Cereals and millets · IFCT 2017
Barley: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, barley gives 316 kcal, 10.9 g protein and 15.6 g dietary fibre, according to IFCT 2017. That fibre figure ranks 1st of 14 cereals and millets and 22nd of 256 foods, and barley also has the fewest calories in its group, which gives jau more fibre per kilocalorie than any other grain in the Indian tables.
About barley
Barley is one of the oldest grains in India. The Vedas call it yava, the name IFCT 2017 records in Sanskrit, and it is still offered in havan rituals. Today it grows as a winter crop in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, and at high altitude in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, where hardy barley survives cold that defeats wheat. It is jau in Hindi and Nepali, jav in Gujarati, jao in Punjabi and jaba in Odia.
Most Indian homes know it in three forms. Jau ka pani, barley water strained after long boiling, is a summer drink with lemon. Jau ka sattu, the roasted flour, is stirred into water with salt and roasted cumin in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. And in Ladakh, roasted barley flour called tsampa is mixed with butter tea into a dough eaten at almost every meal.
Barley also turns up in mixed-grain atta, in missi roti and in some daliya blends, where it adds bulk and a gently nutty taste. Unlike the millets, barley contains gluten, so it behaves more like wheat in a dough and can be rolled thin. Pearled barley, with the husk and some bran polished off, cooks faster and is the form most city grocers stock.
What barley brings to a meal
- 01
Most fibre of any grain
Barley carries 15.6 g dietary fibre per 100 g, 1st among the 14 cereals and millets in IFCT 2017. Part of this is a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which forms a gel in the gut and slows how fast food leaves the stomach.
- 02
Lowest energy in its group
At 316 kcal per 100 g, barley has the fewest calories of the cereals and millets, 14th of 14 for energy. With that much fibre alongside, it suits meals meant to fill without being heavy.
- 03
A useful B vitamin grain
Barley gives 0.36 mg thiamine and 2.84 mg niacin per 100 g. That is about 20 per cent of a man's daily thiamine and 16 per cent of his niacin, ranking 5th in the group for thiamine.
- 04
Modest minerals
Iron is only 1.56 mg per 100 g, 12th of 14 grains, and magnesium is 49 mg, 13th. Barley's strength is fibre, not minerals, so pair it with dal, greens or seeds for those.
Barley nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 316 kcal | 15% | 19% |
| Protein | 10.9 g | 20% | 24% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 61.3 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 15.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.1 g | ||
| Total fat | 1.3 g | ||
| Water | 9.8 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.23 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.09 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.57 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 26 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 29 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 1.56 mg | 8% | 5% |
| Zinc | 1.5 mg | 9% | 12% |
| Magnesium | 49 mg | 11% | 13% |
| Phosphorus | 178 mg | ||
| Potassium | 268 mg | ||
| Sodium | 8 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.43 mg | ||
| Selenium | 18.6 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.36 mg | 20% | 21% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 7% | 8% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.84 mg | 16% | 20% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.31 mg | 13% | 16% |
| Folate (B9) | 32 µg | 11% | 15% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.01 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 1.9 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Barley: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/cereals-and-millets/barley/
Where barley sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 13 cereals and millets and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In cereals and millets | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary fibre | 15.6 g | 1st of 14 | 22nd of 182 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.36 mg | 5th of 14 | 25th of 239 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.18 mg | 4th of 14 | 28th of 241 |
How barley is eaten
- Jau ka pani: whole barley boiled for a long time in plenty of water, strained and served cool with lemon and a pinch of salt.
- Jau ka sattu: roasted barley flour stirred into water with black salt and roasted cumin as a summer drink.
- Barley khichdi or daliya: pearl or broken barley cooked with moong dal and vegetables in a pressure cooker.
- Mixed atta: a portion of barley flour kneaded with wheat and besan for missi roti.
- Tsampa: roasted barley flour mixed with butter tea, the Ladakhi and Himalayan everyday staple.
Before you plan around it
Barley contains gluten. Its protein, hordein, triggers the same reaction as wheat in people with coeliac disease, so it is not a substitute for those avoiding gluten, whatever a multigrain label suggests. The 15.6 g fibre per 100 g is generous, and adding a lot of barley at once can cause bloating; build up slowly and drink enough water. Pearled barley sold in shops has had some outer layers polished away, so it carries less fibre than the whole grain. Barley water is soothing, but once strained it keeps little of the grain's fibre.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about barley
Is barley gluten-free?
No. Barley contains hordein, a gluten protein, and people with coeliac disease must avoid it just as they avoid wheat. Jowar, bajra, ragi, rice and rajgira are the naturally gluten-free choices in Indian kitchens.
How much fibre is in barley?
IFCT 2017 lists 15.6 g dietary fibre per 100 g of barley, the highest of the 14 cereals and millets and 22nd of 256 foods. Whole barley keeps the most; pearled barley and strained barley water keep less.
Is barley water good for you?
Barley water is mostly water with a little starch and flavour, a pleasant way to drink fluids in summer. Straining removes most of the fibre that makes the grain itself useful, so eating barley in khichdi or daliya gives far more. Kidney and urinary complaints need a doctor, not a home remedy alone.
What is barley called in Hindi?
Barley is jau in Hindi. IFCT 2017 also records jav in Gujarati, jao in Punjabi, jaba in Odia, wushke in Kashmiri, barli in Assamese and yava in Sanskrit, the name used in Vedic texts.
Related foods and tables
Wheat (whole, suji and dalia)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Jowar (sorghum)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bengal gram (chana)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Quinoa
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Varagu millet
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Dietary fibre content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by dietary fibre per 100 g.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) per 100 g.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by riboflavin (vitamin b2) per 100 g.
All cereals and millets
14 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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