Barley vs. Whole Wheat Flour

Nutrition comparison of Barley and Whole Wheat Flour


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of barley versus whole wheat flour (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and whole wheat flour:

  • Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Whole wheat flour has more pantothenic acid.
Detailed nutritional comparison of barley and whole wheat flour is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Barley src
Image of Whole Wheat Flour src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in calories. Barley has a little more calories (6%) than whole wheat flour by weight - whole wheat flour has 332 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, barley is similar to whole wheat flour for protein, carbs and fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for whole wheat flour, 11:84:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Barley Whole Wheat Flour
Protein 11% 11%
Carbohydrates 86% 84%
Fat 3% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in carbohydrates. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for carbohydrates - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 19% more dietary fiber than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Whole wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of sugar - whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in protein. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for protein - whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both whole wheat flour and barley are low in saturated fat - whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Barley and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Whole wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Whole wheat flour has more pantothenic acid. Both barley and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Barley Whole Wheat Flour
Thiamin 0.191 MG 0.297 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.188 MG
Niacin 4.604 MG 5.347 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.282 MG 1.011 MG
Vitamin B6 0.26 MG 0.191 MG
Folate 23 UG 28 UG

Minerals

calcium

Whole wheat flour and barley contain similar amounts of calcium - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.

iron

Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in iron. Whole wheat flour has 48% more iron than barley - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.

potassium

Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour has 41% more potassium than barley - whole wheat flour has 394mg 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, both barley and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Barley Whole Wheat Flour
beta-carotene 13 UG 5 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 160 UG 220 UG



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 Whole Wheat Flour .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) .

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FAQ

Does whole wheat flour or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in calories. Barley has a little more calories ( 10%) than whole wheat flour by weight - whole wheat flour has 332 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.

Does whole wheat flour or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat flour and barley are high in carbohydrates. whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for carbohydrates - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.

Does whole wheat flour or barley contain more iron?
Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in iron. Whole wheat flour has 50% more iron than barley - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.

Does whole wheat flour or barley contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat flour and barley are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour has 40% more potassium than barley - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.