Barley vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and spirulina:
- Both barley and spirulina are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley has 9.8 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more beta-carotene than barley, however, barley contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than barley.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than barley.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both barley and spirulina are high in calories. Barley has 21% more calories than spirulina - barley has 352 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 24% |
| Fat | 3% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and spirulina has 69% less carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both barley and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 333% more dietary fiber than spirulina - barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both barley and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 480% more protein than barley - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Barley has 9.8 times less saturated fat than spirulina - barley has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than barley - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has 28 times more Vitamin A than barley - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than barley - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 10 times more Vitamin K than barley - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both barley and spirulina contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Barley | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 314% more calcium than barley - barley has 29mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Both barley and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 10 times more iron than barley - barley has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both barley and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 387% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg 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, spirulina has more beta-carotene than barley per 100 grams, however, barley contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Barley | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 342 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 160 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than barley per 100 grams.
| Barley | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 1.254 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 (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both barley and spirulina are high in calories. Barley has 20% more calories than spirulina - barley has 352 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is barley or spirulina better for protein?
Both barley and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 480% more protein than barley - barley has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does barley or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and spirulina has 70% fewer carbohydrates than barley - barley has 77.7g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does barley or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 310% more calcium than barley - barley has 29mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does barley or spirulina contain more iron?
Both barley and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 10 times more iron than barley - barley has 2.5mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does barley or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both barley and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 390% more potassium than barley - barley has 280mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.