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Wheat vs. Barley — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Significant differences between Wheat and Barley

  • Wheat has more Selenium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Zinc, Vitamin B6, and Copper, however, Barley is richer in Vitamin B1, and Vitamin B2.
  • Wheat covers your daily Selenium needs 94% more than Barley.
  • Barley has 3 times less Vitamin B5 than Wheat . Wheat has 0.935mg of Vitamin B5, while Barley has 0.282mg.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Wheat, durum and Barley, hulled.

Infographic

Wheat  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 103% 10% 38% 132% 184% 113% 218% 0.26% 393% 488%
Barley
0
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 95% 9.9% 40% 135% 166% 76% 113% 1.6% 253% 206%
Contains more ZincZinc +50.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +92.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium -83.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +55%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +137.1%
~equal in Magnesium ~133mg
~equal in Calcium ~33mg
~equal in Potassium ~452mg
~equal in Iron ~3.6mg
~equal in Copper ~0.498mg

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% 0% 0% 105% 28% 126% 56% 97% 0% 0% 32% 0%
Barley
5
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% 1.3% 11% 0% 162% 66% 86% 17% 73% 0% 5.5% 14% 0%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +46.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +231.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +31.8%
Contains more FolateFolate +126.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +54.2%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +135.5%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
14% 2% 71% 11% 2%
Protein: 13.68 g
Fats: 2.47 g
Carbs: 71.13 g
Water: 10.94 g
Other: 1.78 g
Barley
2
12% 2% 73% 9% 2%
Protein: 12.48 g
Fats: 2.3 g
Carbs: 73.48 g
Water: 9.44 g
Other: 2.3 g
Contains more WaterWater +15.9%
Contains more OtherOther +29.2%
~equal in Protein ~12.48g
~equal in Fats ~2.3g
~equal in Carbs ~73.48g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
26% 19% 55%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.454 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.344 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.978 g
Barley
1
26% 16% 59%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.482 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.295 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.108 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +16.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +13.3%
~equal in Saturated Fat ~0.482g

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Wheat Barley Opinion
Calories 339kcal 354kcal Barley
Protein 13.68g 12.48g Wheat
Fats 2.47g 2.3g Wheat
Net carbs 71.13g 56.18g Wheat
Carbs 71.13g 73.48g Barley
Magnesium 144mg 133mg Wheat
Calcium 34mg 33mg Wheat
Potassium 431mg 452mg Barley
Iron 3.52mg 3.6mg Barley
Sugar 0.8g Wheat
Fiber 17.3g Barley
Copper 0.553mg 0.498mg Wheat
Zinc 4.16mg 2.77mg Wheat
Phosphorus 508mg 264mg Wheat
Sodium 2mg 12mg Wheat
Vitamin A 0IU 22IU Barley
Vitamin A RAE 0µg 1µg Barley
Vitamin E 0.57mg Barley
Manganese 3.012mg 1.943mg Wheat
Selenium 89.4µg 37.7µg Wheat
Vitamin B1 0.419mg 0.646mg Barley
Vitamin B2 0.121mg 0.285mg Barley
Vitamin B3 6.738mg 4.604mg Wheat
Vitamin B5 0.935mg 0.282mg Wheat
Vitamin B6 0.419mg 0.318mg Wheat
Vitamin K 2.2µg Barley
Folate 43µg 19µg Wheat
Saturated Fat 0.454g 0.482g Wheat
Monounsaturated Fat 0.344g 0.295g Wheat
Polyunsaturated fat 0.978g 1.108g Barley
Tryptophan 0.176mg 0.208mg Barley
Threonine 0.366mg 0.424mg Barley
Isoleucine 0.533mg 0.456mg Wheat
Leucine 0.934mg 0.848mg Wheat
Lysine 0.303mg 0.465mg Barley
Methionine 0.221mg 0.24mg Barley
Phenylalanine 0.681mg 0.7mg Barley
Valine 0.594mg 0.612mg Barley
Histidine 0.322mg 0.281mg Wheat

Which food is preferable for your diet?

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

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
34%
Wheat
34%
Barley
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
168%
Wheat
110%
Barley

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.8g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Wheat
Wheat contains less Sodium (difference - 10mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Wheat
Wheat is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.028g)
Which food is cheaper?
Wheat
Wheat is cheaper (difference - $1.1)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Wheat
Wheat is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Barley
Barley is lower in glycemic index (difference - 22)
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. Wheat - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169721/nutrients
  2. Barley - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170283/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.