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Barley vs. Spinach — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between Barley and Spinach

  • Barley is richer in Selenium, yet Spinach is richer in Vitamin K, Vitamin A RAE, Folate, Manganese, Iron, Magnesium, Vitamin E , Vitamin B2, and Calcium.
  • Daily need coverage for Vitamin K from Spinach is 411% higher.
  • Barley contains 6 times more Selenium than Spinach. Barley contains 8.6µg of Selenium, while Spinach contains 1.5µg.

Food types used in this article are Barley, pearled, cooked and Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt.

Infographic

Barley vs Spinach 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
2
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 16% 3.3% 8.2% 50% 35% 22% 23% 0.39% 34% 47%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 62% 41% 41% 134% 58% 21% 24% 9.1% 122% 8.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -95.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +473.3%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +295.5%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +1136.4%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +401.1%
Contains more IronIron +168.4%
Contains more CopperCopper +65.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +261%
~equal in Zinc ~0.76mg
~equal in Phosphorus ~56mg

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
1
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0.42% 0.2% 0% 21% 14% 39% 8.1% 27% 0% 2% 12% 7.3%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 33% 629% 42% 0% 24% 54% 9.2% 8.7% 56% 0% 1234% 110% 11%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +321%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +149628.6%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E +20700%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +14.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +280.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +110.4%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +61600%
Contains more FolateFolate +812.5%
Contains more CholineCholine +47%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.145mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Barley
2
2% 28% 69%
Protein: 2.26 g
Fats: 0.44 g
Carbs: 28.22 g
Water: 68.8 g
Other: 0.28 g
3% 4% 91% 2%
Protein: 2.97 g
Fats: 0.26 g
Carbs: 3.75 g
Water: 91.21 g
Other: 1.81 g
Contains more FatsFats +69.2%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +652.5%
Contains more ProteinProtein +31.4%
Contains more WaterWater +32.6%
Contains more OtherOther +546.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Barley
2
26% 16% 59%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.093 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.057 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.214 g
27% 4% 69%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.043 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.006 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.109 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +850%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +96.3%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -53.8%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Barley Spinach Opinion
Calories 123kcal 23kcal Barley
Protein 2.26g 2.97g Spinach
Fats 0.44g 0.26g Barley
Vitamin C 0mg 9.8mg Spinach
Net carbs 24.42g 1.35g Barley
Carbs 28.22g 3.75g Barley
Magnesium 22mg 87mg Spinach
Calcium 11mg 136mg Spinach
Potassium 93mg 466mg Spinach
Iron 1.33mg 3.57mg Spinach
Sugar 0.28g 0.43g Barley
Fiber 3.8g 2.4g Barley
Copper 0.105mg 0.174mg Spinach
Zinc 0.82mg 0.76mg Barley
Phosphorus 54mg 56mg Spinach
Sodium 3mg 70mg Barley
Vitamin A 7IU 10481IU Spinach
Vitamin A RAE 0µg 524µg Spinach
Vitamin E 0.01mg 2.08mg Spinach
Manganese 0.259mg 0.935mg Spinach
Selenium 8.6µg 1.5µg Barley
Vitamin B1 0.083mg 0.095mg Spinach
Vitamin B2 0.062mg 0.236mg Spinach
Vitamin B3 2.063mg 0.49mg Barley
Vitamin B5 0.135mg 0.145mg Spinach
Vitamin B6 0.115mg 0.242mg Spinach
Vitamin K 0.8µg 493.6µg Spinach
Folate 16µg 146µg Spinach
Choline 13.4mg 19.7mg Spinach
Saturated Fat 0.093g 0.043g Spinach
Monounsaturated Fat 0.057g 0.006g Barley
Polyunsaturated fat 0.214g 0.109g Barley
Tryptophan 0.038mg 0.04mg Spinach
Threonine 0.077mg 0.127mg Spinach
Isoleucine 0.083mg 0.152mg Spinach
Leucine 0.154mg 0.231mg Spinach
Lysine 0.084mg 0.182mg Spinach
Methionine 0.043mg 0.055mg Spinach
Phenylalanine 0.127mg 0.134mg Spinach
Valine 0.111mg 0.168mg Spinach
Histidine 0.051mg 0.066mg Spinach

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Barley Spinach
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
170%
Spinach
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
24%
Barley
52%
Spinach

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Spinach
Spinach is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.05g)
Which food is cheaper?
Spinach
Spinach is cheaper (difference - $1.3)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Spinach
Spinach is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Spinach
Spinach is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Barley
Barley is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.15g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Barley
Barley contains less Sodium (difference - 67mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Barley
Barley is lower in glycemic index (difference - 4)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

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. Spinach - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168463/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.