Top Three Worst Gf Products

[jerseyangel]

I did the cookies in bar form then drizzled them with melted Enjoy Life chocolate chips. Yum!

That sounds good! I just made them into ice cream sandwiches tonight

[lynnelise]

The three worst for me would be:

1. Enjoy Life bagels. Like eating a hockey puck for breakfast.

2. Rice pecan bread. I think it's by Food for Life. I threw the entire loaf away.

3. Whole Foods Almond scones. Honestly I don't know why but I ate one and liked it okay but then everytime I went to eat another I'd get grossed out and nauseated thinking about them.

My favorites would be:

1.Larabars! I don't know why everyone hates them!

2.Lundberg brown rice cakes. So yummy with peanut butter!

3. French Meadow bread. My Krogers had it once, I fell in love, and it's never been back!

[my.oh.my]

For the breads i tasted so far:

Food For Life Brown Rice Bread is the worst i ever had.

Ener-G Foods White Rice Loaf has a looong way to go in order for me to try it ever again.

Udi's White Sandwich Bread was a ok though i expected it to be less crumbly.

my best choice so far was Katz Gluten Free's Large Challah Rolls with Butter and Cinnamon.a MUST to try!

[Pac]

My unholly top (or bottom?) three:

1) CeliHope waffle - don't know if you can get them in America, but I really could have spared myself this taste. I had one curious bite and offered the rest to my parents, ready to trow it away if they refuse this challenge - to my amazement they liked it.

2) Glutino(?) breakfast bars - I admit I have no idea how the gluten ones taste, but any breakfast bars are off my shopping list for now.

3) Rice crackers - various sources and most just happen to be gluten-free, not designed that way. They are probably not that bad since I bought them several times before admitting to myself my taste buds are not likely to be wrong about this one.

On the other hand, in the 14 months of being knowingly gluten-free, I only tried one gluten-free bread, teff tortillas, fresh corn tortillas, one tortilla chips, 4 types of cookies/waffles, baked muffins once and made three different cakes, and beside the above-mentioned threesome I liked everything so far.

[LJK]

Oh, man ... you guys are killing me. I just found out I have Celiac. Look what I have to look forward to. UGH!

I'm with you--only been gluten free for 3 months and learning the ropes. However, as awful as this discussion is, I am starting my list of "what not to buy" products.

Wrong thread, but I just found a fabulous product. I discovered the Organic Oven. They are a wholesale/retail bakery with their head office in Mississauga. I tried the multigrain buns, the cheese bagels and the carrot cake. All are amazing. It's the first time in 3 months that I've eaten 'real' bread. (I could add some horrible ones to the list in this discussion!). Do a Google search and you can find the Mississauga and Toronto locations as well as finding retailers that carry their products.

As for the horrible, I bought some lemon wafer cookies a couple of weeks ago. Took one bite and threw the rest of the package in the trash immediately! Gag!!!!! Sorry I don't have the brand name but I got them at Metro (beware the wafer cookies...)

[summerteeth]

1. Enjoy Life bagels - I bought them for a road trip from IL to FL and BLECH! Absolutely the worst.

2. Enjoy Life chewy chocolate chip cookies. YUCK. They taste like glue.

3. DeBoles corn pasta. Decided after one bite that brown rice pasta is far superior (at least, to my palate).

Best?

1. Tinkyada pasta - especially the spinach pasta!

2. Lundberg rice cakes with Nutella (or tuna salad)

3. Mi-Del Arrowroot animal cookies - these are AMAZING!

[buffettbride]

Thanks for the heads-up! I love their crackers and I see the breadsticks when I'm picking up a box and have thought about trying them.

I crush them and use them as breadcrumbs for gluten-free homemade meatballs.

[BethM55]

Thank you for this thread, I've been laughing through it all!

My LEAST favorite prepared gluten-free foods:

1. any rice pasta. I haven't found any yet that is edible.

2. again, Ener-G bread. BLECH!!!

3. Amy's gluten-free pizza. It's ok, I guess, but not worth the price.

My MOST favorite prepared gluten-free foods:

1. Trader Joe's gluten-free brownie mix. I've had people rave about them, and prefer them to "real" brownies.

2. Mrs. Lepers corn pasta. People here have disliked corn pasta, but this one is good, tastes like real pasta.

3. Udi's whole grain bread and Lemon Streusel muffins. This is a brand new fave.

4. Whole Foods gluten-free breads. I haven't tried their other gluten-free baked products yet.

5. Brown Rice Snaps, distributed by Edward & Sons Trading Co. Especially the black sesame flavor. yum!

[JNBunnie1]

I made Betty Crocker gluten-free Chocolate Chip cookies last night--they were fantastic! I used a tablespoon of vanilla instead of the teaspoon called for. I'd tried the brownies and yellow cake, but the cookies were my favorite.

Back to the topic.....I tried to like Lundberg Farms Hot Rice cereal, but it tastes like plaster.

Not if you cook it in milk and add butter! Very oatmeal-like consistency.

Top 3 worst:

1. Who actually BUYS Ener-G bread? Well, I do, because although it's the worst bread I've ever tasted on its own, it makes extraordinary stuffing on Thanksgiving. Only time we buy it.

2. Perky's Nutty Flax cereal. Got it hoping for Grape-Nuts. It's the only thing I've ever handed to my boyfriend to finish that he just threw out.

3. Sherrie's english muffins. No matter HOW you try and prepare them, they will break your teeth. That was three years ago and no, I haven't given them another chance.

I second the Glutino breadsticks, also their 'cheerios' cereal. Which is odd, because everything else they make is so frikkin good. Do NOT buy their 'oreos', you will make yourself sick eating them they're so good.

[skinnyminny]

Kinnikinnk kritter animal cookies... are terrible awful.. they taste like starch!!! they are so gross. I am calling the company monday to complain. I have been gluten free for 10 years and the products have improved so much over the years but these are just not good. I am mad to because as we all know the products are not cheap!!

[celiacmom2]

I am new to Celiac diagnoses and so far:

DISLIKES:

Tried Tinkyada rice pasta spirals and seemed to be mushy. I may have overcooked them though.

Don't really care for Ener-G light Tapioca bread...is ok with a burger slathered with ketchup on top and veggies, but only one slice is enough, tried 2 with ham in the middle and was tasting rather strange...don't really care for it.

LIKES:

Liked Annies boxed rice pasta and cheese mix! Liked that it is a nice quick lunch too.

Tried Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip gluten free cookies and they were tasty but had a gritty after taste..

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownies with the Betty Crocker Chocolate Frosting were outstanding and suprised my gluten free friends...they all approved that one! And so did I!

[MartialArtist]

Lovin' this thread!

Worst to me:

1) Glutino cheerios type cereal -- smelled like an old lady's perfume for some reason and texture totally wrong

2) So far, haven't liked Bob's Red Mill or Pamela's pancake mix, but I'm going to try again b/c I've seen so many rave reviews -- maybe I was just mad they didn't taste like my beloved Bisquick...

3) Glutino pretzels -- but TONS of people (including non-gluten-free folks) love these, so I think it's again a problem with the fact that they're not Rold Gold, which I will miss terribly!

Impressive items:

1) Udi's bagels, whole-grain bread, and pizza crust

2) Betty Crocker gluten-free brownie mix -- you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference

3) King Arthur Flour gluten-free brownie mix -- OMG! Brand new and utterly amazing!

4) Tinkyada lasagna noodles -- indistinguishable from my old lasagna when made up. Yea!

2 weeks in and surviving pretty well...

[upacreek]

1. Worst so far for me was practically anything made by Road's End Organics - especially their Chreese items.

2. Ener-G english muffins.

3. Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta shells - it was way too gritty for my taste.

Best

1. Glutino Flax Seed bread (toasted with jam on it!)

2. Almost all of Pamela's cookies and cakes

3. Kinnikinnick "KinniKritters" Animals Cookies

4. Ener-g Plain Donut holes

[Maddy1]

Love Kinnikinnick everything! The English Muffin's are as good as Thomas's.

I found a new product this week while browsing the Brazilian section of the local Market Basket. It's called Yoki Cheese Bread and it's even marked Gluten Free. OMG it is so simple to make and tastes like the Pop-over's I used to make. Really Delicious! Just make sure to knead it for the full three minutes. It starts out pretty wet but does get doughy eventually. It makes about a dozen rolls. YUMMY!

Also I agree with the other poster on the Edy's Fruit Bars. I can't get enough of the Acai Blueberry ones.

[K8ling]

I know what you mean. About two months ago, I was eating the Ener-G tapioca loaf. I also thought it was bad, but the best I had found. I've tried bread from a number of those weird brands you've never heard of and it was awful. The white rice loaf from Ener-G was really bad. And to me, Kinnikinnick's loaf was basically teh same as the white rice loaf from Ener-G, which was worse than the tapioca loaf.

I have two bread recommendations, only one of which is really feasible. I discovered an excellent bread at a Celiac conference (when I say excellent, I mean that I ate it plain and thoroughly enjoyed it) from Charlotte's bakery in Salt Lake City...turns out they have a website and such, but the shipping is OUTRAGEOUS...thus, I never bought it over the internet. On the search for a comparable bread, I found the gluten-free bread in Whole Foods--HANDS DOWN the best I've ever tried. It's not hard, nor soggy, nor sawdust-ish. Besides which, Whole Foods has a host of other options in their gluten-free section: pies (cherry, blueberry, etc. with an EXCELLENT crust), a regular "white" loaf, raisin bread, corn bread, carrot cake, etc.

So my verdict: WHOLE FOODS: they have a gluten-free section--go there for the bread--well, actually, where do you live? They started putting gluten-free sections in their south east stores first--like the FL, GA area...then moved up the east coast to the north east, etc. If you're on the west coast, they're not there yet.

UDI'S BREAD ALL THE WAY!!!! IT'S INCREDIBLE!! They also make muffins and some other stuff. SOOO GOOD. You can order it online.

[Skylark]

1. Bob's gluten-free Biscuit and Baking mix. Garbanzo bean flour? What were they thinking?

2. Ener-G bread. I'm right there with everyone else. Yuck.

3. Redbridge beer. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since I didn't like normal Anheuser-Busch beers before I went gluten-free. Bud and Miller? Ewwwww. They describe it as having a "distinctively fruity hop aroma", meaning "we couldn't get a good-tasting beer from sorghum so we hopped the heck out of it to compensate".

Best:

Whole Foods gluten-free almond scones.

Udi's bread.

Glutino pretzels. Totally taste like the real thing.

Glutino Dream cookies - the "oreos"

Larabars. I must be weird because I love them.

[maxichi37]

Ok Iam not only new at this but I have to cut out soy, wheat, dairy and shrimp

Shrimp seems to be a staple in the gluten free diet. My family is freaking on me they think I am anoresic(sp)? My frends want me to go out drinking with them and then there is that dreded question?!

Can you just have a little???? What part of NO dont you understand??

Sorry, frusterated.

thanks for listening

Marie

[eva-girl]

most gluten free bread is not bread...it's just a sad, tasteless brick. i try not to replicate "gluten" foods too often, usually ends up with me swearing and throwing things. i eat alot of veggies and fruit, rice, chicken and fish. i find it's just less frustrating than trying to make gluten-free "bagels" or whatever.

[MindytheOrganist]

Worst gluten-free Products: Yep, the Ener-G bread. Any of the biscuit mixes, except for the pancake and waffle mix where you can make drop biscuits (forget the name). Kinnikinnek (sp?) chocolate-chip muffins. Hubby actually put butter on them to make them edible.

Best: Udi bread and pizza crust. Kinnikinnek (sp?) angel food cake mix. Van's gluten-free waffles.

The manager of one of the grocery store chains in this area is married to a recently-diangosed celiac. In just a matter of a few days, an entire aisle, dedicated to gluten-free foods was set up. I'm hearing all of the stores belonging to this chain in our area are gearing up to provide gluten-free aisles.

[ciavyn]

Eva-girl -- you just haven't tried the good stuff!

Udi's bread rocks!

Okay, crappy experiences while gluten free:

Pamela's brownie mix. Yuck! Homemade is so much better.

GFP white bread -- much prefer Pamela's bread mix

Kinnikinnick's K-toos, I had the vanilla cookie -- can we say, round ick of chemicals?! Yuck.

Top three:

Arctic Zero Frozen treat -- chocolate peanut butter

Glutino pizza crust

Udi's anything

(I could go on and on, but they said only three...)

[CeliacAndCfsCrusader]

Worst:

Anything made by EnerG

Most anything made by Glutino

99% of the bread I've tried

Best:

Anything UDI's

Slightly undercooked Tinkyada

Pamela's Cookies & Pancake Mix (use skim milk instead of water)

[sb2178]

I haven't tried much yet. Mostly eating sweet potatoes, lamb, summer squash, applesauce and millet with an odd shot of fish, rice or rice pasta these days. I think that about anything that doesn't upset the digestive system and is not on the above list will taste great when I get to it.

Awful:

Annie's boxed mac & cheese --- what soggy white rice noodles with weird tasting velveeta? Never again.

Chocolate chunk cookies sold in a box of 12 that were also dairy and possibly egg free. Very gritty. I ate them all anyway.

Mary's Gone Crackers sesame brown rice thins I'm still pretty ambivalent about. I think there must be better options out there, but they were edible.

Things I ate pre-gluten free:

Tinkyada brown rice pasta (tastes better than whole wheat)

Larabars, make me pretty happy. Always have, but I don't like most cereal/energy bars out there. Clif bar's new sea salt, fruit and nuts ones might be better tasting, but they squish too easily in luggage.

And thank goodness for ice cream and peanut butter!

[JNBunnie1]

Worst:

Anything made by EnerG

Most anything made by Glutino

99% of the bread I've tried

Best:

Anything UDI's

Slightly undercooked Tinkyada

Pamela's Cookies & Pancake Mix (use skim milk instead of water)

Really? I love glutino. Have you tried the 'oreos'? Or the wafer cookies? Or the pretzels?

[jerseyangel]

Really? I love glutino. Have you tried the 'oreos'? Or the wafer cookies? Or the pretzels?

...or the crackers?

[MartialArtist]

Okay, crappy experiences while gluten free:

Pamela's brownie mix. Yuck! Homemade is so much better.

GFP white bread -- much prefer Pamela's bread mix

Kinnikinnick's K-toos, I had the vanilla cookie -- can we say, round ick of chemicals?! Yuck.

I hear the Pamela's mix made with the "fudgiest" recipe (about halfway down the list) is quite good, though I like Betty Crocker so much I may never try it. I'd love to hear your homemade recipe! I just want them to be just like Duncan Hines Fudge Brownies.

And the Kinnikinnick K-toos Oreo-type were terrible -- but crushed and mixed in with vanilla ice cream, they totally work!

I'm also not a fan of Glutino's in many categories. I am weird in that I don't like the pretzels (most do), and I just tried the crackers -- yuck. The Golden Oreo-type Dream cookies are good though. Bought but haven't tried the regular chocolate Oreo-type ones yet but am hopeful based on stuff seen here.