Whole Foods Bakery

[JennyC]

I'm going to go to Whole Foods today and I am planning on checking out their bakery section. Given the money that I have wasted on gluten free foods that my 3.5 year old refuses to eat, I have decided to ask about your experiences with the Whole Foods bakery. It would be great if you could tell me the foods that are good and the foods that a waste of money.

Thanks.

[happygirl]

absolutely love their pizza crusts, buttermilk biscuits, and apple pie

[AkBravo34]

absolutely love their pizza crusts, buttermilk biscuits, and apple pie

I like their cookies abd biscuits. Their bread and pizza crust weirds me out because all 3 times I've tried either of them, the next morning I'm emergency sick...It wasn't the tomato sauce in the pizza either because I use Newman's and I've used that on TONS of things...so maybe I was just having bad days?

[jerseyangel]

When I could still eat them (lots of intolerances) I loved the sandwich and cinnamon raisin bread, the pecan pie and the molassas cookies.

[missy'smom]

apple pie, pizza crust

[gfgypsyqueen]

They used to make Blondies that were great.

But what I HATE about Whole Foods Bakery is everything is made on shared equipment with nuts! So many of us have multiple allergies and in my house it is nuts. Just irritates me because I was really looking forward to a good gluten-free bakery near me. Now the only time I get their baked goods is when I am in the hospital! UGH!!!

[tarnalberry]

Pretty much dislike all of it - not for taste, but because it all has milk, aside from the molasses cookies, which are so high in sugar that I can eat about half of one a day. *sigh*

Good luck. I hear that there are a number of tasty items, but they're out for a number of people.

[RoanMtnMan]

Sandwich bread, biscuits, cookies, dinner rolls---all very good relative to other gluten-free products!

[angel-jd1]

As an adult I LOVE the cherry almond streusel muffins, however I'm not sure a 3 1/2 year old would be too crazy about them.

I don't get them often though. The drive to whole foods is over an hour! ha

-Jessica

[kduggan]

sandwich bread and blueberry mufffins and pie crust

and their brownies were amazing too but not worth the 7 dollars when there are other ways to make more for less than that that are pretty good...

[VegasCeliacBuckeye]

I like the cream biscuits, tomato-garlic bread, apple pie, corn bread, pizza crusts

[Karen B.]

Sun-dried tomato garlic bread (makes stellar grilled cheese sandwiches).

Look at the nutritional content though. A lot of their items are sky high in saturated fats.

[Guest lorlyn]

My 10 yr. old daughter likes the blue berry muffis, bagels and there frozen pizzas.

[JennyC]

Thank you for responding. I bought the pizza crust and the biscuits. My son is eating the crust now & seems to like it. It is always nice to get ideas from others about gluten-free food. It's so expensive, and no one wants to waste their money.

[debmidge]

I only wish the White Bread had more fiber in it per serving. I use rice bran in my home made bread and that increases the fiber content.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

What I like is that all their gluten-free products are reasonably tasty, and, of course, convenient.

What I don't like is that they are totally gouging us. It is not that much more expensive to make gluten-free products from scratch (white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch are 69 cents/pound at the Asian groceries), but they charge $7.99 for a tiny pan of brownies that's about 1/2 the size of the $2.99 pan of bakery brownies or 1/4 the size of the $3.99 pan of Costco brownies. And brownies don't call for that much flour, either!

They know they've got us as captive consumers, so they get away with it. They figure we're so desperate for "real" food, we'll pay anything. And we are, and we do.

But it makes me angry that they would gouge us like that. I live far enough away from Whole Foods (about 40 minutes) that I figure it doesn't save me any time to go there. I can make whatever I want in way less time than it takes to get there and back (in the case of cookies and biscuits) or about the same time (in the case of breads and cakes).

I can make a big pan of brownies for a couple of dollars or less, and save on gas, too. And I don't have to worry about CC if I make it myself.

[happygirl]

I'm lucky enough to finally live down the street from a WF. I agree with FF that it is cheaper to make many of these products yourself. I make my own brownies, cookies, etc. (Ok-I lie-my mom makes them for me!)

But, for the things that I get from them, I don't mind paying extra for a company that supports the gluten-free community, has an entirely gluten-free facility, and having the convenience of throwing a pizza crust in the oven for a quick dinner, etc. for me, is worth it. The only place I eat out right now is a bit more expensive than I would care for it to be....but for me, its worth the price of them knowing how to safely prepare my food. I pick and choose where to spend/where not to spend, and feel that its important to support companies who support me

[JennyC]

What I like is that all their gluten-free products are reasonably tasty, and, of course, convenient.

What I don't like is that they are totally gouging us. It is not that much more expensive to make gluten-free products from scratch (white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch are 69 cents/pound at the Asian groceries), but they charge $7.99 for a tiny pan of brownies that's about 1/2 the size of the $2.99 pan of bakery brownies or 1/4 the size of the $3.99 pan of Costco brownies. And brownies don't call for that much flour, either!

I too live by an Asian grocery store that carries rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour. I bought some but I have been hesitant to use it because I have no idea if they were made in a gluten-free facility, as they were made in China.

What have been your experiences with Asian flours?

[francelajoie]

I've only had WF tomato garlic bread. I love it. I make great gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with it. I add slices of fresh mozza, tomato, avocado spread, and turkey breast. Oh man, now I'm hungry.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I too live by an Asian grocery store that carries rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour. I bought some but I have been hesitant to use it because I have no idea if they were made in a gluten-free facility, as they were made in China.

What have been your experiences with Asian flours?

I'm probably not the best person to ask as I don't seem to have obvious reactions to gluten.

But I figure that most of the companies making the gluten-free brownies, breads, pizza crusts, etc., are using the Asian flours.

I do agree with happygirl that it's great that Whole Foods supports the gluten-free community--but, on the other hand, depending on how you look at it, I think it's the gluten-free community supporting Whole Foods...

I don't mind their making a fair profit. But I know that I couldn't make my gluten-free brownies and then charge 4 times what it cost me to make them; it just doesn't seem ethical. I love to cook, and, thanks to some of the geniuses out there like Annalise Roberts and Roben Ryberg, I have come up with some really good recipes. But I'm not trying to make a profit off of them; every recipe I try that works, I post here. To me, that's REALLY supporting the gluten-free community!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I've only had WF tomato garlic bread. I love it. I make great gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with it. I add slices of fresh mozza, tomato, avocado spread, and turkey breast. Oh man, now I'm hungry.

Ooh, that sounds soooo good! (Now I'm hungry, too! )

[StrongerToday]

I have to say that I think Whole Foods is universally over-expensive no matter what you buy. We haven't nicknamed it "Whole Paycheck" for nothing!! I also feel that a lot of gluten-free things are way overpriced. I love Namaste brownies, and yes it makes a big pan, but it $7.99 for the mix! I get Celiac Specialties at a grocery store here and the little pies are $7 - 8 too.

I think all the high pricing is ridicuous, no matter where you buy it. But now I'm hungry darn it!!

[Karen B.]

I've only had WF tomato garlic bread. I love it. I make great gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches with it. I add slices of fresh mozza, tomato, avocado spread, and turkey breast. Oh man, now I'm hungry.

Ditto here and they had a sale on red peppers so I tried adding grilled red peppers to the sandwich... YUM!

[debmidge]

I have to say that I think Whole Foods is universally over-expensive no matter what you buy. We haven't nicknamed it "Whole Paycheck" for nothing!! I also feel that a lot of gluten-free things are way overpriced. I love Namaste brownies, and yes it makes a big pan, but it $7.99 for the mix! I get Celiac Specialties at a grocery store here and the little pies are $7 - 8 too.

I think all the high pricing is ridicuous, no matter where you buy it. But now I'm hungry darn it!!

I think that part of the added cost is the shipping....I think everything is baked in their No. Carolina facility and shipped to the stores. That's also what's pumping up the cost. the stuff isn't made on premises on each WF store.

[zansu]

I eat the prairie bread (more fiber) and I LOVE the nutmeal raisin cookies! at $.75 per cookie, I don't get them often, though. I agree they're overpriced. The banana bread is also exorbitant, but good (especially warmed up).