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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of barley and oats 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 Oats (Oats (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Barley src
Image of Oats src

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 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 Oats .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Oats (Oats (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .

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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.