Barley vs. Chia Seeds
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Chia Seeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
chia seeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and chia seeds:
- Both barley and chia seeds are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley has 12.6 times less saturated fat than chia seed.
- Chia seed has more thiamin, however, barley contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both barley and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 38% more calories than barley - barley has 352 calories per 100 grams and chia seed has 486 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to chia seeds for protein. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for chia seeds, 13:33:54 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 33% |
| Fat | 3% | 54% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both barley and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. Barley has 85% more carbohydrates than chia seed - barley has 77.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both barley and chia seeds are high in dietary fiber. Chia seed has 121% more dietary fiber than barley - barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chia seed has 34.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley and chia seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both barley and chia seeds are high in protein. Chia seed has 67% more protein than barley - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and chia seed has 16.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Barley has 12.6 times less saturated fat than chia seed - barley has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chia seed has 3.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chia seeds and barley are low in trans fat - chia seed has 0.14g of trans fat per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chia seed has more Vitamin C than barley - chia seed has 1.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Barley and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Barley and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chia seed has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Barley and chia seeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chia seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Chia seed has more thiamin, however, barley contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both barley and chia seeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Barley | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.62 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.17 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 8.83 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 23 UG | 49 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chia seed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 20 times more calcium than barley - barley has 29mg of calcium per 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
iron
Both barley and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 209% more iron than barley - barley has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both barley and chia seeds are high in potassium. Chia seed has 45% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium per 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chia seed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 17.83 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 17.83 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chia seed has more linoleic acid than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Chia Seeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 5.835 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.093 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 5.928 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 Chia Seeds .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Chia Seeds (Seeds, chia seeds, dried) .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Chia Seeds g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does barley or chia seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Both barley and chia seeds are high in calories. Chia seed has 40% more calories than barley - barley has 352 calories in 100g and chia seed has 486 calories.
Does barley or chia seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both barley and chia seeds are high in carbohydrates. barley has 90% more carbohydrates than chia seed - barley has 77.7g of carbs for 100g and chia seed has 42.1g of carbohydrates.
Does barley or chia seeds contain more calcium?
Chia seed is a rich source of calcium and it has 20 times more calcium than barley - barley has 29mg of calcium in 100 grams and chia seed has 631mg of calcium.
Does barley or chia seeds contain more iron?
Both barley and chia seeds are high in iron. Chia seed has 210% more iron than barley - barley has 2.5mg of iron in 100 grams and chia seed has 7.7mg of iron.
Does barley or chia seeds contain more potassium?
Both barley and chia seeds are high in potassium. Chia seed has 50% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium in 100 grams and chia seed has 407mg of potassium.