Barley vs. Alfalfa Sprouts
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Alfalfa Sprouts
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
alfalfa sprouts
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and alfalfa sprouts:
- Alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than barley, however, barley contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout.
- Barley has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
- Barley is a great source of iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Barley is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 93% less calories than barley - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to alfalfa sprouts per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for alfalfa sprouts, 53:29:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 53% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 29% |
| Fat | 3% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and alfalfa sprout has 97% less carbohydrates than barley - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g 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 721% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 148% more protein than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and barley are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin C than barley - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Alfalfa sprouts and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and barley has 1ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprout has 12 times more Vitamin K than barley - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Barley has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both barley and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Barley | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.076 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.126 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 0.481 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.563 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.034 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 36 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprouts and barley contain similar amounts of calcium - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Barley is a great source of iron and it has 160% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Barley is a great source of potassium and it has 254% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg 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, alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than barley per 100 grams, however, barley contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Barley | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 87 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 160 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 6 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.175 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.175 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, barley has more linoleic acid than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Barley | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.234 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.234 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 Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 alfalfa sprouts or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Barley is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 90% less calories than barley - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or barley better for protein?
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 150% more protein than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and alfalfa sprout has 100% fewer carbohydrates than barley - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.