Barley vs. White Rice

Nutrition comparison of Barley and Cooked White Rice


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

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

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

  • Both white rice and barley are high in calories.
  • Barley has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, white rice contains more folate.
  • Barley is a great source of iron, potassium and protein.
  • Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of barley and white rice 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 White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Barley src
Image of White Rice src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both white rice and barley are high in calories. Barley has 171% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in carbs and similar to white rice for protein and fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for white rice, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Barley White Rice
Protein 11% 8%
Carbohydrates 86% 91%
Fat 3% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Barley is high in carbohydrates and white rice has 63% less carbohydrates than barley - white rice has 28.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 51 times more dietary fiber than white rice - white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Barley and white rice contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Barley is a great source of protein and it has 316% more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both white rice and barley are low in saturated fat - white rice has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Barley and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

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

The B Vitamins

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

Barley White Rice
Thiamin 0.191 MG 0.167 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.016 MG
Niacin 4.604 MG 1.835 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.282 MG 0.411 MG
Vitamin B6 0.26 MG 0.05 MG
Folate 23 UG 58 UG

Minerals

calcium

Barley has 867% more calcium than white rice - white rice has 3mg 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 white rice - white rice 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 866% more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, barley has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than white rice per 100 grams.

Barley White Rice
alpha linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.01 G
Total 0.055 G 0.01 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, barley has more linoleic acid than white rice per 100 grams.

Barley White Rice
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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) .

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FAQ

Does white rice or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both white rice and barley are high in calories. Barley has 170% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.

Does white rice or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and white rice has 60% fewer carbohydrates than barley - white rice has 28.6g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.