Top Three Worst Gf Products

[glutenfreeincalifornia]

there have been quite a few gluten-free items that I didn't find very tasty...but my top three worst would have to be the products that claim to be gluten free but aren't! Two of the items are on your FAVORITE LIST!

1.Midel Cookies-I used to buy them, until there was a black cookie on the bottom of my bag of Midel Pecan Cookies! I emailed the company and they confirmed it was a wheat cookie. The wheat cookies and the gluten-free cookies are made in the same facility on the same equipment. The rep from Midel told me they use the same holding bins to store the wheat cookies and the gluten free cookies in and there must have been some wheat cookies still in the bin when they dumped the gluten free cookies in. She said they decided to change their labeling practices, but they have not changed their other procedures and there is still the possibility that the same bins could be used to store the cookies in.

2. Wellshire Farms was tested and found to contain high amounts of gluten. Google it for more info.

3. Chili's Gluten Free Menu....not gluten free, heavy cross contamination!

My FAVORITES....

1. Glutino Flax Seed Multi grain bread...great whole grain bread substitute!

2. Bakery on Main Extreme Fruit & Nut Granola-There are all kinds of nuts, excluding peanuts. I love this with yogurt!

3. Pamela's Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies YUM!

#4-Had to include Dowd & Roger's Vanilla Bean Cake Mix-Everyone loves it, even all my gluten consuming friends and family!

I always warn people about Midel cookies. If you want, you can email the company and see if they have changed their practices yet. It has been about a year and a half since that happened.

I hope this helps someone!

glutenfreeincalifornia

There are tons of good brands of things...alot of us had to go through many yucky things to find those good things but then you can learn from our experiences so then you can go straight for the good things.

My top 3 worst:

1. Ener-G rice bread(tastes like cardboard-not that I know what cardboard tastes like )

2.Glutino chocolate bars-I like the other 2 flavors but those are just plain nasty

3. The version of spaghetti that nini mentioned..they were BAD

Now I'll list my top 3 favorite...well maybe more then that..there are too many for me to name so I will keep it short:

1.Wellshire kids chicken bites-fully breaded

2.Cybros Rice Rolls

3.Foods By George English Muffins(cinnamon)

4. Lays Staxx-yummm

5.Alexia fries

6.Envirokids cereal and bars

7.Glutano lemon wafers

8.Ener-G Pretzels(covered with sesame seeds)

9. Midel cookies

10. Kinnikinnick products and especially the chocolate glazed donuts

Tons more but I'll stop there I think everyone gets the picture...I love food

[Nor-TX]

I've had regular 'ole sunbutter, & I liked it (but it did take a little getting used to), but I gotta agree with the Sunbutter Bars... they taste burnt or something to me....nasty...

I've never been very picky as far as breads, but after reading all these comments about the Ener-g rice bread, I've got to agree!! I didn't know until last time I went to our Kroger store that they had a bunch of gluten-free bread in the freezer....I will try some of those sometime, rather than getting the Ener-G brand again...

Those are the only things I've tried but not liked so far.

Have tried the Hodgson Mill Apple Cinnamon Muffin & pancake Mix a couple times...When I get the sweetner right, it's good, but for some reason, I don't always get it right...

Other stuff I've tried (and liked)

Glutino breakfast bars, apple & blueberry flavor (can't have chocolate or cranberry). I saw Cherry flavor at our local gluten-free store, i'll try those sometime

pretzels....can't remember what brand, but I think it was Ener-g. Had both the salt & the sesame flavor.

Van's waffles

Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal (good with honey or fruit added)

gluten-free rolled oats

Mesa Sunrise

Honey'd Flakes

Crunchy Flax (also like the nutty flax, but not as much)

EnviroKids bars (the berry flavor one)

liked all the pastas & pizza crusts I've tried

Burritos (by Glutenfreeda)....actually, I would prefer a burrito that isn't so spicy & doesn't have tomatoes & corn (ya know, how 'bout a plain ole bean & cheese burrito??, c'mon), but since this is all there is right now, I'll take it...

If you are looking for bread try the Katz Gluten Free challah. It has a sweet nutty flavor and is delicious right out of the bag with some dairy free margarine. It makes delicious sandwiches. You can go to their site and get a free box of samples. Open Original Shared Link

It isn't sold where I live, so I order several loaves online and keep them in the freezer. They also make delicious rugalach - sort of like mini cinnamon rolls... the chocolate flavor is sooooooo yummy.

Finding really good gluten-free baked goods is difficult but I am hoping that Katz products will soon be available in the Dallas area.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I haven't done a lot of gluten free replacement products yet, but the worst so far have been:

1. Bob's Red Mill Pizza crust mix (was more like a cross between a biscuit and corn bread)

2. Hodgson's Mill rice pasta (Had an aftertaste like cardboard, even when I rinsed it well)

3. Gluten Free Pantry Scone and Muffin mix (made scones that crumbled and left a sawdust coating on the roof of my mouth)

The best have been:

1. Trader Joe's gluten-free pancake mix (yummy, I even added blueberries to it one time for blueberry pancakes)

2. Sam Mills Corn spaghetti (taste and texture is most like spaghetti to me)

3. Pamela's white cake mix (tasted just like a regular cake)

[JoeB]

1 - bread

2 - bread

3 - bread

The first thing I'm going to do when someone comes up with a pill for celiac disease is to buy a loaf of hard-crusted Italian bread and a tub of butter!

[Coolclimates]

Is it me, or do Enjoy Life cookies and bars taste awful? Very hard, weird texture/flavor.

Here are some other comments from Glutensolutions.com regarding their caramel apple bars:

mcminnville, oregon *

Friday, October 01, 2004

got this in my package as a mistake and it was awful - edible but awful

New Haven, CT *

Monday, November 01, 2004

too hard for my two-year son to eat

Council Bluffs, IA *

Monday, November 01, 2004

These are not something I would order again. They are quite hard and dry.

New York City * * * *

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

They are an acquired taste, but I think they are great. They can be equated to "healthy granola bars" w/o the sugar and sweetners.

[AllergyQ]

This is actually a good way to save some money, everything is so expensive and i have wasted so much money trying products only to taste and then dump.

I love kinnick kinnick chocolate chip cookies so i tried the Corn Muffins at an expensive price..thinking how can you go wrong with corn muffins when everthing is substituded with corn. Boy was i wrong, they tasted like biscuits, which would not have been a bad thing if they didn't have such a weird texture. Yuck!

[AllergyQ]

I have tried about five different breads and have found Udi's to be the best! They are the one of the top selling gluten free breads. The bread is actually soft!!!!!

[AllergyQ]

1 - bread

2 - bread

3 - bread

The first thing I'm going to do when someone comes up with a pill for celiac disease is to buy a loaf of hard-crusted Italian bread and a tub of butter!

Try Udi's, probably the closest you will get!

[i-geek]

I recently tried Katz chocolate-dipped cookies at my sister-in-law's wedding (she had a dessert reception and thoughtfully provided gluten-free cookies, which I could eat along with the fresh fruit). These were SO good- simple little vanilla cookies half-dipped in dark chocolate. They were pretty, too- they looked almost like black-and-white cookies.

[AllergyQ]

I have to take back what i said.

The Corn Muffins are from foods by george, i thought they would be good because i like the brownies.

The Kinni kinnick muffins are blue berry and they make me choke. Im afraid to try anything else because it is like throwing away money. I was lucky enough to find decent cookies and brownies, i consider myself lucky!

[i-geek]

I have to take back what i said.

The Corn Muffins are from foods by george, i thought they would be good because i like the brownies.

The Kinni kinnick muffins are blue berry and they make me choke. Im afraid to try anything else because it is like throwing away money. I was lucky enough to find decent cookies and brownies, i consider myself lucky!

The Kinnikinnick hamburger and hot dog buns are good.

[TrickyMama]

I'm reading these posts on my iPhone in the middle of the night and trying to control my laughter so as not to wake up my hubby! . I love this thread! We think the Cherrybrook Kitchen products are nasty, particularly the pancake mix and the tiny chocolate chip cookies in a box. The packaging is so cute, I really fell for it! . I really like everything by the Kinnikinnick (sp?) brand and my kids looooove the Glutino pretzels (all shapes) and the Smooze frozen coconut milk juicy things that you buy on the shelf and freeze at your leisure. I personally love the So Delicious Coconut Milk Cookie Dough Ice Cream. How is that gluten-free??? Believe me, you wouldn't believe it is. Back to pancake mixes, the Trader Joe's pancake mix was way better than Cherrybrook Kitchen's.

[Travisevian]

3) Annies Cowgirl Ranch Dressing.........just plain nasty!!!

I've had that before and it is disgusting. From now on, if I want Ranch dressing, I'll make it homemade.

[cap6]

Annies dressing is pretty nasty - Wishbone is pretty good and marked gluten-free.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I know this thread is super old but we have a bunch of new people on the board that I thought might enjoy reading it (I know I did when I first found the board) and contributing their experiences.

My latest worst gluten-free product that I tried is Kinnikinnick personal pizza crusts. I love everything else they make that I have tried (donuts and cookies) so thought the pizza crust might be okay as a time saver (wasn't feeling like making my usual King Arthur recipe which is awesome BTW). It wasn't the worst pizza I've had since going gluten-free but not something I will buy again at $8 for a box of 4. It just lacked flavor and texture--was very bready (not a good kind of bready though) and didn't crispy up at all even when I tried using my pan with holes in it. It also broke fairly easily despite being so thick and did not hold up to a sauce (got soggy on top). Since I can't eat cheese anymore I just pile my pizzas up with lots of sauce and toppings. I need a pizza crust that will withstand those topping and not fall apart or get super soggy. Fortunately King Arthur has a great recipe that I have made many time here: Open Original Shared Link

[Coleslawcat]

I know this thread is super old but we have a bunch of new people on the board that I thought might enjoy reading it (I know I did when I first found the board) and contributing their experiences.

My latest worst gluten-free product that I tried is Kinnikinnick personal pizza crusts. I love everything else they make that I have tried (donuts and cookies) so thought the pizza crust might be okay as a time saver (wasn't feeling like making my usual King Arthur recipe which is awesome BTW). It wasn't the worst pizza I've had since going gluten-free but not something I will buy again at $8 for a box of 4. It just lacked flavor and texture--was very bready (not a good kind of bready though) and didn't crispy up at all even when I tried using my pan with holes in it. It also broke fairly easily despite being so thick and did not hold up to a sauce (got soggy on top). Since I can't eat cheese anymore I just pile my pizzas up with lots of sauce and toppings. I need a pizza crust that will withstand those topping and not fall apart or get super soggy. Fortunately King Arthur has a great recipe that I have made many time here: Open Original Shared Link

The Tom Sawyer flour has a great pizza crust recipe on their website too. I use it all the time and it is fabulous. I tried so many others before finding this one and it is by the best. I haven't tried the king arthur flour yet because I've been so satisfied with this crust. Open Original Shared Link

[love2travel]

Thanks for resurrecting this old (and funny) thread! I had not seen it before.

I so rarely purchase any gluten-free food but have been disgusted by the following:

Ener-G bread and hot dog buns (the first I tried - I cried) - they should be illegal. Are they seriously intended for human consumption or as camel fodder?

Schar bread (almost as bad as Ener-G) - is this a form of torture? Some sort of joke?

Unsure of the brand but plain rice pasta - is this even technically food?

Not sure what it is called but sort of a brown puffed cereal - the box had koala bears on it (a kid's cereal but I was desperate at the time). Envirokids maybe? Lamentable.

Kinnickinnik pizza crust - BLECH! I also do not like their doughnuts - they are like cake doughnuts. Would love to have some puffy yeast doughnuts again! But then I just prefer yeast ones to cake so that is a personal taste thing. Oh, and I detest their so-called English muffins and bagels. I would rather not have them for the rest of my life than to try one of those again. Why would I knowingly put chalky sawdusty styrofoam into my mouth and try desperately to like it? I now make 'em.

Kinnickinnick headquarters is actually three hours from where I live. I went there when first diagnosed a couple of times but now thankfully it is no longer necessary.

I'd far rather bake from scratch, thanks!

[GlutenFreeManna]

The Tom Sawyer flour has a great pizza crust recipe on their website too. I use it all the time and it is fabulous. I tried so many others before finding this one and it is by the best. I haven't tried the king arthur flour yet because I've been so satisfied with this crust. Open Original Shared Link

Thanks for the tip. I haven't seen Tom Sawyer anywhere around here. Do you have to order it online or do you find it in your stores? I get King Arthur multi-purpose flour from Kroger if anyone is looking for it. The only thing I don't like is they stock it right smack dab in the middle of all the gluten flours and the box is almost always covered with flour dust. I've taken to carrying wipes with me. I hold my breath, pick up the box with a wipe and wipe it off with another one before it goes in the cart. Sometimes I feel like Monk! But at least I don't take home a gluten flour covered box.

[Coleslawcat]

Thanks for the tip. I haven't seen Tom Sawyer anywhere around here. Do you have to order it online or do you find it in your stores? I get King Arthur multi-purpose flour from Kroger if anyone is looking for it. The only thing I don't like is they stock it right smack dab in the middle of all the gluten flours and the box is almost always covered with flour dust. I've taken to carrying wipes with me. I hold my breath, pick up the box with a wipe and wipe it off with another one before it goes in the cart. Sometimes I feel like Monk! But at least I don't take home a gluten flour covered box.

I can find it at Whole Foods and a local gluten free store. But I also live in the state that it's manufactured in so it may not be as easy to find elsewhere. I have heard that if one Whole Foods carries it than any Whole Foods can special order it though.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I can find it at Whole Foods and a local gluten free store. But I also live in the state that it's manufactured in so it may not be as easy to find elsewhere. I have heard that if one Whole Foods carries it than any Whole Foods can special order it though.

Okay, thanks! No Whole Foods anywhere near me (closest one is a 4 hour drive) but I often travel and go through some towns that have WF, so if I ever see it I'll pick some up.

[lynnelise]

I know this thread is super old but we have a bunch of new people on the board that I thought might enjoy reading it (I know I did when I first found the board) and contributing their experiences.

My latest worst gluten-free product that I tried is Kinnikinnick personal pizza crusts. I love everything else they make that I have tried (donuts and cookies) so thought the pizza crust might be okay as a time saver (wasn't feeling like making my usual King Arthur recipe which is awesome BTW). It wasn't the worst pizza I've had since going gluten-free but not something I will buy again at $8 for a box of 4. It just lacked flavor and texture--was very bready (not a good kind of bready though) and didn't crispy up at all even when I tried using my pan with holes in it. It also broke fairly easily despite being so thick and did not hold up to a sauce (got soggy on top). Since I can't eat cheese anymore I just pile my pizzas up with lots of sauce and toppings. I need a pizza crust that will withstand those topping and not fall apart or get super soggy. Fortunately King Arthur has a great recipe that I have made many time here: Open Original Shared Link

For pre-made crusts I love Udi's! It is a thinner crust and has a great texture! Never soggy. I too can't do the Kinnikinnick. It's so gummy. Sadly the only pizza place in rural WV that offers gluten-free crusts uses the Kinnikinnick. I'm not paying $15 for a tiny pizza with a gummy crust.

[kendon0015]

Is it me, or do Enjoy Life cookies and bars taste awful? Very hard, weird texture/flavor.

Here are some other comments from Glutensolutions.com regarding their caramel apple bars:

mcminnville, oregon *

Friday, October 01, 2004

got this in my package as a mistake and it was awful - edible but awful

New Haven, CT *

Monday, November 01, 2004

too hard for my two-year son to eat

Council Bluffs, IA *

Monday, November 01, 2004

These are not something I would order again. They are quite hard and dry.

New York City * * * *

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

They are an acquired taste, but I think they are great. They can be equated to "healthy granola bars" w/o the sugar and sweetners.

I completely agree. The picture on the box was inviting, but the taste and texture were BAD. Don't these companies have a quality control department?

Glutino lemon wafers are good!

[plumbago]

1. All-Time-Worst gluten-free purchase EVER: Nana's gluten-free cookies. Spent $10.00 on nicely packaged, moist looking, big round cookies. Bought lemon, chocolate, and chocolate crunch. Drooled all the way home. Opened cookies, sat down with the kids and dug in. When we opened the packages and tried to take out the cookies we ran into the first problem: Cookies disenegrate upon touch. Suddenly we each held a bag of crumbs, peppered here and there with a dime-sized chunk. Ok, I think, so they're a little crumbly. Then I tasted it! It was like eating chocolate flavored sand. But not as nice. The cookie stuck in my throat as if I had been eating cotton batting! Not only that, but my throat hurt after eating it, it felt all scratched up! The kids, who will eat nearly anything if it is sweet, were having similar experiences. All three of us instantly wanted to drink at least a gallon of water, there were crumbs all over the place (looked like a cookie factory exploded) and my toddler hated it so bad she started crying and trying to wipe her tongue off. No kidding! I kept the extra cookies in the pantry as incentives for eating a good, healthy dinner...."eat all your peas or you'll get a Nana's cookie for dessert!"

Interesting.

I started a thread on Nana cookies. Actually the ones I bought were: Nana's No Wheat! Cookies. Look on the back. "Processed in a facility that also processes wheat products." The part about your post that I found interesting, was that I really liked Nana cookies!

[Coolclimates]

think thin bars are NASTY!

[cougie23]

Ener-G white bread. *the fda needs to investigate*

Nana's cookies are useless.

Larabars- could bring down the "raw" movement.

I love Lara Bars...They're so simple...sometimes its the only thing I can keep down!!! My favorite is the cocout cream pie ( Dates,coconut and Almonds...thats it!!!) whats not to like? LOL...I get fiber ,fruit,vitemens and it helps keep me "regular" ( because of CELIACS I have diarea AND contapation...its good for BOTH) They're Gluten free,soy free,dairy free,no preservitives and kosher...no extra ingreadients ...just simple pure food! LOL

Now some of these pastas and breads....Don't get me started...LOL...OMG...YUCKKKKKK!!!!!