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Barley (Jau): Nutrition and who it suits

Barley is a good choice for weight loss, PCOS and diabetes, and fine in a portion for menopause. 100 g has 316 kcal, 10.9 g of protein and 15.6 g of fibre. One serving is one roti's worth of flour, or a small katori cooked (30 g dry), about 95 kcal.

Close-up of golden barley grain

Numbers worked out by Poshan Labs from IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN), using the rules on How the ratings work. Last updated 26 October 2026.

Nutrition per 100 g

NutrientPer 100 g
Energy316 kcal
Protein10.9 g
Carbohydrate61.3 g
Fibre15.6 g
Sugars0.1 g
Fat1.3 g
Folate31.6 µg
Magnesium49 mg
Zinc1.5 mg

Where its calories come from

15%82%
  • Protein 15%
  • Carbohydrate 82%
  • Fat 4%

Worked out from the protein, carbohydrate and fat above, at 4, 4 and 9 kcal a gram.

How many calories in one serving of barley?

About 95 kcal for one roti's worth of flour, or a small katori cooked (30 g dry), and about 190 kcal if you have two.

One serving, against your day

How much of an adult woman's daily need one serving (30 g) fills.

7%Protein
3.3 g
4%Folate
9.5 µg
4%Magnesium
14.7 mg
3%Zinc
0.5 mg
2%Potassium
80.4 mg
2%Iron
0.5 mg

Source

Source: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), food code A004. Daily need is from ICMR-NIN Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, adult woman, moderate activity.

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Is barley good for weight loss, PCOS, diabetes and menopause?

Weight loss

Good choice

5 g of fibre per 100 kcal keeps you full for longer.

PCOS and PCOD

Good choice

4.7 g of fibre for 18.4 g of carbohydrate, which slows the rise in sugar.

Diabetes

Good choice

4.7 g of fibre for 18.4 g of carbohydrate, which slows the rise in sugar.

Menopause

Fine as part of a meal

3.3 g of protein in a 30 g serving, not enough to call it a good source, but fine as part of a meal.

Weight lossGood choice5 g of fibre per 100 kcal keeps you full for longer.
PCOS and diabetesGood choice4.7 g of fibre for 18.4 g of carbohydrate, which slows the rise in sugar.
MenopauseFine as part of a meal3.3 g of protein in a 30 g serving, not enough to call it a good source, but fine as part of a meal.

These ratings come from the numbers alone. On a free call, Puja looks at what fits your reports. How the ratings work.

How it compares

It has the most fibre of the 22 cereals and millets on this site: 16 g per 100 g, against an average of 8.2 g.

Also called

Assamese: Barli; Bengali: Barley; Gujarati: Jav; Hindi: Jau; Kannada: Barley; Kashmiri: Wushke; Malayalam: Barley; Marathi: Sath; Odia: Jaba; Punjabi: Jao; Sanskrit: Yava; Tamil: Baarli Arisi; Telugu: Barley; Urdu: Jau.

Related

Atta (whole wheat flour)RagiWhole wheatQuinoaFoxtail millet (Kangni)Seviyan (vermicelli)

Try the thali calorie calculator or the protein calculator.

Words on this page: fibreproteincalorieglycemic index

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