real whole wheat flour? Harry's? Whole Foods Market?

[Night Elf]

or can I find real whole wheat flour at my local grocery store? I'm aware that some products say whole wheat, but they aren't the real stuff. I don't know what to buy.

 

I really want to transition away from the processed and refined foods that my family consumes in large quantities. If I get whole wheat flour to make my own bread, or even prepared whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta, is that healthy or am I being fooled?

 

I know I need to give up the white stuff, but when I compare labels, the whole wheat and white stuff don't look too much different. And what about brown rice? Is all brown rice significantly better than white rice? Again, the nutrition labels don't appear to be that much different. That's why I'm wondering if I'm looking at real whole wheat products.

[Soyrizo]

My grocery store sells King Arthur whole wheat flour and Gold Medal whole wheat flour right by white flour.

 

Trader Joes sells white whole wheat flour which is a milder tasting whole wheat flour.

[nmoira]

 

And what about brown rice? Is all brown rice significantly better than white rice? Again, the nutrition labels don't appear to be that much different.

Don't go by the label for rice. White rice has some of the stripped nutrients added back in, but most of these get rinsed away when you wash it prior to cooking.

[nmoira]

or can I find real whole wheat flour at my local grocery store? I'm aware that some products say whole wheat, but they aren't the real stuff. I don't know what to buy.

You can't go wrong with King Arthur Flour or Bob's Red Mill. Get the white whole wheat flour (made from white wheat) if you can find it, as it is mild tasting and will make an easier transition for your family. Bob's also makes an excellent whole wheat pastry flour.

 

Down the road, consider buying a mill and grinding your own flour. :)

[SonshineLearner]

Either of the whole wheats...Even the whiter one is healthy. *Not the same as white flour. I'd want it from a refrigerator or freezer section. Once you crack/grind the wheat berry, the oils start to go rancid. I second the mill. My mom has had hers for 25 years. That...and a Bosch. (and a mom to make your bread:-)

 

Carrie

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

You can't go wrong with King Arthur. They have a very speedy mail order if you can't get it in a store near you. Check for their website.

[Carrie12345]

My grocery store carries King Arthur's white whole wheat and traditional whole wheat. I had been thinking about making my own for months and started searching for recipes when a friend told me to knock it off and use the recipe on the back of the bag, lol. I finally did, and that's what we've been using for the past few weeks (the white whole wheat). The kids love it!

[Night Elf]

Okay, I'm intrigued. I have heard ladies on this board talk of mills and grinding their own flour. What do you buy to do that? I'm used to store bought bags of prepared flour. What's the step before that? I'm so clueless!

 

And I'll check my grocery stores for King Arthur's. I am really eager to try baking my own bread. I posted earlier about it but still felt it was overwhelming. My dd's love the idea and want to help me. So maybe it won't be so bad. :)

 

My oldest dd did make chocolate bread once. It was YUMMY. Totally made from scratch. So at least she has a little experience.

[Carrie12345]

I don't know whether these prices are good or not, but this website really makes me want to change everything about the way my kitchen operates, lol.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com

[Orthodox6]

What matters is how rapid a turnover the particular store has for its flours. The finest bag of 100% whole wheat flour becomes worthless if left on the store's shelf for months (in temperature too warm) and turns rancid, or hosts grain moths. This is the main concern for whole wheat flour. Since "everything remains", the flour can go bad more quickly. The "dead, stripped, bleached" white flours are immortal, in comparison !

 

I don't grind my own. No time. No money for a mill. No place to set a mill, should I acquire one. No storage place for a 25-lb. sack of wheat !

 

I buy both organic and non-organic flours (whole and unbleached). Good brands already have been listed: King Arthur, Whole Foods, Arrowhead Mills. ("Bob's Red Mill" sells only teeny bags of its products where I live, so is far from cost-effective.)

 

White rice is like white flour: nutrients were yanked out, then artificially pumped back in. Sounds silly when you think about it, but such is the case !

 

My family came to prefer brown rice. :001_huh: Sometimes, however, there is not enough time to use brown rice in a recipe. At those times I cook with Uncle Ben's Converted rice. I feel Uncle Ben's is a wise choice. Conventional white rice tastes to me like bland packing material. The "minute" rices are, frankly, inedible !

[patchfire]

Publix has King Arthur and some Bob's Red Mill products, at least the two closest to me do. I *think* Kroger does as well - I haven't shopped there for more than a couple of things in a long time.

[Orthodox6]

Kroger's "premium" house label includes a number of organic products. Last night I baked a cake using their organic unbleached flour.

 

Gold Medal (from General Mills) also sells an organic unbleached flour. Walmart sells it.

 

Publix has King Arthur and some Bob's Red Mill products, at least the two closest to me do. I *think* Kroger does as well - I haven't shopped there for more than a couple of things in a long time.

[KatieJ]

or can I find real whole wheat flour at my local grocery store? I'm aware that some products say whole wheat, but they aren't the real stuff. I don't know what to buy.

 

I really want to transition away from the processed and refined foods that my family consumes in large quantities. If I get whole wheat flour to make my own bread, or even prepared whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta, is that healthy or am I being fooled?

 

I know I need to give up the white stuff, but when I compare labels, the whole wheat and white stuff don't look too much different. And what about brown rice? Is all brown rice significantly better than white rice? Again, the nutrition labels don't appear to be that much different. That's why I'm wondering if I'm looking at real whole wheat products.

 

I am transitioning to almost all whole wheat in our household. I started with making my own bread..bought the mill and the Bosch. I started with a white bread recipe that I now adapt with fresh ground whole wheat and then I add in some grains and it is delicious.

 

To help clarify a few things and I am my no means as knowledgeable as some ladies on this board, but I will give it a shot.

 

When reading labels, if the ingredients say" Enriched wheat flour", it means it is what you know of as white flour. They added some nutrients back in after they stripped them all away to make the flour white.

So look for whole wheator whole grain, as the first/main ingredients.

Some breads have food coloring added to make them appear to be a whole grain when they are just an enriched wheat. I have noticed it in english muffins for example.

 

Brown rice and white rice have the same calorie content so they appear simliar on the label. But brown rice is a whole grain and it breaks down more slowly in your body so your body can use it. That sounds too simple and I am not explaining it well, let's just go with brown rice is a whole grain and white rice is not.

 

Whole wheat pasta is not a favorite of mine. I tried it over the years, but it was never just quite right. I found the Barilla whole grain pastas in the yellow/gold box are perfect for us. They come in several shapes and sizes including a long spaghetti, macaroni, penne and rotini. My family does not notice the difference any more. HTH

[MamaT]

I use a mill and grind my own as well. I get my berries from www.bulkfoods.com - it really is very fast and easy.

[mom4him]

I don't have time to read everything that has been posted so if this info is a repeat, please forgive me.

No. 1 I wouldn't ever purchase whole wheat flour that is sitting on the shelf. Once the wheat berries have been milled, if it is not kept cool the oils in it will begin to get rancid. It also will not make as good bread as the protein has started to deteriorate.

No. 2 I was told years ago by my health food store owner(she didn't sell mills or anything, just giving me info) that the whole wheat you purchase is never truly whole wheat. She said that all companies remove some of some things. That is why you can purchase wheat germ or bran separately.

No. 3 If you are going to truly go to using whole wheat a good mill is a very good investment when you have the funds to do so. You then have fresh flour and you KNOW what is and isn't in it.

No 4 The Wheat Berry you use for making flour for bread is very important. When I had my bakery I used a very good quality hard winter wheat. Wheat Montana was the best I found. http://www.wheatmontana.com/

 

Once you go to whole wheat you will find white flour products really bland and flavorless. At least that was our findings.

 

Happy baking.

[Jenny in Atl]

or can I find real whole wheat flour at my local grocery store? I'm aware that some products say whole wheat, but they aren't the real stuff. I don't know what to buy.

 

I really want to transition away from the processed and refined foods that my family consumes in large quantities. If I get whole wheat flour to make my own bread, or even prepared whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta, is that healthy or am I being fooled?

 

I know I need to give up the white stuff, but when I compare labels, the whole wheat and white stuff don't look too much different. And what about brown rice? Is all brown rice significantly better than white rice? Again, the nutrition labels don't appear to be that much different. That's why I'm wondering if I'm looking at real whole wheat products.

 

Harry's has an area (I think WF too) where you can grind the wheat and make your flour fresh. It's usually by the nuts (at least at the Marietta one/over by the nuts). I'd call the Alpharetta to make sure. I seem to remember it's on an endcap near the dressings and pasta.

 

Hope this helps.

[tinag]

Okay, I'm intrigued. I have heard ladies on this board talk of mills and grinding their own flour. What do you buy to do that? I'm used to store bought bags of prepared flour. What's the step before that? I'm so clueless!

 

And I'll check my grocery stores for King Arthur's. I am really eager to try baking my own bread. I posted earlier about it but still felt it was overwhelming. My dd's love the idea and want to help me. So maybe it won't be so bad. :)

 

My oldest dd did make chocolate bread once. It was YUMMY. Totally made from scratch. So at least she has a little experience.

 

 

 

http://www.breadbeckers.com/classes.htm I went to one of these classes years ago and really learned a lot.

[Tammyla]

:iagree:

I still don't grind my own, but KA and Bob's taste pretty good around here.

You can't go wrong with King Arthur Flour or Bob's Red Mill. Get the white whole wheat flour (made from white wheat) if you can find it, as it is mild tasting and will make an easier transition for your family. Bob's also makes an excellent whole wheat pastry flour.

 

Down the road, consider buying a mill and grinding your own flour. :)

[nmoira]

 

No. 2 I was told years ago by my health food store owner(she didn't sell mills or anything, just giving me info) that the whole wheat you purchase is never truly whole wheat. She said that all companies remove some of some things. That is why you can purchase wheat germ or bran separately.

Often, "whole wheat flour" is merely white flour with bran and germ added back in... in other words it's not truly whole grain flour. This is not the case with Bob's, and I'm pretty sure it's not the case with King Arthur.

[stripe]

In Indian grocery stores, one popular brand (Golden Temple) atta flour [ made from durum wheat, I think ] is now sold in two varieties --

the "regular" one (sold in a white bag with orange and yellow decorations) is (when one looks closely) white flour, plus bran etc

and the other that is "newer" (sold in a brown bag) is actually whole wheat flour

I have noticed that they are ground much more finely (I don't know if it's the grinding, or if they're taking something out, or what), and flat breads made with their flours come out radically different than ones made with, say, Gold Medal whole wheat flour. The King Arthur flour white whole wheat is sort of like the atta flour, which is more yellowish in appearance than dark brown.

 

I agree that white whole wheat has a less "harsh" taste and is, obviously, much lighter in color. Check it out.

 

Personally, I would advise you to try whole wheat flour and see how that goes before you jump into buying a grain mill and all that.