21.3g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.