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  6. Couscous vs. Barley

Couscous vs. Barley — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between Couscous and Barley

  • Couscous is higher in Selenium, yet Barley is higher in Iron, Fiber, Manganese, Copper, Vitamin B3, and Zinc.
  • Couscous covers your daily Selenium needs 34% more than Barley.

Food varieties used in this article are Couscous, cooked and Barley, pearled, cooked.

Infographic

Couscous 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 5.7% 2.4% 5.1% 14% 14% 7.1% 9.4% 0.65% 11% 150%
Barley
Barley
9
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%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +219.8%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +175%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +37.5%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +60.3%
Contains more IronIron +250%
Contains more CopperCopper +156.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +215.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +145.5%
Contains less SodiumSodium -40%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +208.3%

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.
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% 2.6% 0% 16% 6.2% 18% 22% 12% 0% 0.25% 11% 1.8%
Barley
Barley
7
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%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +1200%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +174.8%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +31.7%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +129.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +109.9%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +125.5%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +700%
Contains more CholineCholine +306.1%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Folate ~16µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Barley
Barley
3
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 ProteinProtein +67.7%
Contains more FatsFats +175%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +21.5%
~equal in Water ~68.8g
~equal in Other ~0.28g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
25% 19% 56%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.029 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.064 g
Barley
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
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -68.8%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +159.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +234.4%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Couscous Barley Opinion
Calories 112kcal 123kcal Barley
Protein 3.79g 2.26g Couscous
Fats 0.16g 0.44g Barley
Net carbs 21.82g 24.42g Barley
Carbs 23.22g 28.22g Barley
Magnesium 8mg 22mg Barley
Calcium 8mg 11mg Barley
Potassium 58mg 93mg Barley
Iron 0.38mg 1.33mg Barley
Sugar 0.1g 0.28g Couscous
Fiber 1.4g 3.8g Barley
Copper 0.041mg 0.105mg Barley
Zinc 0.26mg 0.82mg Barley
Phosphorus 22mg 54mg Barley
Sodium 5mg 3mg Barley
Vitamin A 0IU 7IU Barley
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.01mg Couscous
Manganese 0.084mg 0.259mg Barley
Selenium 27.5µg 8.6µg Couscous
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.083mg Barley
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.062mg Barley
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 2.063mg Barley
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.135mg Couscous
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.115mg Barley
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0.8µg Barley
Folate 15µg 16µg Barley
Choline 3.3mg 13.4mg Barley
Saturated Fat 0.029g 0.093g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.022g 0.057g Barley
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.214g Barley
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.038mg Couscous
Threonine 0.1mg 0.077mg Couscous
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.083mg Couscous
Leucine 0.259mg 0.154mg Couscous
Lysine 0.073mg 0.084mg Barley
Methionine 0.059mg 0.043mg Couscous
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.127mg Couscous
Valine 0.162mg 0.111mg Couscous
Histidine 0.077mg 0.051mg Couscous

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Barley
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
7%
Couscous
10%
Barley
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Couscous
24%
Barley

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.18g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.064g)
Which food is cheaper?
Couscous
Couscous is cheaper (difference - $0.2)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Barley
Barley contains less Sodium (difference - 2mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Barley
Barley is lower in glycemic index (difference - 37)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Barley
Barley is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Barley
Barley is relatively richer in vitamins
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. Couscous - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169700/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.