Protein content
A 1 cup cooked serving of barley contains 3.5 g of protein - a moderate source of protein, about 7% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is more of an energy food than a protein food.
| Serving | 1 cup cooked (157 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 3.5 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 2.26 g |
| Calories per serving | 193 kcal |
| Protein density | 7% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 7% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Grains |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #170285 |
A typical 1 cup cooked serving of barley contains 3.5 grams of protein (2.26 g per 100 g), which makes it a moderate source of protein. That covers roughly 7% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Only about 7% of the calories in barley come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. It is worth eating for other reasons; the protein it adds to a day is incidental.
Among the 111 grains in the database, barley ranks 71st by protein per serving, and 573rd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against bran flakes, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (bran flakes has 4 g per 1 cup).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving above is measured by volume at 157 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #170285 - "Barley, pearled, cooked" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Barley has 2.26 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup cooked serving (157 g) provides 3.5 g.
No. Barley is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other protein sources across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids.
A 1 cup cooked serving of barley contains 3.5 g of protein, about 7% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Barley is a moderate source of protein, and about 7% of its calories come from protein, which makes it more of an energy food than a protein food. Set against bran flakes, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (bran flakes has 4 g per 1 cup).
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