So I am wondering what everyone thinks of the combo of beans and barley for a healthy meal. I love barley and beans, wondering if this is nutritionally sound or not? Do I need another protein?
I am trying to lose fat, and it's not going to well right now. I just had a baby and am breastfeeding. I already have 2 other kids so time is a bit of an issue. Thanks.
would brown rice be a better option? Is barley an alright source of carbs/protein?

So I am wondering what everyone thinks of the combo of beans and barley for a healthy meal. I love barley and beans, wondering if this is nutritionally sound or not? Do I need another protein?
I am trying to lose fat, and it's not going to well right now. I just had a baby and am breastfeeding. I already have 2 other kids so time is a bit of an issue. Thanks.
would brown rice be a better option? Is barley an alright source of carbs/protein?You would want a better protein source, eggs, egg whites, lean red meats, chicken, turkey, protein powder.

Hi Greengirl.

I assume from your question and your username that you are a vegan/vegetarian?

To answer your question:

Beans have low levels of the amino acids Methionine & Cysteine.
Barley has low levels of the amino acid Lysine.

By eating them in the same meal you can compensate for the deficits in AAs that the individual foods have. It is important to combine them at the same time and not just alternate them in different meals during the day, as the body does not store amino acids. Having said that, even by combining them, gram for gram of protein they will not be as effective as proteins from meat/egg/milk.

Beans and barley are both have a low Glycemic Index which should help with weight-loss ; bean GI 30-50, barley GI 43,

The problem with barley and to a less extent with beans is that they force you to consume significant amounts of carbohydrate (i.e. calories) with each gram of protein.

For example, if you ate 100g (around 4oz) of uncooked barley you would get:
10g protein (40kcal) and 78g carbohydrate (312kcal)

The ISSN recommends that active individuals consume 1.4-2.0 g of protein per kg. You are 140lb ( 61.6kg) so you are recommended to consume 86-123g of protein a day. If you just got your protein from barley then you would have to consume 3034-4336 kcals per day just to reach the recommended protein levels.

Another possible food to try is oats. Like Barley it has a shortage of the AA lysine, and has a low GI of about 50. It also has a lower carbohydrate to protein ratio than barley, with every 100g containing 17g of protein and 66g of carbohydrate.

Beans have an even lower carbohydrate to protein ratio, with every 100g having 5g of protein and only 12g of carbohydrate. Having said this you would have to eat over 3lb of beans to get your daily protein requirements.

I think the basic message I am trying to get across is that it is possible to get sufficient protein from plant sources but it is difficult.

The 3 main problems are:
1. The poor amino acid profile of many plants – it is necessary to combine protein sources at every meal.
2. Good sources of plant proteins are often highly calorific.
3. The relatively low quantities of protein from in even “good” plant sources means large volumes of food need to be consumed.

One possibility you may want to consider is Tofu (Soy Bean Curd), it has an excellent amino acid profile, and a low carbohydrate to protein ratio. 100g of tofu contains 8g of protein, 2 grams of carbohydrate and only 76 calories.

If you are only vegetarian and not vegan, you could consider supplementing your diet with whey or egg whites. They are both near perfect sources of protein.

I hope this answers you question

SF

The problem with barley and to a less extent with beans is that they force you to consume significant amounts of carbohydrate (i.e. calories) with each gram of protein.

The ISSN recommends that active individuals consume 1.4-2.0 g of protein per kg. You are 140lb ( 61.6kg) so you are recommended to consume 86-123g of protein a day. If you just got your protein from barley then you would have to consume 3034-4336 kcals per day just to reach the recommended protein levels.What does ISSN stand for?

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/) from the US Department of Health recommends 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, or about 15% of your calories from protein. That's fairly consistent with my consumption, and I'm very happy with my diet.

For example, if you ate 100g (around 4oz) of uncooked barley you would get:
10g protein (40kcal) and 78g carbohydrate (312kcal)

Another possible food to try is oats. Like Barley it has a shortage of the AA lysine, and has a low GI of about 50. It also has a lower carbohydrate to protein ratio than barley, with every 100g containing 17g of protein and 66g of carbohydrate.

Beans have an even lower carbohydrate to protein ratio, with every 100g having 5g of protein and only 12g of carbohydrate. Having said this you would have to eat over 3lb of beans to get your daily protein requirements.

The 3 main problems are:
1. The poor amino acid profile of many plants – it is necessary to combine protein sources at every meal.
2. Good sources of plant proteins are often highly calorific.
3. The relatively low quantities of protein from in even “good” plant sources means large volumes of food need to be consumed.


1) I don't think barley is her primary protein source, so even if her target was to meet 86 grams of protein in a day, 3034 daily calories would certainly not be required
2) Barley absorbs more water than oats. Comparing the uncooked values for 100g doesn't make sense unless you're eating it uncooked.
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/calories-nutrition-facts.php?id=20004
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/calories-nutrition-facts.php?id=20004

They both get about 14% of their calories from protein. Chickpeas as well get a similar proportion of their calories from protein.
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/calories-nutrition-facts.php?id=16058

Quinoa is another nicely balanced carb/protein food (also with about 14% of its calories coming from protein), which is preferable to any of the above, because its amino acid profile is balanced.

Good plant sources are absolutely not highly calorific. The amount of fibre in plant sources of protein means they are more filling and satiating than their flesh-based protein counterparts.

This is one of my favorite recipes, but I always cut the amount of olive oil in half, and leave out the white rice.

Kerry's Beany Salad (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kerrys-Beany-Salad/Detail.aspx)

What does ISSN stand for?


ISSN = International Society of Sports Nutrition


Dietary Guidelines for Americans (http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/) from the US Department of Health recommends 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, or about 15% of your calories from protein.



Yes the US Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is 0.8g per kg. This is figure is estimated to keep 97%of the public healthy; the ISSN guidelines are aimed at physically active people who regularly take part in exercise (ie not the average member of the public.

Quote from the ISSN: ” an abundance of research indicates that those individuals who engage in physical activity/exercise require higher levels of protein intake than 0.8 g/kg body weight per day, regardless of the mode of exercise (i.e. endurance, resistance, etc.) or training state (i.e. recreational, moderately or well-trained)”

It should be noted that the USDA recommends a 60% increase in protein (and calories) while lactating. This compares to only a 50% increase in calories when pregnant.




1) I don't think barley is her primary protein source, so even if her target was to meet 86 grams of protein in a day, 3034 daily calories would certainly not be required
2) Barley absorbs more water than oats. Comparing the uncooked values for 100g doesn't make sense unless you're eating it uncooked.
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/calories-nutrition-facts.php?id=20004
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/calories-nutrition-facts.php?id=20004

They both get about 14% of their calories from protein. Chickpeas as well get a similar proportion of their calories from protein.
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/calories-nutrition-facts.php?id=16058

Quinoa is another nicely balanced carb/protein food (also with about 14% of its calories coming from protein), which is preferable to any of the above, because its amino acid profile is balanced.

Good plant sources are absolutely not highly calorific. The amount of fibre in plant sources of protein means they are more filling and satiating than their flesh-based protein counterparts.

This is one of my favorite recipes, but I always cut the amount of olive oil in half, and leave out the white rice.

Kerry's Beany Salad (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kerrys-Beany-Salad/Detail.aspx)

I never meant to suggest that barley would be the primary protein source, I was merely pointing out the caveat that good sources of plant protein are often highly calorific. This point is especially true for nuts and seeds, which are high in protein but also high in fat (admittedly “good” fats).

The uncooked values were purely shown so people could see the relative proportions of carbohydrate and protein. When I cook I tend to weigh things in the uncooked state, so this seemed the most logical way to present the data. I also often eat uncooked oats.

You state that barley, oats, chickpeas, and quinoa all provide around 14% of their calories from protein. If you have a balanced diet with fruit, starchy and non-starchy vegetables, in addition to these (barley, oats, chickpeas, and quinoa ) sources of protein, how on earth are you going to get anywhere near 15% of your calories coming from protein? I think you have really just proved my initial point that it is hard to get plant proteins free of additional calories (carbohydrates and fats).

Calories in the quantity of food required to get 100g of protein :
chicken 478 kcal
Tuna 426 kcal
whey 480 kcal
egg white 473 kcal
oats 2288 kcal
barley 3520 kcal
chickpeas 1867 kcal
quinoa 2891 kcal
Kerry's Beany Salad 4859 kcal

(This does not take into account the much lower Biological value (BV) of proteins from plant sources)


SF

You state that barley, oats, chickpeas, and quinoa all provide around 14% of their calories from protein. If you have a balanced diet with fruit, starchy and non-starchy vegetables, in addition to these (barley, oats, chickpeas, and quinoa ) sources of protein, how on earth are you going to get anywhere near 15% of your calories coming from protein? I think you have really just proved my initial point that it is hard to get plant proteins free of additional calories (carbohydrates and fats).
I don't think it would be smart to eat only beans and barley as your only source of protein, but the question was about whether they were good protein/carb sources, and whether they make up a healthy meal. They are, and they do. I get my protein from tofu, chicken breast, lean pork and beef, fish, egg whites, fortified light soy beverage, whey protein powder, and other sources. The OP didn't mention which protein sources she typically consumes.

I don't think it would be smart to eat only beans and barley as your only source of protein, but the question was about whether they were good protein/carb sources, and whether they make up a healthy meal. They are, and they do. I get my protein from tofu, chicken breast, lean pork and beef, fish, egg whites, fortified light soy beverage, whey protein powder, and other sources. The OP didn't mention which protein sources she typically consumes.

I did prefix my original response by saying that I was assuming greengirl was a vegan/vegitarian. Though, it looks like I may have been reading between the lines a bit too much.

I agree that beans and barley together can form a nutritious meal with excellent low GI carbohydrates and a fairly good source of protein.

I get the impression that we probably do have similiar views on nutrition Guava.
My diet mainly consists of chicken, pork, beef, tuna, salmon, cod, whey protein, egg whites, oats, chickpeas, beans (many types), sweet potato, couscous, flaxseed, mushrooms, and just about every type of fruit and veg i can get my hands on.

SF

I get the impression that we probably do have similiar views on nutrition Guava. :tu:
And you like Math too! :spaz: