Pearled barley has had its outer husk and most of the bran polished away, making it quicker to cook with a softer texture. It retains useful amounts of beta-glucan (the LDL-lowering soluble fibre), selenium, and B vitamins, though slightly less than hulled barley. It is a staple of soups and broths worldwide.
Cook 1 part pearled barley in 3 parts water or stock for 25-30 minutes until tender; it absorbs a lot of liquid and releases starch to naturally thicken broths.
Where Barley (Pearled) Stands Out
Macronutrients per 100g
Glycemic Index & Load
Low GI food — causes a slow, steady rise in blood sugar. Ideal for sustained energy, blood glucose control, and reducing insulin demand.
Glycemic Load (GL = GI × carbs ÷ 100) accounts for portion size. A moderate GL — portion size matters here.
Vitamins & Minerals
| Nutrient | Per 100g | % Daily Value* | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 270 mg | 14% | |
| Phosphorus | 210 mg | 30% | |
| Chloride | 110 mg | 14% | |
| Magnesium | 65.0 mg | 17% | |
| Calcium | 20.0 mg | 3% | |
| Folate | 20.0 µg | 10% | |
| Chromium | 5.00 µg | 13% | |
| Niacin equivalents (NE) | 4.80 mg | 30% | |
| Iron | 3.00 mg | 21% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.50 mg | 16% | |
| Zinc | 2.10 mg | 21% | |
| Manganese | 1.30 mg | 65% | |
| Selenium | 1.00 µg | 2% | |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 0.500 mg | 8% | |
| Copper | 0.400 mg | 40% | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-TE) | 0.400 mg | 3% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.220 mg | 16% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.120 mg | 11% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.050 mg | 4% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin A (RE) | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin C | 0.000 mg | 0% | |
| Trans fat | 0.000 g | — | |
| Sucrose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Glucose (dextrose) | 0.000 g | — | |
| Maltose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Fructose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Glutamic acid | 2.97 g | — | |
| Aspartic acid | 0.743 g | — | |
| Leucine | 0.683 g | — | |
| Proline | 0.545 g | — | |
| Valine | 0.505 g | — | |
| Arginine | 0.495 g | — | |
| Phenylalanine | 0.485 g | — | |
| Serine | 0.446 g | — | |
| Isoleucine | 0.396 g | — | |
| Alanine | 0.396 g | — | |
| Tyrosine | 0.347 g | — | |
| Glycine | 0.347 g | — | |
| Threonine | 0.327 g | — | |
| Lysine | 0.297 g | — | |
| Methionine | 0.257 g | — | |
| Histidine | 0.238 g | — | |
| Cysteine | 0.178 g | — | |
| Tryptophan | 0.119 g | — | |
| Omega-6 (Linoleic acid) | 0.700 g | — | |
| Omega-3 (Alpha-linolenic acid) | 0.070 g | — |
* % Daily Value is the proportion of an adult
EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) supplied by 100g of this food.
NRVs are the labelling standard — the same basis as the “%RI” figures printed on
food packaging — so these percentages are directly comparable with a shop label.
They are a single adult figure and do not vary by age or sex, which is why they
sometimes differ from UK dietary reference values: the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg
where the UK RNI is 40mg. When Nutriofia assesses your own intake in the
reports and trackers, it uses the age- and sex-specific UK values instead.
Fibre is shown without a percentage. Our fibre values use the UK
Englyst NSP method, while the published 30g daily goal is an AOAC figure — the two
are measured differently and a single percentage would mislead.
How we source and normalise our data →