Barley vs. White Rice
Nutrition comparison of Barley and Cooked White Rice
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
barley
versus
cooked
white rice
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in barley and white rice:
- Both white rice and barley are high in calories.
- Barley has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, white rice contains more folate.
- Barley is a great source of iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) and White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both white rice and barley are high in calories. Barley has 171% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, barley is lighter in carbs and similar to white rice for protein and fat. Barley has a macronutrient ratio of 11:86:3 and for white rice, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Barley | White Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 91% |
| Fat | 3% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Barley is high in carbohydrates and white rice has 63% less carbohydrates than barley - white rice has 28.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Barley is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 51 times more dietary fiber than white rice - white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley and white rice contain similar amounts of sugar - barley has 0.8g of sugar per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Barley is a great source of protein and it has 316% more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both white rice and barley are low in saturated fat - white rice has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Barley and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Barley and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Barley and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Barley has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, white rice contains more folate. Both barley and white rice contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.
| Barley | White Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.191 MG | 0.167 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.016 MG |
| Niacin | 4.604 MG | 1.835 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.282 MG | 0.411 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 MG | 0.05 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 58 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Barley has 867% more calcium than white rice - white rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Barley is a great source of iron and it has 68% more iron than white rice - white rice has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Barley is a great source of potassium and it has 866% more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, barley has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than white rice per 100 grams.
| Barley | White Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.01 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, barley has more linoleic acid than white rice per 100 grams.
| Barley | White Rice | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.505 G | 0.046 G |
| Total | 0.505 G | 0.046 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 White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) .
Barley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked White Rice 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 white rice or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Both white rice and barley are high in calories. Barley has 170% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does white rice or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, barley is high in carbohydrates and white rice has 60% fewer carbohydrates than barley - white rice has 28.6g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.