Barley vs. Flaxseeds
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Flaxseeds
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
flaxseeds
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and flaxseeds:
- Both flaxseeds and barley are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley has 14 times less saturated fat than flaxseed.
- Flaxseed has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in calories. Flaxseed has 52% more calories than barley - flaxseed has 534 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to flaxseeds for protein. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for flaxseeds, 13:20:67 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 20% |
| Fat | 3% | 67% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and flaxseed has 63% less carbohydrates than barley - flaxseed has 28.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in dietary fiber. Flaxseed has 75% more dietary fiber than barley - flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Flaxseeds and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in protein. Flaxseed has 85% more protein than barley - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Barley has 14 times less saturated fat than flaxseed - flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Flaxseeds and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Barley and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Flaxseeds and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Flaxseeds and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Flaxseed has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both barley and flaxseeds contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Barley | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 1.644 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.161 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 3.08 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.985 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.473 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 87 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 779% more calcium than barley - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in iron. Flaxseed has 129% more iron than barley - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 190% more potassium than barley - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 22.813 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 22.813 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Flaxseeds | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 5.903 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.007 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 5.91 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 Flaxseeds .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Flaxseeds 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 % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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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 % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 flaxseeds or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Both flaxseeds and barley are high in calories. Flaxseed has 50% more calories than barley - flaxseed has 534 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does flaxseeds or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and flaxseed has 60% fewer carbohydrates than barley - flaxseed has 28.9g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does flaxseeds or barley contain more calcium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of calcium and it has 780% more calcium than barley - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium in 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
Does flaxseeds or barley contain more iron?
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in iron. Flaxseed has 130% more iron than barley - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
Does flaxseeds or barley contain more potassium?
Both flaxseeds and barley are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 190% more potassium than barley - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.