Your Complete Guide to Healthier Options at Costco
Your complete guide to healthier options at Costco is finally here and I couldn’t be more jazzed about it! If you know me, aside from my love of all things food, I’m incredibly passionate about healthy eating on a budget without all the dogma. As I’ve grown older, I’ve transitioned from less rigidity in my diet, to more and more of living in what I call the gray area. This is the area where food doesn’t consume my every thought, and that there are no longer “rules” about how, when, how much, and what to eat for me. I 100% realize this is a luxury I have as someone who does not have any truly life threatening or significant food reactions, so I know this isn’t possible for everyone.
Living in the 80/20 Camp
This isn’t to say I’m not mindful about making healthy choices most of the time, but I’m living solidly in the 80/20 camp in pretty much all things in life…and this is for several reasons. Not everyone knows this about me, but I suffered through many many years of anorexia and bulimia in college. Food, rules, restriction, and my weight CONSUMED my every thought, and I’ve worked SO DANG HARD to get to a place where I enjoy eating foods - of all kinds. So what you’ll find in most of my food guides is a balanced approach to both real foods and convenience foods. You’ll see straight fruits and veggies, mixed in with things like gluten-free cereal, or organic kids bars.
Balancing and Budgeting
What you’ll also see is a balanced approach to grocery shopping when it comes to BUDGET. Another sign of being caught up in wellness dogma is going broke to eat “perfectly”. What I mean by that is that we can become SO PARALYZED by eating the wrong things that we end up spending an arm and a leg every month to avoid it. Look, I get that healthy eating is incredibly important, and we all benefit from eating foods that nourish our bodies - BUT I also know that sometimes healthy eating is truly a luxury not everyone can afford. And I’m not just talking about people who truly live in food deserts. I’m talking about regular middle class people who can’t afford to eat 100% organic. IT ME. There are a variety of reasons why someone might not have access to the best food choices, and I want to reiterate my mantra here “Do the best you can, with what you have, where you’re at.”
For me that looks like, sometimes we eat organic, grass-fed meats, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we choose organic produce, and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we buy the dairy-free coconut milk ice cream, and sometimes we make our own! So this guide is going to have a VARIETY of foods that one might reach for in what I would consider a balanced, healthy diet. It will be mostly paleo, almost 100% gluten free, and have lots of organic options….but it’s not meant to be a guide to eating PERFECTLY at Costco…which is why it’s not named that!
How to use this guide
What I envision this guide doing is allowing you to see what options are out there, compare prices on bulk items, see where you can spend and where you can save, and ultimately to see if a Costco membership is worth it for you and your family. We LOVE our membership (we have the executive card that gives us cash back and pays for itself essentially). I go at least once a month and stock up on meat, and now, because we are eating so many fruits and vegetables, I make a trip almost weekly to stock up on salad goods for the week. (Also this post is not sponsored in any way, though a girl can definitely dream, right?!)
I love that Costco has healthier options now, from Keto, to Gluten-Free to Paleo to whatever else you’re into, I can almost guarantee you’ll find things that work for your preferred diet. In this guide, I’ve tried to indicate the size and amount when I have it, list the prices, and then list if it’s organic or not. Also note that Costco tends to stock and price regionally, so you may or may not find everything on this list at your local Costco at this EXACT price (sorry Chameleon Cold Brew lovers!). What I’ve done in the past is compare per pound or per ounce prices to what’s available at my local grocery store, and then pick and choose what I source from Costco in bulk and what makes more sense to buy in smaller amounts locally. You can also compare to online bulk memberships like Thrive Market too, to see which one is a better deal for you.
I hope this guide is super helpful as you navigate food choices and a budget that works for you and your family! Be on the lookout for more guides coming in 2020 (I’m looking at you Target, Trader Joes, Walmart, and HEB!)
Your Complete Guide to Healthier Options at Costo
Refrigerated & Frozen Meats & Meals:
Hillshire Farms Natural Turkey Breast Slices (3/11 oz bags) - $9.49 (on sale for $6.49)
Orca Bay Wild Keta Salmon (3 lbs) - $19.99
Cauliflower Crust Pizza (2/17.8 oz) - $12.99
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets (3.375 lbs)- $12.99
Frozen Angus Patties (12/4 oz patties)- $13.99
Frozen Salmon Burgers (12/4 oz patties) - $15.99
Grass Fed Teton Waters Ranch Polish Sausage (36 oz) - $13.89
Aidells Chicken Apple Sausage (48 oz) - $13.99
Jones All Natural Canadian Bacon Slices (2/12 oz packages) - $9.79
Honey Smoked Salmon - $14.89/lb
Organic Young Chickens (2 pk) - $1.99/lb = approx. $16-$20 total
Organic Ground Turkey - $4.99/lb = approx $15 total
Organic Chicken Drumstricks - $1.79 lb = approx. $8-$10 total
Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins - $4.99/ln =. approx. $25-$30 total
Canned Meats:
Safecatch Yellowfin Ahi Tuna (6/5 oz cans) - $11.99
Wild Planet Wild Albacore (6/5 oz) - $15.99
Kirkland Wild Alaskan Salmon (6/6 oz) - $13.99
Wild Caught Sardines in Olive Oil (6/4.375 oz) - $9.99 (on sale for $6.99)
Kirkland Canned Chicken Breast (6/12.5 oz) - $9.99
Fruits & Vegetables:
Organic Gala Snack Apples (3 lbs) - $4.49
Organic Large Lemons - $8.99
Limes (5 lbs) - $4.39
Grapefruits (8 lbs) - $7.99
Organic Bananas (3 lbs) - $1.79
Haas Avocados (6 ct) - $4.79
Medjool Dates (2 lbs) - $10.99
Organic Grape Tomatoes (2 lbs) - $7.99
Grape Tomatoes (2 lbs) - $4.99
Organic Gold Potatoes (15 lbs) - $6.99
Organic Sweet Potatoes (10 lbs) - $12.99
Organic Love Beets (42.3 oz) - $7.99
Organic Broccoli (3 lbs) - $6.99
Asparagus (2.25 lbs) - $5.89
Mixed Bell Peppers (6 ct) - $5.49
Organic Green Beans (2 lbs) - $6.49
Organic Brussels sprouts (2 lbs) - $5.99
Spinach (2.5 lbs) - $4.49
Organic Spring Mix (1 lb) - $3.39
Sweet Kale Salad (28 oz) - $5.29
Organic Baby Bella Mushrooms (24 oz) - $5.99
Organic English Cucumbers (3 pk) - $5.99
Organic Squash (3.5 lbs) - $6.99
Wild Brine Sauerkraut - $8.49
Blueberries (18 oz) - $3.99
Organic Blueberries (18 oz) - $6.99
Organic Raspberries (12 oz) - $6.99
Raspberries (12 oz) -$3.99
Sides:
Explore Cuisine Organic Brown Rice Ramen (2 lbs) - $9.49
Ancient Harvest POW Pasta (3/12 oz boxes)- $8.89
Green Lentil Organic Penne and Rotini (2 lbs) - $8.99
Lotus Foods Organic Brown Rice Ramen (1.875 lbs) - $8.89
Kirkland Organic Quinoa (4.5 lbs) - $9.99
Organic Frozen Riced Cauliflower Steam Bags (4/1 lb steam bags) - $7.89
Organic Frozen Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry (4/12 oz steam bags) - $8.99
Organic Frozen Zucchini Spiral Nests (48 oz) - $9.99
Pantry Items:
Whole Organic Beets (unrefrigerated 3/17.6 oz packs) - $6.99
Lindsay Canned Black Olives (6/6 oz cans) - $7.89
Nativa Organic Chia Seeds (48 oz) - $7.49
Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts (24 oz) - $13.99
Milton Organic Golden Flaxseed (4 lbs) - $7.49
One Degree Organic Rolled Oats (80 oz) - $7.49
Organic Chicken Bone Broth (6/32 oz cartons) - $16.99
Birch Benders Paleo Pancake & Waffle Mix (42 oz) - $11.49
Kodiak Flapjack and Waffle Mix (3/24 oz bags) - $11.99
Kirkland Almond Flour (3 lbs) - $12.99
Kirkland Organic Coconut Oil (84 oz) - $13.99
Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray (2 pk) - $5.79
Chosen Foods Pure Avocado Oil (1 liter) - $10.49
Carrington Farms Organic Ghee (56 oz) - $24.99
Kirkland Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 liters) - $15.99
Kirkland Organic Cane Sugar (10 lbs) - $7.99
Lankanto Monkfruit Sweetener - $8.99
Snacks & Convenience Foods:
Sweet Potato Chips (23 oz) - $5.99
Terra Vegetable Chips (18 oz) - $6.49
4505 Chicharonnes (7 oz) - $4.79
Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks (42 ct) - $11.89
Kirkland Organic Tortilla Chips (40 oz) - $4.49
Food Should Taste Good Organic Multigrain Chips (28.8 oz) - $6.99
Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars (24 ct) - $10.99
Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips (12 oz) - $6.99
Late July Organic Tortilla Chips (28 oz) - $6.49 (on sale for $3.99)
Keto Organic Chocolate Keto Snaps (30 ct) - $9.49
Organic Pacific Gold Jerky (12 oz) - $14.99
Wild Roots Paleo Trail Mix (26 oz) - $12.49
Universal Bakery Organic Paleo Bars (27 oz) - $10.99
Larabars (20 ct) - $13.79
Caveman Food Paleo Bars (22 ct) - $17.99
Autumn’s Gold Grain Free Granola Bars (16 ct) - $16.99
From the Ground Up Cauliflower Cheddar Crackers (2/8 oz bags) - $6.99
Cliff Bar Organic Kid’s Z Bars (36 ct) - $16.89
Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers (17 oz) - $8.99
RX Bars (16 ct) - $19.99
Milton’s Gluten Free Sea Salt Crackers (20 0z) - $7.89
Go Raw Organic Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds (18 oz) - $9.99
Organic Unsalted Cashews (40 oz) - $16.99
Cello Parmesean Whisps (9.5 oz) - $9.99
The Good Bean Organic Roasted Chickpeas (18 oz) - $5.99 (on sale for $3.99)
Bare Organic Apple Chips (14 oz) - $9.99 (on sale for $6.99)
Organic Roasted Kale Chips (6 ct) - $7.99
Organic GoGo Squeeze Packs - $14.99
Autumn’s Gold Maple Almond Butter Grain Free Granola (20 oz) - $14.99
Nutzo Organic Crunchy Nut Butter (26 oz)- $14.99
Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter (2/28 oz) - $9.99
Nature’s Path Organic Cereal Variety Pack (3 boxes) - $7.49
RX Oats Maple and Apple Cinnamon Pack (8 ct) - $14.99
Perfect Bars (!2 ct) - $19.99
Inno Foods Organic Almond Nuggets (16 oz) - $10.89
Schar Organic Gluten Free Bread (2 loaves) - $6.99 (on sale for $4.99)
Sauces and Condiments:
Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayonnaise (24 oz) - $7.99
O’Dang Greek Tzatziki Hummus Dressing (2/16 oz bottles) - $8.79
Rao’s Marinara Sauce (2/28 oz jars) - $10.79
Organic Red Pepper Hummus (32 oz) - $5.89
Organic Guacamole Singles (16 ct) - $14.79
Dairy & Dairy-Free Alternatives:
Picnik Original Unsweetened Creamer (2/33 fl oz cartons) - $8.99
Heavy Whipping Cream (32 oz) - $3.89
Organic Half & Half (64 oz)- $5.99
Karma Kafe Powdered Keto Creamer (1 lb)- $14.99
Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese (52 snack packs) - $12.49
Tillamook Sliced Cheese (2 lbs) - $7.99
Kirkland Organic Greek Yogurt (48 oz) - $5.79
Kirkland Organic Cage Free Eggs (24 CT) - $5.99
Kirkland Cage Free Eggs (60 CT) - $7.99
Kirkland Fresh Goat Cheese (2/10.5 oz) - $6.89
Beverages:
Zico Natural Coconut Water (18 ct) - $19.99 (on sale for $13.99)
Chameleon Coffee Organic Cold Brew Concentrate (128 oz) - $19.99
Suja Organic Uber Green Juice (6/10.5 oz) - $11.49
Harmless Harvest Organic Coconut Water (6/14 oz) - $12.99
Topo Chico (30 bottles) - $19.99
Bonterra Organic Merlot - $10.49
Personal Care Products
Honest Co. Kids Shampoo & Body Wash (2/17 fl oz) - $14.99
Shea Moisture Shampoo (34 fl oz) - $17.99
Smarty Pants Gummies
Dog Care:
Grain Free Dental Chews (72 oz) - $22.99
Nature’s Domain Dog Food (35 lbs) - $25.99
Home Goods:
10 Piece Glass Meal Prep Storage - $26.99 (on sale for $21.99)
Thermaflask Stainless Steel Thermal Mugs (2 pk) - $17.99
Thermaflask Stainless Steel Water Bottles (2 pk) - $22.99
Greenpan Ceramic Cookware Set (11 piece) - $229.99 (on sale for $149.99)
Digital Waterproof Kitchen Food Scale - $14.99
Ninja Food Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer - $189.99
Vitamix Blender - $399.99 (on sale for $299.99)
Instant Pot Duo with Sous Vide (6 qt) - $89.99
Cuisineart Immersion Blender - $29.99 (on sale for 19.99)
T3 Twirl Curling Iron -$59.99
T3 Blow Dryer - $99.99
Conair Handheld Garment Steamer - $39.99 (on sale for $29.99)