Barley vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Cooked Chicken Breast
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and chicken breast:
- Both barley and chicken breast are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Barley has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Barley is a great source of iron.
- Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more dha than barley.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both barley and chicken breast are high in calories. Barley has 113% more calories than chicken breast - barley has 352 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | ~ |
| Fat | 3% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and chicken breast has less carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Barley and chicken breast contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both barley and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 213% more protein than barley - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Barley and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - barley has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Barley has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Barley and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than barley - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Barley and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Barley and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Barley has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both barley and chicken breast contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Barley | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Barley has 93% more calcium than chicken breast - barley has 29mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Barley is a great source of iron and it has 140% more iron than chicken breast - barley has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both barley and chicken breast are high in potassium. Barley has a little more potassium (9%) than chicken breast by weight - barley has 280mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more DHA than barley per 100 grams. Both barley and chicken breast contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Barley | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both barley and chicken breast contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Barley | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.65 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 Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken Breast 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 % |
|
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 barley or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Both barley and chicken breast are high in calories. Barley has 110% more calories than chicken breast - barley has 352 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is barley or chicken breast better for protein?
Both barley and chicken breast are high in protein. Chicken breast has 210% more protein than barley - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does barley or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and chicken breast has fewer carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..
Does barley or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both barley and chicken breast are high in potassium. Barley has a little more potassium ( 10%) than chicken breast by weight - barley has 280mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.