Whole Foods gluten-free Food Line

[Gemini]

As I was food shopping last week-end at Whole Foods, I noticed that they had their own brand, known as 365, of gluten-free baked goods, in mixes like the Gluten Free Pantry. They were noticeably cheaper than the gluten-free pantry also. I went up to the customer service desk and did my usual of thanking them for thinking of the Celiac community. They told me they would be coming out with more stuff down the road as they were amazed at the demand for gluten-free, pre-packaged food.

I then informed them they really had no idea how many people in the general population have a problem with gluten, and more and more of a demand will occur as people are diagnosed.

I bought a white cake mix to try and it was $2.99, compared to about $4.39 for the gluten-free Pantry version. Thought I would post so all those on a limited budget could benefit from less expensive yummies. I still plan on using the gluten-free Pantry also as I think their mixes are delicious but a big thank you to Whole Foods for doing this!

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I was buying the Gluten-Free Pantry mixes at Walmart for $2.79.

Seems to me Whole Foods has been marking it up. Now they've introduced their own brand, and are selling it at 20 cents higher than what they should have been charging for Gluten-Free Pantry mix????

Yes, I'm grateful to have the choice. But I'm very, very angry that they are playing $$ games with us, and charging us through the nose because they know we have no other choices.

I suppose if I lived within a mile or 2 of Whole Foods, it would be worth the convenience. But it takes me 40 minutes to get there and another 40 to get back. In that amount of time, I can mix my own flours for less than half what they are charging, and I'm not even including gas.

It's very, very easy to mix up gluten-free flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar salt, etc. in a large bin, and then either scoop 2 cupfuls at time into zipper bag, or else just scoop two cupfuls into the mixing bowl when ready to bake a cake.

They have wonderful food-grade airtight plastic bins at Sam's Club. You can see through them, and they stack wonderfully in the pantry.

(Okay, storing the bins does take up space.... )

[taweavmo3]

I was buying the Gluten-Free Pantry mixes at Walmart for $2.79.

Seems to me Whole Foods has been marking it up. Now they've introduced their own brand, and are selling it at 20 cents higher than what they should have been charging for Gluten-Free Pantry mix????

Yes, I'm grateful to have the choice. But I'm very, very angry that they are playing $$ games with us, and charging us through the nose because they know we have no other choices.

I suppose if I lived within a mile or 2 of Whole Foods, it would be worth the convenience. But it takes me 40 minutes to get there and another 40 to get back. In that amount of time, I can mix my own flours for less than half what they are charging, and I'm not even including gas.

It's very, very easy to mix up gluten-free flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar salt, etc. in a large bin, and then either scoop 2 cupfuls at time into zipper bag, or else just scoop two cupfuls into the mixing bowl when ready to bake a cake.

They have wonderful food-grade airtight plastic bins at Sam's Club. You can see through them, and they stack wonderfully in the pantry.

(Okay, storing the bins does take up space.... )

See, I've tried this before. I tried mixing my own flours for baking mixes, and I find it to be the biggest pain in the a$$! It's probably just me, but I figured it up once, and I really didn't save that much money making my own flour mixtures. Not to mention I just hate the actual process of mixing....I never feel like I get it all evenly distributed, my flour always seems more course in texture than the premixed stuff, and the product never comes out as good!

I have started buying the Bette Hagman featherlite mix in the package, and I love this. I'll pay the extra few bucks to not have to track down the different flours and do the mixing myself!!!! I am a total sucker and will continue to pay $5 for a cake mix from Namaste, GFP or whoever.....it just saves me so much grief! I am so baking challenged when it comes to doing my own flour mixtures, I have finally surrendered to the insane prices, lol.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Tamara, that makes perfect sense and I'm sure you are not "baking challenged!"

I'm just lucky enough to

1) live close to an Asian market who sells fine-ground rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch for 69 cents a pound

2) live close to a Sam's Club that happened to have the cool food storage bins (I just fill the bins about halfway--that's about 5 pounds worth of mixed flour) and shake!

[JennyC]

I mix up a batch of flour, I think it's the feather light mix, and keep it on hand for an all purpose flour. I usually use it in converting recipes to gluten free or anytime a gluten-free flour is needed. I live close to Bob's Red Mill and I can buy a huge variety of flours in bulk. That being said, I can never get my cakes to turn out right, so I do buy cake mixes, gfp pie crust mixes, and pancake mix. Some things are not worth the headache.

[Gemini]

I mix up a batch of flour, I think it's the feather light mix, and keep it on hand for an all purpose flour. I usually use it in converting recipes to gluten free or anytime a gluten-free flour is needed. I live close to Bob's Red Mill and I can buy a huge variety of flours in bulk. That being said, I can never get my cakes to turn out right, so I do buy cake mixes, gfp pie crust mixes, and pancake mix. Some things are not worth the headache.

I thought I would post for those that don't have the inclination or time to mix up and store flour blends. I keep mixes on hand for when I don't have time to bake from scratch....I work long hours and have a long commute so time is important. I find both ways equally as good as the mixes from gluten-free Pantry are delicious.

As far as shopping at Walmart, I never buy anything from the big box stores. I would rather pay more money than give them my business. They employ illegals around me and I will not give anyone my business that tries to undermine the American worker with cheap labor. Personal choice only. At least the mixes we buy that cost more have good ingredients in them...not like their gluten containing counterparts.

There are also flours that can be used cup for cup to substitute for gluten flours without the hassle of all the mixing and storage.

[debmidge]

My Whole Foods eliminated the Gluten Free Pantry line altogether and replaced it with the 365 Brand. I would prefer not to change at this time as I am satisified with gluten-free Pantry and I don't want to make bread using a learning curve with a new mix.

Love the convenience of the mixes and fact that I don't have storage space to store all separate 5 lb bags of flour if I had to make my own mixes. As it is I am storing food in my livingroom area as well as I have bread machine in my livingroom....

[savvvyseller]

Gluten Free Pantry makes the 365 Whole Foods gluten-free baking mixes.

[Ridgewalker]

My Whole Foods just put out the 365 gluten-free mixes this week, but they're 3.99 and up, here! I think my Whole Foods is the most expensive one in the country.

I've also never seen Gluten Free Pantry products at my Wal-mart....

There is ONE grocery store near me that carries a couple things- a couple Bob's Red Mill items, and Ian's Chicken Nuggets... But these few things they have are even more expensive there than at Whole Foods.

On the up-side, I finally found an Asian store, after months of looking, that is about an hour away- about the same time it takes me to get to Whole Foods. So I'm going to check them out to see if I can get some flours there. I have no problem making my own mixes if it's truly going to save me some money! I'm going to check them out sometime this week- wish me luck!

-Sarah