Barley vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and spinach:
- Both spinach and barley are high in dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Barley has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Barley is a great source of protein.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Barley is high in calories and spinach has 93% less calories than barley - spinach 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 spinach per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 49% |
| Fat | 3% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and spinach has 95% less carbohydrates than barley - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 609% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 247% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and barley are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than barley - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 468 times more Vitamin A than barley - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and barley has 1ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 100 times more Vitamin E than barley - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 218 times more Vitamin K than barley - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Barley has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate. Both barley and spinach contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Barley | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 241% more calcium than barley - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and barley are high in iron. Spinach has a little more iron (8%) than barley by weight - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and barley are high in potassium. Spinach has 99% more potassium than barley - spinach has 558mg 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,
| Barley | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 160 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, barley has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Barley | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.026 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 Spinach .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 spinach or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Barley is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than barley - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Is spinach or barley better for protein?
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 250% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Does spinach or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and spinach has 100% fewer carbohydrates than barley - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or barley contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than barley - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
Does spinach or barley contain more iron?
Both spinach and barley are high in iron. Spinach has a little more iron ( 10%) than barley by weight - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
Does spinach or barley contain more potassium?
Both spinach and barley are high in potassium. Spinach has 100% more potassium than barley - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.