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  6. Barley vs. Quinoa

Barley vs. Quinoa — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between Barley and Quinoa

  • Barley has more Selenium, and Vitamin B3, however, Quinoa is higher in Manganese, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, and Folate.
  • Quinoa covers your daily need of Manganese 16% more than Barley.
  • Barley has 5 times more Vitamin B3 than Quinoa. While Barley has 2.063mg of Vitamin B3, Quinoa has only 0.412mg.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Barley, pearled, cooked and Quinoa, cooked.

Infographic

Barley vs Quinoa infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Barley
Barley
2
:
8
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains less Sodium -57.1%
Contains more Selenium +207.1%
Contains more Calcium +54.5%
Contains more Iron +12%
Contains more Magnesium +190.9%
Contains more Phosphorus +181.5%
Contains more Potassium +84.9%
Contains more Zinc +32.9%
Contains more Copper +82.9%
Contains more Manganese +143.6%
Barley
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 4% 50% 16% 24% 9% 1% 23% 35% 34% 47%
Quinoa
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 56% 46% 66% 16% 1% 30% 64% 83% 16%
Contains less Sodium -57.1%
Contains more Selenium +207.1%
Contains more Calcium +54.5%
Contains more Iron +12%
Contains more Magnesium +190.9%
Contains more Phosphorus +181.5%
Contains more Potassium +84.9%
Contains more Zinc +32.9%
Contains more Copper +82.9%
Contains more Manganese +143.6%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Barley
Barley
4
:
5
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Vitamin A +40%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +400.7%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E +6200%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +28.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +77.4%
Contains more Folate +162.5%
Equal in Vitamin B6 - 0.123
Barley
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 1% 0% 0% 21% 15% 39% 9% 27% 12% 0% 2%
Quinoa
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 13% 0% 0% 27% 26% 8% 0% 29% 32% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin A +40%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +400.7%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Contains more Vitamin E +6200%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +28.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +77.4%
Contains more Folate +162.5%
Equal in Vitamin B6 - 0.123

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Barley
Barley
1
:
4
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains more Carbs +32.5%
Contains more Protein +94.7%
Contains more Fats +336.4%
Contains more Other +175%
Equal in Water - 71.61
Barley
2% 28% 69%
Protein: 2.26 g
Fats: 0.44 g
Carbs: 28.22 g
Water: 68.8 g
Other: 0.28 g
Quinoa
4% 2% 21% 72%
Protein: 4.4 g
Fats: 1.92 g
Carbs: 21.3 g
Water: 71.61 g
Other: 0.77 g
Contains more Carbs +32.5%
Contains more Protein +94.7%
Contains more Fats +336.4%
Contains more Other +175%
Equal in Water - 71.61

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Barley
Barley
1
:
2
Quinoa
Quinoa
Contains less Saturated Fat -59.7%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +826.3%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +403.7%
Barley
26% 16% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.093 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.057 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.214 g
Quinoa
13% 29% 59%
Saturated Fat: 0.231 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.528 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.078 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -59.7%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +826.3%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +403.7%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Barley Quinoa
Rich in minerals ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Barley Quinoa Opinion
Net carbs 24.42g 18.5g Barley
Protein 2.26g 4.4g Quinoa
Fats 0.44g 1.92g Quinoa
Carbs 28.22g 21.3g Barley
Calories 123kcal 120kcal Barley
Starch 17.63g Quinoa
Sugar 0.28g 0.87g Barley
Fiber 3.8g 2.8g Barley
Calcium 11mg 17mg Quinoa
Iron 1.33mg 1.49mg Quinoa
Magnesium 22mg 64mg Quinoa
Phosphorus 54mg 152mg Quinoa
Potassium 93mg 172mg Quinoa
Sodium 3mg 7mg Barley
Zinc 0.82mg 1.09mg Quinoa
Copper 0.105mg 0.192mg Quinoa
Manganese 0.259mg 0.631mg Quinoa
Selenium 8.6µg 2.8µg Barley
Vitamin A 7IU 5IU Barley
Vitamin E 0.01mg 0.63mg Quinoa
Vitamin B1 0.083mg 0.107mg Quinoa
Vitamin B2 0.062mg 0.11mg Quinoa
Vitamin B3 2.063mg 0.412mg Barley
Vitamin B5 0.135mg Barley
Vitamin B6 0.115mg 0.123mg Quinoa
Folate 16µg 42µg Quinoa
Vitamin K 0.8µg 0µg Barley
Tryptophan 0.038mg 0.052mg Quinoa
Threonine 0.077mg 0.131mg Quinoa
Isoleucine 0.083mg 0.157mg Quinoa
Leucine 0.154mg 0.261mg Quinoa
Lysine 0.084mg 0.239mg Quinoa
Methionine 0.043mg 0.096mg Quinoa
Phenylalanine 0.127mg 0.185mg Quinoa
Valine 0.111mg 0.185mg Quinoa
Histidine 0.051mg 0.127mg Quinoa
Saturated Fat 0.093g 0.231g Barley
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.015g Quinoa
Monounsaturated Fat 0.057g 0.528g Quinoa
Polyunsaturated fat 0.214g 1.078g Quinoa

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Barley Quinoa
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
10%
Barley
11%
Quinoa
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
24%
Barley
38%
Quinoa

Comparison summary

Which food is richer in minerals?
Quinoa
Quinoa is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is cheaper?
Quinoa
Quinoa is cheaper (difference - $1.5)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Barley
Barley is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.59g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Barley
Barley contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Barley
Barley is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.138g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Barley
Barley is lower in glycemic index (difference - 25)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Barley - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170285/nutrients
  2. Quinoa - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168917/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.