Freekeh: The healthy food that you're not eating - yet

Throw out your quinoa

You can use freekeh in healthy salads, wraps and soups - as well as many other dishes (Flickr/Meal Makeover Moms )

The trend for superfoods hasn't stopped growing and health buffs are usually looking out for the next big thing.

Quinoa and bulgar wheat are both established superfoods, being used as healthier alternative to pasta and white rice and for bulking out salads.

Now there's a new superfood on everyone's lips. Behold freekeh, a not new but now trending grain that is set to blow quinoa out of the water.

Pronounced free-kah, this grain is harvested while it’s young and then roasted over a fire. The chaff is burned away and what’s left is the moist grain.

Freekeh is low in fat, but high in protein and fibre – meaning it’s a great food for those who do a lot of exercise or are keeping an eye on their diet.

The high fibre content – it has double the amount of fibre as quinoa – means you’ll end up feeling fuller for longer and will be less prone to snacking.

Kathy Siegel, a New York based dietitian and nutritionist says freekah, which has been used in the Middle East for centuries, is a great choice for athletes and vegetarians.

"Freekeh, an ancient roasted grain is packed with three times the fibre and two times the protein of brown rice.

"Freekeh is higher in fibre with a lower glycemic index and is much higher in iron. Freekah is an excellent source of iron providing 20 per cent of ones daily needs; a great option for vegetarians, vegans and athletes."

Simply swapping in freekeh whenever you’d use pasta, quinoa, bulgar wheat or rice is a great way to give the grain a go.