I eat a lot of carbs. I need to eat them to fuel for and recover from my running. A lot of those carbs come from whole grains, and I usually don’t have a lot of time to cook slow-cooking grains (wild rice, barley, etc), so we tend to eat a lot of quick-cooking rice and quinoa. While I like those two grains, I get a little tired of them. When I got the opportunity (through my Sweat Pink ambassadorship) to try Freekeh Foods, I was intrigued, and now that I’ve tried it, I’m happy to say that I’ve got another quick-cooking grain to add to my weeknight arsenal.
What’s freekeh, you ask? Freekeh is cracked green wheat, and according to Freekeh Foods, people have been eating it for thousands of years. I guess I’m behind the times. Freekeh is prepared just like quinoa: boil it for 20-25 minutes. Its texture reminds me of barley, and the flavor is similar to brown rice. I had the opportunity to try the Rosemary Sage flavor and the original. I have to admit that the Rosemary Sage was a bit too sage-y for my taste, but the original was tasty and versatile.
(I borrowed this picture from Freekeh Foods’ website. My own food photography skills are decidedly sub-par.)
Freekeh’s nutritional profile is what makes it a stand-out grain. With 130 calories, 6 grams of protein (the same amount as quinoa), and 4 grams of fiber, freekeh makes a nutritious side dish, breakfast porridge, or star player in the various recipes available on Freekeh Foods’ website.
Want to try Freekeh for yourself? Freekeh Foods is giving one reader a copy of their cookbook, 30 Ways to Freekeh!, and a package of Freekeh (Rosemary Sage, Tamari, or Original). To enter, follow this link to the Rafflecopter!
If you don’t win (or even if you do) and still want to try freekeh, shoot me an e-mail (use the “Contact Me” link at the top of the page) and I’ll mail you a $.50-off coupon!
Rural Running Redhead 
I kind of want to try the tamari, but I think my kids wouldn’t eat it, so just the plain will do 🙂
Now I need to try the original! Thanks for exposing me to new things!
Never head of it, but sounds like it’s a great, fast weeknight choice.
Yum! I’d love to try out the original
I really like Freekeh! We first cooked with it this spring, when we were getting Blue Apron recipes. We have since been buying it at the grocery store, and this is a great brand (I’ve only had the plain one though, along side some fish with a sauce).
Have you tried millet? I love it too and it cooks up even faster than quinoa! Also we make our quinoa and freekeh in the rice cooker 🙂