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  6. Quinoa vs. Barley

Quinoa vs. Barley — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between Quinoa and Barley

  • Quinoa has more Manganese, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Copper, and Folate, however, Barley is higher in Selenium, and Vitamin B3.
  • Quinoa covers your daily need of Manganese 16% more than Barley.
  • Quinoa has 63 times more Vitamin E than Barley. While Quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E , Barley has only 0.01mg.

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

Infographic

Quinoa vs Barley 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.
Quinoa
Quinoa
8
:
2
Barley
Barley
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%
Contains less Sodium -57.1%
Contains more Selenium +207.1%
Quinoa
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 56% 46% 66% 16% 1% 30% 64% 83% 16%
Barley
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 4% 50% 16% 24% 9% 1% 23% 35% 34% 47%
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%
Contains less Sodium -57.1%
Contains more Selenium +207.1%

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.
Quinoa
Quinoa
5
:
4
Barley
Barley
Contains more Vitamin E +6200%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +28.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +77.4%
Contains more Folate +162.5%
Contains more Vitamin A +40%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +400.7%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Equal in Vitamin B6 - 0.115
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%
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%
Contains more Vitamin E +6200%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +28.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +77.4%
Contains more Folate +162.5%
Contains more Vitamin A +40%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +400.7%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Equal in Vitamin B6 - 0.115

Macronutrient Comparison

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

Fat Type Comparison

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

Comparison summary table

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

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Quinoa Barley
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
11%
Quinoa
10%
Barley
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
38%
Quinoa
24%
Barley

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