Barley vs. Oats
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Oats
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
oats
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and oats:
- Both oats and barley are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Oat has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, barley contains more niacin and Vitamin B6.
- Oat is a great source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Oats (Oats (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both oats and barley are high in calories. Oat has 11% more calories than barley - oat has 389 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to oats per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for oats, 17:67:16 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Oats | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 67% |
| Fat | 3% | 16% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both oats and barley are high in carbohydrates. Barley has 17% more carbohydrates than oat - oat has 66.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both oats and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 47% more dietary fiber than oat - oat has 10.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley and oats contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both oats and barley are high in protein. Oat has 70% more protein than barley - oat has 16.9g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Oats and barley contain similar amounts of saturated fat - oat has 1.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Barley and oats contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Barley and oats contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Barley and oats contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and oat does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Oat has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, barley contains more niacin and Vitamin B6. Both barley and oats contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Barley | Oats | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.763 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.139 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 0.961 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 1.349 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.119 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 56 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Oat is a great source of calcium and it has 86% more calcium than barley - oat has 54mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Both oats and barley are high in iron. Oat has 89% more iron than barley - oat has 4.7mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both oats and barley are high in potassium. Oat has 53% more potassium than barley - oat has 429mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, oat has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Oats | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.111 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.111 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, oat has more linoleic acid than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Oats | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 2.424 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 2.424 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 (%) |
Oats 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 oats or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Both oats and barley are high in calories. Oat has 10% more calories than barley - oat has 389 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does oats or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both oats and barley are high in carbohydrates. barley has 20% more carbohydrates than oat - oat has 66.3g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does oats or barley contain more iron?
Both oats and barley are high in iron. Oat has 90% more iron than barley - oat has 4.7mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
Does oats or barley contain more potassium?
Both oats and barley are high in potassium. Oat has 50% more potassium than barley - oat has 429mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.