Dietitians and Chefs Agree — These 5 Costco Products Deserve a Spot in Your Shopping Cart
Including "by far the best-tasting store-bought marinara," according to one cookbook author.
NurPhoto/Contributor/Getty Images
Costco is famous for its $1.50 quarter-pound hot dogs, its comically-large packages of toilet paper and its nearly five-pound apple pie. If you ask chefs and dietitians, though, the warehouse store is also a sneakily solid place to stock up on healthy food.
"Costco’s biggest lure is that it’s one of those few places where buying in bulk doesn’t necessarily mean buying a 55-gallon drum of cheese balls. There are actually a lot of impressive selections of really good whole foods, proteins, produce, nuts and pantry staples at Costco," says George Duran, a New York City-based celebrity chef and the host of the Always Hangry Podcast.
Duran is not exaggerating when he says "a lot." In fact, Costco locations generally stock around 4,000 different items. Of course, not all of these are RD-approved. Still, a fair amount of these thousands of products are fairly well-balanced and beloved by both chefs and nutrition pros. So how is a busy shopper supposed to choose?
How To Shop for Healthy Food at Costco
The combination of bulk value, high-quality ingredients and the rotating "treasure hunt" element of the warehouse layout makes Costco "a must-stop shop" for Kelly Senyei, the San Diego-based professional chef behind Just a Taste, who is also the author of The Secret Ingredient Cookbook and a mom of four. The five other culinary experts we consulted concur.
"Costco appeals to me less because of one or two 'magic' products and more because it can make practical, everyday healthy eating more affordable and convenient," explains Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Nutrition Now Counseling in Charleston, South Carolina. "If nutritious basics are affordable, convenient and available in sizes that work for a household, people are more likely to actually keep them on hand and use them."
As you seek out healthy snacks and meal components, our panelists suggest seeking out products...
With short, recognizable ingredient lists
"I don’t need everything to have two ingredients and be harvested by monks, but I usually prefer recognizable ingredients that don’t look like a chemistry experiment," Duran jokes. Instead of getting lured in by splashy package claims like "low-calorie," "seed oil-free," or "gluten-free," "just start looking for good ingredients," he adds. "I’d much rather have something with quality ingredients and a few more calories than a sad little snack that’s been engineered to have 70 calories."
That delivers a dose of protein, fiber and/or healthy fats
New Jersey-based registered dietitian nutritionist Lauren Harris-Pincus, RDN, founder of Nutrition Starring YOU tells us that protein and fiber are her key considerations when reviewing the nutrition facts panel. After analyzing that, she peeks at the fat type, prioritizing unsaturated over saturated fats to support heart health. A blend of all three macronutrients is ideal "to help with fullness, satisfaction and overall diet quality," Manaker adds. After that, Harris-Pincus reviews "the overall nutrient density, meaning the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients you get for the calories the food contains."
With little to no added sugars
Some products marketed as "healthy" replace fat with sugars, Senyei warns. To reduce the risk that her four kiddos might end up on the blood sugar roller coaster — or metaphorically bounce off the walls after grazing all day — she seeks out Costco products with less than 10 grams of added sugar per serving. (In case you missed it, that’s the upper limit that the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans promote, limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of daily calories, which works out to 200 calories, or 50 grams of added sugar, as part of a 2,000-calorie diet.)
Sold in package sizes you can actually utilize
Buying in bulk often works out to a cost savings, but only if you use all that you invest in, warns Megan Meyer, PhD, a science communication consultant in Durham, North Carolina. That 12-pack of fresh peaches seems like a steal…until 8 of them end up mushy or moldy before you can use them in fruit salad or on flatbreads. "I keep top of mind that in America, 30 to 40% of food is wasted, so I only buy foods that my family and I will actually eat. Costco sizing only works if the food will be used in a meal or snack — not just because I got it for a good price."
That save time
A product earns brownie points from Manaker if it’s convenient. "I’m always on the lookout for something quick to prep, easy to portion or simple to pair with other foods," she explains. Not only is cooking at home far more affordable than dining out, but it’s also a boon for our health. Those who consume more meals at home tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and have body fat that falls within the "normal" range compared to those who dine out more.
That actually taste good
One of Senyei’s favorite facts about Costco’s healthy selection is that nearly all of the items don’t feel like "diet food." "It's just good food," she says. Which is what we all deserve, Duran adds: "I’m a chef, not a martyr! If the healthy version tastes like the packing material, I’m eating something else. Give me real food that tastes good and keeps me satisfied and makes it easier to cook at home."
The 5 Best Healthy Products at Costco, According to Chefs and Dietitians
Now that we’ve set the table for this Costco trip, the experts were kind enough to let us peek at their menu MVPs.
Grace Elkus, a Pittsburgh-based recipe developer and author of the Protein-Packed Vegetarian says that while you can find this cult-favorite jarred pasta sauce at most supermarkets, "Costco is my favorite place to buy Rao's Marinara Sauce. It's by far the best-tasting store-bought marinara sauce — there's a reason it wins every taste test! — but it can be pricey," Elkus admits, nodding to the $8 per 24-ounce price tag at Whole Foods Market. At Costco, two 32-ounce jars clock in at around $13.
Meyer constantly keeps a couple jars in her pantry "because it's a rare jarred marinara made with simple, whole ingredients and it's delicious." Toss it with frozen ravioli, blend it with cottage cheese for a quick and easy high-protein "vodka" sauce or use this as a base for a semi-homemade pizza.
If thinking about dealing with pizza dough and chopping toppings feels like too much for today, Manaker grants you a permission slip to outsource to Milton’s instead. The mom of one likes to keep a box of the brand's two-for-$14 Roasted Vegetable Cauliflower Crust Pizzas on-hand for a "high-quality option that packs a punch both in the flavor and the nutrition department."
Built atop a gluten-free cauliflower crust that actually tastes delicious, this frozen pizza comes topped with tomato sauce, roasted peppers, roasted squash, roasted onions and real mozzarella cheese. Half of a pie delivers a respectable 24 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Add a prepared bagged salad kit, and dinner is done!
Nuts and Nut Butters
If your mealtime struggle bus arrives at breakfast or lunch, our panelists point us to Costco's nut and seed section. Meyer, Senyei and Duran dig the au natural nuts and seeds and swear by tossing the Kirkland Signature Fancy Whole Cashews, Wonderful Pistachios or Go Raw Organic Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds into trail mixes, salads or banana bread recipes.
Are spreads more your style? Try Meyer’s favorite, Kirkland Peanut Butter, made with peanuts and sea salt...and nothing else! With 8 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and about 13 grams of unsaturated fat per serving — and 100 (!) servings per $12 two-pack — this dietitian feels good about using it to "make PB&Js, spread on dates, slather on apple slices or eat straight off the spoon."
For a lower-fat option, Elkus adores PBFit Peanut Butter Powder, which comes in convenient 53-serving, 30-ounce bags (for around $16 each). With more protein than a large egg (7 grams) in a mere 2 tablespoons, Elkus "likes to blend PBFit into my chocolate protein shakes and sprinkle it on top of yogurt bowls."
Frozen and Dried Fruit
Fresh fruit has a regrettably short shelf life. On the flip side, dried fruit and frozen fruit last at least 12 months. For this reason, and since they’re ultra-easy to incorporate into snacks and meals — Senyei and Harris-Pincus add bags of Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend ($14 for 4 pounds) and Kirkland Organic Dried Tart Montmorency Cherries ($12 for 20 ounces) to their Costco hauls.
"Tart cherries are one of the few foods that naturally contain melatonin, a compound involved in regulating the body’s sleep-wake cycle. Notably, Montmorency tart cherries have been studied for their potential relationship with sleep," Harris-Pincus explains. Toss a few in cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, stir them into cereal or substitute a few tart cherries in place of the raisins for an antioxidant-rich riff on ants on a log.
As for the frozen fruit, Senyei swears by making a big batch of smoothies as an after-school snack for her kids and sneaks some into her diet by stirring them (straight from the freezer) into warm bowls of oatmeal.
Broth and Bouillon
Remember our chat about convenience? Both Harris-Pincus and Manaker travel often. While a big pot of homemade stock simmering on the stove sure is cozy, it’s rarely priority number one for either.
Instead, they buy Kettle & Fire Beef Bone Broth ($25 for six 17-ounce cartons) and Better Than Bouillon Reduced-Sodium Roasted Chicken Base ($11 for 21 ounces, or 100 servings). In liquid and concentrate forms, these staples "add from-scratch flavor — plus valuable nutritional benefits including protein — to all kinds of recipes that go way beyond soup," Manaker says.
Keep either handy to use as a swap for water to cook quinoa or whole grains, mix into mashed potatoes or infuse extra flavor into casseroles. On nights you’re tempted to order takeout, mix broth with pantry and freezer staples, Manaker recommends, such as frozen wontons, store-bought tortellini or canned beans.
Related Content:
