20 Things To Buy At Costco, According To A Dietitian

Stepping into a Costco can feel a bit like you’re entering a carnival for adults. And navigating those massive grocery store aisle of big-box foods can start to feel overwhelming, especially if you’re looking for nutritious choices. 

Registered dietitian-nutritionist Jessie shares the top picks on her shopping list from the Costco Rocky Mountain region grocery stores.     

Nutritionist’s Frozen Food Picks

Every Costco has at least two long aisles of frozen food options, and often they have four. Nutritionally speaking, the choices vary greatly. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Rudi’s Sandos With Peanut-Free & Strawberry Spreads. These portable pb&js are 40% bigger and contain 50% more plant-based protein than the leading brand, so it’s a more substantial meal or snack. They’re also peanut free and made with roasted seed spread, so they’re perfect for lunch packing for my kids’ peanut-free classrooms. 
2. Kirkland Signature Organic Blueberries. A big bag of frozen organic blueberries packs a ton of nutrition and so many possibilities. I love to use them for smoothies and adding to muffins, pancakes, and oatmeal. My kids love to snack on them frozen.
3. Just Bare Raw Pre-Cut Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Pieces. You can’t beat the convenience and quality of this frozen source of protein. I love that the pieces are pre-chopped, which makes it easy to add them to skillet dinners, soups, and more. And I appreciate Just Bare’s commitment to humanely raising chicken, which are fed an optimal diet of vegetables and grains
4. Organic Edamame Young Soybeans in Pods. Everyone in my family loves snacking on edamame pods. These steam-in-the-bag servings supply 12 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per bag for a delicious and nutritious snack or meal addition that’s easy to pack for the office and heat in the microwave. 
5. Don Lee Farms Green Chili Shredded Chicken & Riced Cauliflower Bowls. When time isn’t on your side, these low-carb frozen meals can be a lifesaver. A single bowl is filling, yet low in calories (240) and with a good amount of fiber (4 grams) and protein (23 grams).

Pantry Items To Make Healthy Foods 

If you have a big family or big storage space, Costco is a good place to get good prices on pantry staples, from canned foods to baking ingredients. I’ll often put mainstays like olive oil, avocado oil, peanut butter, almond butter, chia seeds, and almond flour on my grocery list. Here are some of the other pantry items I pick up:

1. Tasty Bite Organic Original Madras Lentils. These packs of microwaveable seasoned saucy lentils are so good. I love them as an easy side dish that provides 8 grams of fiber per serving. They also make a wonderful dip for chips and veggies. 
2. Safe Catch Wild Ahi Yellowfin Tuna AND Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna. You can’t beat Costco’s price on high-quality, mercury-free, sustainably sourced tuna. It’s a convenient protein source that packs omega-3 healthy fats and important vitamins and minerals.
3. Rudi’s Organic Rocky Mountain Sourdough Bread. I think Rudi’s makes the best store-bought sourdough bread in slices that are the perfect size for avocado toast, slathering with nut butter, and making sandwiches. The two-loaf pack at Costco is a steal and any that I don’t eat right away can easily be frozen for later. 
4. Crunchmaster Multi-Grain 6-Seed Baked Crackers. These gluten-free crackers have been on the market for more than 15 years and I love that I can buy them in bulk at Costco. Made from brown rice flour, sesame seeds, flax, quinoa, amaranth, chia, and millet have a good texture, great flavor, and beneficial fatty acids. 
5. Kodiak Power Cakes Flapjack & Waffle Mix. This pancakes and waffle mix is made from 100% whole grains and contains 15 grams of protein per serving from wheat, whey, and milk protein. I love that the only thing I need to add to the mix is water. 

The Best Refrigerated Buys 

Costco’s refrigerated sections offer plenty of delicious options for making dinners, charcuterie boards, and semi-homemade meals. I often stock up on hummus, Greek yogurt, fresh stir fry vegetables, and nutrient-dense lean protein foods in this section. 

1. Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese Snacks AND Organic Valley Stringles Organic String Cheese. I love both of these options for a nutritious protein- and calcium-rich addition to my kids’ lunch boxes and easy snacks at home. They like to switch it up between “orange cheese” and “white cheese” so I often have both on hand. 
2. Mush Overnight Oats. If you struggle with breakfast ideas and want to break out of the cereal box, consider picking up (or making) some overnight oats. These Mush oats are tasty and nutritious, and I love that they don’t have any added sugars. Try topping them with some granola or nuts for added texture. 
3. True Story Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast. If you think all deli meat is the same, try this brand of thickly sliced turkey. In addition to the great oven-roasted taste, I love that it’s nitrate/nitrite free, high protein, and made with less sodium. 
4. Pure Provisions Free Range Hard-Boiled Eggs. I like to keep these high-quality hard-cooked eggs on hand. The two-egg packs are great for grab-and-go and adding to lunches, and they’re also convenient for making a quick egg salad meal prep lunch or layering sliced eggs over avocado toast. 
5. Chef Bruce Aidells All Natural Smoked Chicken & Apple Sausages. These sausages are so flavorful, with both sweet and savory notes. Plus they’re nitrite/nitrate free and provide 13 grams of protein per link. When I only have a few minutes to pull a meal together, I quickly saute the sausages and cut them into slices to add to a dinner board. They’re always the first thing that disappears. 

Nutritionist’s Favorite Healthy Snacks 

True, you can buy a lifetime supply of M&Ms and potato chips at Costco, but the chain also offers some nutritious snack options with more health benefits. These are the healthy snacks I tend to add to my cart on a Costco grocery shopping trip:

1. Lesser Evil Himalayan Gold Popcorn. I wouldn’t be a dietitian if I didn’t tell you that popcorn can be a nutritious snack. It’s made from whole grains, a good source of fiber, and–when air popped and lightly seasoned–you can enjoy a large serving size without downing many calories. Lesser Evil popcorn is made with coconut oil and has delicious buttery flavor even though it’s dairy free and cholesterol free. 
2. Kirkland Signature Organic Dried Mangoes AND Nature’s Finest Organic Dried Mango Bites. I love to add a piece or two of dried mango to my kids’ lunch boxes. My kids love it and it’s a good source of vitamin C, folate, and potassium. I also like the individual packs of mango bites for the days I need to bring soccer team snacks, hiking and biking fuel, and stashing in my emergency snack bag that I keep in the car. 
3. Country Archer Provisions Grass-Fed Beef Minis Beef Sticks. I like the small size of these individually wrapped grass-fed beef sticks, which each provide 4 grams of protein and have zero added sugars. They’re easy lunch box additions and a mainstay in our snacking bin. 
4. Unreal Dark Chocolate Coconut Minis. If you like dark chocolate and coconut, these bars are a cleaned-up snack made with high-quality organic ingredients. A single bar satisfies a sweet tooth for only 70 calories and 3 grams of sugar.
5. Nature’s Garden Organic Trail Mix Snack Pack AND GourmetNut Power Up Trail Mix Trio. These nicely portioned individual packs of nuts and dried fruits provide important heart-healthy nutrients, like monounsaturated fats, omega-3s, fiber, minerals, and antioxidant vitamin E.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you have the room and budget to buy in bulk, then Costco provides a lot of high-quality bulk buys at good prices. But it can be overwhelming and exhausting to try to find better-for-you options while perusing the aisles, especially foods that you want to eat over and over again.

Registered dietitian-nutritionist Jessie shares her favorite Costco food finds in every section of the store, including why she feels good about bringing them home to her family.

Written by Jessie Shafer. 

Jessie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Colorado where she splits her time among nearby playgrounds, typing away at her trusty laptop, and heating up her home kitchen with delicious experiments. A former magazine editor-in-chief, Jessie has a long career in food publishing and health writing. She is currently the editor at The Real Food Dietitians and a nutrition consultant through her business crdible.