Barley vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Cooked Lentils
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and lentils:
- Both barley and lentils are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley has more niacin, however, lentil contains more pantothenic acid and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both barley and lentils are high in calories. Barley has 203% more calories than lentil - barley has 352 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to lentils for fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 67% |
| Fat | 3% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 74% less carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both barley and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 97% more dietary fiber than lentil - barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both barley and lentils are high in protein. Barley has a little more protein (10%) than lentil by weight - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both barley and lentils are low in saturated fat - barley has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than barley - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Barley and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Barley and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Barley and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Barley has more niacin, however, lentil contains more pantothenic acid and folate. Both barley and lentils contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Barley | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Barley has 53% more calcium than lentil - barley has 29mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Both barley and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 33% more iron than barley - barley has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both barley and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 32% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg 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 lentils contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Barley | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 5 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 160 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both barley and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Barley | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, barley has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Barley | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.137 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.
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Lentils 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 lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both barley and lentils are high in calories. Barley has 200% more calories than lentil - barley has 352 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does barley or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 70% fewer carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does barley or lentils contain more iron?
Both barley and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 30% more iron than barley - barley has 2.5mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does barley or lentils contain more potassium?
Both barley and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 30% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.