Whole Wheat Bread vs. Barley
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Barley
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole wheat bread
versus
barley
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and barley:
- Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Barley has 6.9 times less sugar than whole wheat bread.
- Whole wheat bread has more folate.
- Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in calories. Barley has 33% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and barley has 352 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to barley per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:66:14 and for barley, 11:86:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Bread | Barley | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 66% | 86% |
| Fat | 14% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in carbohydrates. Barley has 79% more carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in dietary fiber. Barley has 111% more dietary fiber than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and barley has 15.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Barley has 6.9 times less sugar than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and barley has 0.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in protein. Whole wheat bread has 35% more protein than barley - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and barley has 9.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat bread and barley are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and barley has 0.24g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Whole wheat bread and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and barley does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Barley and whole wheat bread contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - barley has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat bread and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and barley has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat bread and barley contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and barley has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat bread has more folate. Both whole wheat bread and barley contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Barley | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.279 MG | 0.191 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.131 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 4.042 MG | 4.604 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.336 MG | 0.282 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.263 MG | 0.26 MG |
| Folate | 75 UG | 23 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 255% more calcium than barley - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in iron. is very similar to whole wheat bread for iron - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in potassium. Barley has 22% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and barley has 280mg 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 whole wheat bread and barley contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Barley | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 13 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 94 UG | 160 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than barley per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Barley | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.205 G | 0.055 G |
| Total | 0.205 G | 0.055 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than barley per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Barley | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.667 G | 0.505 G |
| Total | 1.669 G | 0.505 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 Whole Wheat Bread or Barley .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Barley (Barley, pearled, raw) .
Whole Wheat Bread g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Barley 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 whole wheat bread or barley contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in calories. Barley has 30% more calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and barley has 352 calories.
Does whole wheat bread or barley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat bread and barley are high in carbohydrates. barley has 80% more carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and barley has 77.7g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat bread or barley contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 260% more calcium than barley - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and barley has 29mg of calcium.
Does whole wheat bread or barley contain more iron?
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in iron. is very similar to whole wheat bread for iron - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron in 100 grams and barley has 2.5mg of iron.
Does whole wheat bread or barley contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat bread and barley are high in potassium. Barley has 20% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium in 100 grams and barley has 280mg of potassium.