Oats vs Barley: What's the Difference?

both are whole grains with a special fibre called beta-glucan. Oats are soft and creamy; barley, or jau, is chewier, nuttier and usually higher in fibre. In our bowls, the Barley editions have 1.4–2 g more fibre per pack than the Oats editions, with the same protein. The one thing that held barley back was the soaking and cooking. Ours skips both.

Oats get all the attention at breakfast. Jau has been in Indian kitchens for centuries, in sattu, barley water and rotis. So why does it almost never make it to the breakfast table? Because nobody has an hour to cook at 8 am.

How are oats and barley different?

Barley, without the soaking or cooking

Whole barley has a tough outer layer, so cooking it at home usually means soaking, then simmering for 45 minutes to an hour. Our Barley Powerbowls use barley flakes that are ready to eat straight from the pack. No soaking. No cooking. No waiting.

1. Empty the pack into a bowl.

2. Pour in 150–200 ml of milk.

3. Mix and eat.

That's barley's nutty bite and extra fibre in under a minute. Curious why barley needs soaking in the first place? Read: Why Does Barley Usually Need Soaking? [Add link]

More fibre in every Barley bowl

Per 75 g pack, from our nutrition labels. Every flavour has 0 g added sugar, and every bowl also has jowar (a millet), nuts and seeds.

That extra fibre comes from beta-glucan, a fibre that turns thick and jelly-like when it meets water, a bit like isabgol. A 2023 review in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems found barley often has more of it than oats.

So which should you pick?

• Pick barley if you like a nutty bite, a little extra fibre and a change from the usual oats, now without the cooking.

• Pick oats if you like soft, creamy and familiar.

Barley, ready in under a minute. Shop Barley Powerbowls

Can't decide? Try both in our combo pack. Shop the combo pack

Quick questions

Do I need to soak or cook DailyKin barley? No. Our barley flakes are ready to eat. Empty the pack, pour in 150–200 ml of milk, mix and eat.

Is barley better than oats? For fibre, barley usually comes out ahead; in our bowls it has 1.4–2 g more per pack. Oats are softer and more familiar. Both are good whole grains.

What is barley called in Hindi? Jau.

Is barley gluten-free? No. Barley contains gluten. Oats are naturally gluten-free but often pick up traces of wheat during farming and milling.

How we checked this: grain facts come from published research, and product figures from our own nutrition labels, listed below. General information, not medical advice.

Last updated 26 October 2026.

Sources

• Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2023): beta-glucan in cereals

• Whole Grains Council / Oldways: Cooking whole grains

• DailyKin nutrition labels (per 75 g pack)