Barley vs. Wheat Germ
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Wheat Germ
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
wheat germ
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and wheat germ:
- Both wheat germ and barley are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley has 5.8 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and barley are high in calories. Wheat germ is very similar to barley for calories - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to wheat germ per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for wheat germ, 24:54:23 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 54% |
| Fat | 3% | 23% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both wheat germ and barley are high in carbohydrates. Barley has 50% more carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat germ and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 18% more dietary fiber than wheat germ - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley and wheat germ contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both wheat germ and barley are high in protein. Wheat germ has 134% more protein than barley - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Barley has 5.8 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Barley and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Barley and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Barley and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both barley and wheat germ contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Barley | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 1.882 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.499 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 6.813 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 2.257 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 1.3 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 281 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat germ has 34% more calcium than barley - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat germ and barley are high in iron. Wheat germ has 150% more iron than barley - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both wheat germ and barley are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 219% more potassium than barley - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.723 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.723 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 5.287 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 5.287 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 Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Wheat Germ 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 % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 wheat germ or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and barley are high in calories. Wheat germ is quite similar to barley for calories - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does wheat germ or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both wheat germ and barley are high in carbohydrates. barley has 50% more carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or barley contain more iron?
Both wheat germ and barley are high in iron. Wheat germ has 150% more iron than barley - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or barley contain more potassium?
Both wheat germ and barley are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 220% more potassium than barley - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.