When many of think of Costco food, we often think of frozen, premade food that you pop on a tray and cook in the oven. Certainly healthy, whole food dinners aren’t what we think of as the typical Costco dinner. However, you can easily skip all the junk and buy a lot of whole food ingredients there! A very lovely organic salad with low-mercury sustainable tuna, organic quinoa, avocado, and shredded organic carrots with a vinegar and organic olive oil dressing can be made from ingredients found at Costco.
My local Costco has some real gems, such as the cheapest prices for organic quinoa, Kerrygold pastured butter, and Nutiva coconut oil in town! One 8 oz. package of Kerrygold butter only costs $2.33, and Nutiva coconut oil is only $.28 an oz. Amazing deals.
But is the cost of membership worth it? It costs $55 dollars for a yearly membership. Whether that cost is worth it for you or not is going to depend on a few things. First, what is available at your local Costco, as items vary, will be a factor. How far away it is from your house is also something to consider and how many items you’d be willing to buy there. They do have clothing items, books, toys, kitchen items and other household goods for good prices as well as the food. For natural cleaning, large bottles of white vinegar are avaible for next to nothing (probably made using genetically modified ingredients, by the way, though I use it anyways) and 13.5 pounds of baking soda is available for $16.59.
If looking just at the food, I think it depends also on whether you are a 100%-buy-from local-farmers person or not. If you are, it won’t be worth it for you. But if you have some flexibility, you may, like me, find enough food items to make it worth it. Plus, it seems like they are adding more healthy items in every month right now! I found several new items there today. Finally, a single girl mostly cooking for herself might not find significant savings, but a mother cooking for a family of six (or in my case, four), probably will – especially if you go through Kerrygold butter like we do!
There are several Costco’s near me, and even these can vary a little in what they carry. So keep in mind that you will need to check your local Costco for what they carry and prices. For example, one reader informed me recently that their Costco had even cheaper organic whole chickens than mine does.
However, here is a run down of some of the products of interest (I don’t necessarily buy all of these items, but was trying to find items my readers could be interested in. For the sake of length, I won’t go through the pros and cons of buying all of these items, but you are welcome to mention them in the comment section! I’d love to hear your thoughts.)
Dry Goods:
Organic Maple syrup 1L/$13.69
Adam’s Peanut Butter 80 oz./$.8.99
Maranatha Natural Almond Butter 26 oz./$6.79
Tree Top Organic Applesauce 36-4 oz. containers/$10.49
Tree Top Organic Applesauce 4-47-25 oz./$9.69
Organic Salsa, 2-38 oz./$7.75
Organic Tomato Paste 12/6 oz./$5.99 (they also had organic tomato sauce, diced, and maybe stewed for good prices as well)
Truroots organic, gluten-free pasta 2.20 lbs./$7.49
Organic wheat pasta from Italy 6-1.1 lbs./&8.49
Organic quick oats 112 oz./$7.79
Organic Lundberg short brown rice 12 lbs./$12.99
Seeds of Change organic quinoa 4 lbs./$8.79
Sprouted Grain Medley, 3 lbs./ $8.99
Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Sugar (Fair trade, unbleached – good for kombucha making) 10 lbs/(need to re-check the price on this item)
Vitacoco Coconut water 6-1L/$15 (may be sometimes $20 as it was on sale)
Himalayan pink salt in salt grinder container 13 oz./$3.99
Canned and Smoked Seafood:
Wild Planet’s low-mercury, sustainably caught tuna 6-5 oz. cans/$14.99
Kirkland’s Wild Sockeye Salmon, canned 3-6 oz. cans $10.89
Bear and Wolf Wild Alaskan Salmon 6-6 oz./$11.99
Smoked Wild Alaskan Smoked Salmon 24 oz./$16.89
Organic Chicken Stock 6-32 oz./ $11.99
Nuts:
Walnuts 3 lbs./ $16.99
Almonds 3 lbs./$12.79
Pecans 2 lbs./$13.99
Raw pine nuts 24 ounces/$23.99
Oils and Fats:
Organic extra virgin olive oil 2 L/$12.39
Nuova olio extra virgin olive oil, unfiltered and unheated (California brand) 1 L/$7.99
Kerrygold butter 3-8 oz./$6.99
Organic butter 2 lbs./$7.69
Nutiva Coconut oil 78 oz./$21.99
Frozen and Refrigerated Goods:
Frozen organic dark cherries 4 lbs./$12.69 (lots of other frozen fruits and berries, but not any other organic ones)
Organic frozen green peas 5 lbs./$4.65
Organic frozen corn 3.5 lbs./ $4.65
Frozen wild Alaskan salmon burgers 3 lbs. (12 count)/$14.89
Wild Alaskan frozen halibut 2 lbs./$37.69
Wild caught frozen mahi-mahi 3 lbs./ $23.99
Wild Alaskan frozen sockeye 3 lbs./$26.89
Organic eggs 24 CT/$6.99
Kerrygold cheese 2.18 lbs./$12.99
Lamb Leg Roast $4.99 a pound
Organic whole chicken $2.49 a pound
Organic drumsticks $1.79 a pound
Organic chicken thighs $3.99 a pound
Organic chicken breasts $5.99 a pound
5 CT bag of large avocadoes $4.49
Organic Fuji apples 5.5 lbs./ $6.99
Organic baby spinach 1 lb./$3.99
Organic spring mix 1 1b/$3.99
Organic baby kale mix 1.5 lbs./$4.99
Organic broccolini 2 lbs./$5.50
Organic carrots 10lbs/ $5.99
What do you think? Do the above food items make it worth it? Any other Costco members out there?
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Heather
Sam’s Club and Costco are not at all the same company. Sam’s is owned by Wal-Mart, Costco is based in Seattle, and is not owned by anyone else. In my experience, Sam’s does not even come close to Costco in what they have for real food offerings. A few years ago, I lived in the St Louis suburbs, where I had Sam’s Club just up the street, and Costco about 20 minutes away. Had we stayed there, I would not have bothered to renew my Sam’s card, as they just didn’t come out well compared to Costco, at all.
By the way, the Coleman’s Organic chicken Costco sells in the meat department is good stuff, too, better raised than many “organic” meats. If you get the Costco magazine in the mail, they often have articles profiling how the various companies whose products they sell do business–and Costco seems to hold them to higher standards than they might have to follow otherwise. Costco also seems to have a policy of not selling any dairy products that are not rBGH-free. In several cases, I have noticed that a product which is a brand that is sold both at Costco and at the regular grocery store will have better-quality ingredients in the Costco version than in the grocery store version, even though the rest of the label is the same, so it’s worthwhile to check, even if you think it’s a familiar product. Also the Kirkland Signature brand products are generally very high quality, in my experience.
KimiHarris
Hey Heather!
Thanks for letting me know about Sam’s club! I edited that part out (other readers, I had mentioned that Sam’s club might be the same, apparently I was misinformed!) That’s neat about Coleman’s chicken! I will have to check and see if that is the same brand mine carries. 🙂
Emilie
” Costco also seems to have a policy of not selling any dairy products that are not rBGH-free. ”
I just called costco and found out that their Kirkland brand cheese and butter are not made with rBGH free milk. Unless stated on the label assume the dairy products with the Kirkland brand name on them are made with hormone full milk. This could be a regional thing also so slways check the labels. They do sell Tillmook cheeses, at all the costcos I’ve been to in 3 different parts of the country, which from my understanding is made with hormone free milk. Also President Feta cheese, which I used to get at Costco, uses both hormone free and hormone full milk so you have to check the label for each product to be sure.
I do love Costco. They have an awesome return policy, return an item any time for a full refund, including shipping if you ordered online, no questions asked. There are time limits on some electronics like TVs, computers, and cell phones which I think is 90 days otherwise you can return items anytime; days, weeks, years after purchase as long as you remain a member. It doesn’t matter if the items have been opened or used either, they will give you a refund. And if you shop a lot at costco with an executive membership, costs $110, you get a % back that can end up paying for your membership. No I don’ t work at costco I’m just a fan of the store.
Jill
Ditto on the comparison between Costco to Sams Club. Costco rocks, Sams is sort of…eh… Unfortunately there is no Costco where I live, but I have lived near Costcos in the past and agree Costco has way better selection of foods, especially organic, real foods. My local Sams club does carry a few good items: Kerrygold cheeses, Kerrygold butter (soft variety in tubs–about $7 a pound) “sometimes”, organic salad greens and spinach, frozen wild sockeye salmon, leg of lamb and lamb chops (lamb is generally pasture raised even if it is “conventional”), but that’s about all I can think of. I have been thinking about sending them a letter requesting that they increase their organic offerings, at least offering the “dirty dozen” produce items as organic options (the 12 produce items that tend to have the most pesticide residue such as apples, peppers, greens, potatoes, celery, berries…). This post is a good reminder to me to follow through with that–maybe I’ll include a link back to here!
Heather
Oh–another BIG addition to your list: the Costco’s at least in CA and MT have been carrying Nutiva organic cold-pressed coconut oil, at around $20 for 54 ounces. A _steal_.
KimiHarris
Actually, I mentioned Nutiva coconut oil twice in the post! Love that stuff. Ours carries it at an even a better deal. 🙂 (Nutiva Coconut oil 78 oz./$21.99). Cheapest price I’ve found!
Archer
Have you found the Nutiva Coconut oil at Costco to be cheaper than that from Mountain Rose Herbs or wherever you were getting it?
KimiHarris
Archer,
Yes, it is the cheapest I’ve found so far. Someone mentioned on Facebook that Trader Joe’s had some jars for a good price too.
Emily
Great post!
Costco and Sam’s Club are not the same thing. Sam’s is a Walmart company, whereas Costco is probably the highest paying employer for that type of work.
KimiHarris
Thanks Emily! I changed that. 🙂
Cory
Ours has Wild Planet smoked sardines packed in olive oil, as well as a very nice organic unbleached white flour, for those (like us!) who need the occasional “cheat”.
The amount I spend there each month keeps going up…
KimiHarris
Cory,
Ooooh, I should request the sardines at ours. We’d love that!
Natalie
I moved to California from Australia 6 months ago so I’m very new to the joys of Costco. We have a Costco really close to us and I do have a family of 6 to feed so the cost of membership is worth its weight in gold. Organic food is so much cheaper and more readily available here then in Australia and Costco is that fair bit cheaper again. I buy their organic chicken, some fruits and vegetables, some other seafood and meats, organic oats, organic butter and organic milk. I’m just really hoping one of these days I will find some unbleached flour and bread flour.
Julie
The 10 pound packs of carrots are the best I have ever eaten. Just last week I discovered the Kerry gold butter and figured that it is just 50 cents more a pound than
challenge butter which I have been buying at another store.The Coleman whole chickens are a delight to eat. we get at least 3 meals out of a chicken plus about 2 quarts of stock from the bones of the roasted chicken. I am a fan of Costco.
Amy Floyd
We have a Costco close to where we live. I shop mainly at Whole Foods, but there are a few things I pick up at Costco. Mine usually has organic apples, which are staples in our home. Their pineapples are always $2.99 each. I buy the Wild Planet tuna for sure, their organic tortilla chips in a HUGE bag, a very large tub of Daisy sour cream, and olive oil are other things that come to mind.
We also have a Sam’s Club (which is a different warehouse club), and we just use Costco more, so we dropped the membership to Sam’s Club. I think I saw that Bob’s Red Mill may be coming to Costco, and I like to see them add new organic foods.
Nourish With Karen
I live in Western Canada and it seems Canadian Costcos are behind in organic products, although they are coming in slowly we don’t have the variety found in the U.S. Occasionally we go to the Costco in Kalispell, MT and stock up on those products we can’t find in Canada. The latest, greatest find here is Silver Hills Gluten Free bread! A great product which is made with high quality products at a great price. 🙂
Jana
I agree Karen, our Western Canadian Costcos are WAY behind in their organic product selection! That’s why we regularly travel down to WA to frequent the Costco in Bellingham, which carries a much wider selection. We get Kerrygold butter (my FAV), Tillamook cheese (one can get Kerrygold cheese in Canada), organic chicken, organic produce, organic maple syrup (strange I know but in Canada Costco carries only non-organic), and more. It’s a well-worth-it once a month trip. I can’t understand why our Canadian West Coast Costcos don’t carry more organic, since there are so many crunchy people around here. Lots of our local produce here is organic (though lots isn’t too) and they carry none of it! Mostly hot-house stuff and imports. One can find organic frozen veggies, organic milk, organic frozen blueberries, etc. but very little else.
Kika
I’m in central Alberta and the organic selection is steadily improving: org. hemp hearts, quinoa, cereals, pastas, coconut oil, etc., are available. I definitely find the membership worth it even though I live a four hour round trip away and so don’t get there often (when we go we spend $350-500).
Jana
Kika, actually I think ours carry those other products too, maybe even coconut oil now (not sure but I think I saw it last time we were there). We find the membership worth it too, even just for buying things locally. I guess we’re fortunate because we have several just in our metro area alone, and then the one down south is just an hour away (though that turns into a half to all day affair what with the border and all).
Ellen
I find the same thing here in Ottawa. I wish we would see organic meats, dairy, and fresh veggies. But the selection is steadily improving and I’m pleased with the new organic frozen produce options and the grains! I do as much of my groceries as I can do in a ‘real food’ way at Costco and I would be there almost entirely if there were more organic/whole options (flours, produce, etc). And I SOOOOO want Kerrygold butter here!
Mrs. Nancy Bowman
Western Canada here, too, and I have the same experience as the other Canucks – improving gradually, but it’s hard not to wish for ALL the great stuff Costco has south of the border. Especially the Kerrygold butter. That said, I’m very grateful for what we do have, and I also live in a real agrarian area that offers grass-finished beef, raw milk, free-range chickens and eggs, etc., so I really can’t complain, right? Keep up the great info and encouragement re the 52 ways…
andrea arellano
Love the 52 ways idea, look forward to it each week:) Thank you for your hard work.
We also have Kalmata olives, organic quinoia, organic coffee roasted by costco, and organic apples. During the summer I buy a brand of tomatoes that is chemical and pesticide free. Forget the name but it is labled on the package.I also buy their onions and garlic since I go through so much. I am thankful for costco, even without buying all my produce their I save alot.
Kathryn Ziebell
I would highly recommend a membership at Costco. They have an amazing return policy.
They never ask questions, and never make you feel bad for returning even a food item you just don’t like. I have the 110 dollar membership where you get a percentage of your yearly expenditure back. I usually get a check for 170.00 back, but this year I’m getting almost 300.00 back! We buy our small appliances there. They have the vitamix for 374.00 guess what, if it breaks two years from now, I can return it to Costco and get my money back!!
I feel like I waste very little there, if I buy clothes and they come apart I can return them. Also, everything is of such a nice quality. Happy shopping everyone:) oh, by the way if anyone lives in Texas, HEB here has organic valley cultured butter for 3.32, cheaper than online. God Bless!!!!
Lorie
I get the same baking soda at BJ’s for $6.49! Thank you for this post!
Jeanine
This is a very helpful post. Now I know of many more things to be on the look out for. Thanks. I am new to the Kerry Gold butter. Does anyone know if it can be left out on the counter? We are used to keeping one stick of butter out on the counter so it is soft when we are ready to use it. Thanks for the help if anyone knows.
KimiHarris
Jeanine,
Yup! We leave ours out. 🙂
Catherine
I use Kerrygold butter a lot, and live in London. I have a very cool kitchen and leave butter out all the time, especially in the winter and cooler months. Salted butter is better left out than the unsalted, (or sweet butter I think you call it) as the salt preserves it. There are containers you can buy now for butter which keeps it cool, but soft. I don’t know how warm your kitchen is though? How much butter do you go through in a week? By the way, the Kerrygold price at Costco appears to be cheaper than it is in the UK, unless on special offer here. Lucky you! I used to shop at Costco a lot when visiting California and really enjoyed it.
Jen Mc
we keep ours out too – and tho we live in a cold area our house is pretty warm and I leave it out year round
cirelo
Wow this must vary by region I just visited a costco near us and was extremely disappointed in the real food offerings, I was surprised I couldn’t even find unprocessed peanut butter.
Jen Mc
their peanut butter selection is really bad right now I think – since the big recall a few months back they haven’t had anything I would buy
Kate M
They used to have a Kirkland natural peanut butter at ours, too, but they pulled it and stopped carrying it. I asked why and they said they had way too many people returning the peanut butter saying that it was bad because there was oil on the top! I was so frustrated… people need to learn to read the labels on stuff!!! Anyway, it took a few months, but they started carrying a different brand (I can’t remember it right now) natural peanut butter in the refrigerator section where it wouldn’t separate as easily. You might check there…
Ann-Marie
I just love that Costco is offering more and more organic choices. We buy organic carrots, organic heavy cream, organic half and half, organic diced, stewed and tomato paste, organic eggs, organic chicken ect…from them. Recenlty noticed all of the frozen organic fruit and veggies in the freezer section and will be purchasing from them the next time I stock up. Great article and I am happy to read that Costco is finally offering sustainable seafood.
Kathy
I love Costco! I visit the Costco in Colorado Springs often since my sons live there, they carry a variety of gluten free items including Udi’s bread and Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour at very reasonable prices. My husband has celiac disease so this is very helpful when we are in town. Our Costco in California doesn’t have as many options but I’m sure it depends on the demographics.
Jen Mc
they have also had a sprouted wheat bread on a semi-regular basis in town here too- colo spgs
Kate
Really helpful post, Kimi. I’ve never considered shopping at Costco, partially because I thought most of what they carried was cheap and conventional food. I had no idea they carried so many organic and health-conscious products. Thanks for the information! I may reconsider where I shop.
Alicia
I’m glad for all the options I have at Costco, and I wonder if the options are especially good here in Seattle, near where its headquartered. We have a lot of selections. They also occasionally have some raw cheese, and they have a good selection of aged cheeses (including locally made Beecher’s Flagship aged cheddar, love it!).
Alicia
My parent’s Costco in Salem, OR does not carry the Kerrygold butter yet, or the Beecher’s Cheese. They buy it here when they come up.
Jessica @ redeemingthehome.com
SO jealous! All we have is Sam’s Club. Its a good place to buy maple syrup, basmati rice, and big bags of almonds to grind for almond meal. But not much in the way of organics. Fortunately, our Aldi’s is trying out an organic line, so I can get organic tomatoes, lettuce, apples, and more for WAY less than our other stores.
Jenny O
I just moved to Kauai, and became a Costco member for the first time two weeks ago, because food is so expensive here, especially organic food (except for items sold at the farmers markets). I too was pleasantly surprised to find almond butter, coconut oil, 25 lb bags of rice, gluten free crackers, and a few other things that I can buy in bulk. I sat down and wrote them an e-mail requesting more though… thanks for the Kerry Gold tip, I’ll have to look for that.
Jen
My husband and I got married on Maui. We purposefully rented a beach condo with a full kitchen, instead of staying at a resort, in order to cook ourselves and save on food… or so we thought. This was 6 years ago, and we were SHOCKED when we stopped at the grocery store on the way from the airport to pick up a few things for the next day! Conventional milk was $7 per gallon (and it was out of stock), a package of 3 conventional chicken breasts was $12. Those are the 2 things I vividly remember, but everything was out of this world expensive, in my opinion. We joked that if we actually lived there (which we would LOVE), we would have to live on a homestead, and grow our own produce, meat and dairy products if we wanted to afford to eat. 🙂 It was the trip of a lifetime though, and the cost of the food wouldn’t have changed our plans.
Erica
Kimi,
I too want to say that I really love this series and always look forward to reading it. It feels very validating to read about the shopping decisions you make and know that I shop in much the same way (at the same stores). It helps me to feel like the compromises I make due to our budget restraints are sound ones (i.e. organic chicken from Costco vs. pastured from a farmer) when I read about your doing the same thing….feels like I am on the right track!
Also, your post last week inspired me to make 2 beautifully frugal yet delicious ethnic dishes!
Thanks for sharing your secrets with us!
Brittany Thomas
I love shopping at Costco. Some aren’t idea… like I know their organic eggs aren’t the best organic I can get but sometimes I have to settle with the cheaper but still decent option. Overall thought I do almost half my shopping at Costco. Will have to check out the Kerrygold butter though!
debi
I live in Northern California. One of the items I really enjoy from our Costco is a raw cheddar cheese. I don’t remember the brand and they don’t always have it in stock. It is located with the specialty cheeses (imported). It is truly tasty! So far, it is the only raw dairy product I have found at Costco.
Jeana
I love Costco too. Joined about a year ago when we started with real food and do at least half of my shopping there. Kerry Gold is a staple, any organic produce, smoked salmon, cheese, organic coffee, vinegar, organic tortilla chips, peanut/almond butter, maple syrup (have not seen the organic one though) and Sourdough bread. Does anyone else buy Sourdough there? I checked the ingr. label and it’s a compromise compared to homemade for sure but I’m a single mother working full time and have not been able to swing making bread at home on a regular basis yet. It seems like a good compromise item. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
Claudia S.
I had a sams club membership, but a costco opened like 5 miles away and i love it!! I buy quinoa, rice, frozen fruits/veggies, coconut butter, kerrygold cheese and butter, canned tomatoes, chickens, tuna (the best I have ever tried), nuts, vinegar, olive oil, applesauce, onions, potatoes, carrots, lots of stuff! With 5 kids its great to save money and still eat healthy.
Emma
What section is the butter in? I saw the Kerrygold cheese today, but couldn’t find butter.
We also buy our car, house, and umbrella insurance through Costco at a good price which helps make the membership fee worthwhile.
Jen Mc
it’s near the specialty cheeses in our store – like the deli section – not the refrigerated dairy/milk
Abi
Don’t forget for those that can’t do cow milk products, Costco has carried different alternatives such as goat cheese logs, pecorino romano cheese (sheep’s milk) and occasionally will carry Feta made from sheep’s milk. Those are lifesavers here! They have also carried a brand of gluten free crackers although i don’t remember the name. Kashi Heart to Heart cereal for the kids, organic juice boxes for the kids. We recently got a stash of Love Crunch cereal (look it up–this stuff tastes awesome without a ton of sugar), organic black rice and chia seeds.
Haven’t seen that butter. Will have to check next time i visit.
btw, i don’t have a membership but my sister does and I go with her. She pays for the membership but gets that kickback at the end of the year which helps her. Some might consider buddying up on memberships.
Kimberly
Hi Kimi,
Is the the almond butter the correct size 26 oz or 16 oz ? My two younger boys eat almond butter daily. I would consider going to a Costco just for this :). Thank you !
Alicia
Kimberly,
It was 26 oz when we were last shopping there in August 2012. We were moving away and I stocked up b/c we don’t have Costco where we moved to. Best price for the size I have seen.
The brand was MaraNatha. Roasted creamy w/o added salt, sugar or other oil. We use it for smoothies, baking, almond butter fudge and straight (I do have to sweeten for one of my sons to eat it straight)
Do have to stir it a lot at first to get the oil mixed in and stir some more when you are about half way through as it is a tall bottle (I use a butter knife to reach the bottom).
Someone else please reply if the size or brand has changed.
KimiHarris
Hey Kimberly,
Ours carried the larger, 26 oz container. 🙂 Of course, I’d always check your nearest one to see what they had!
Andrea
My Costco membership expired last fall and I haven’t renewed it. Mostly because its just the two of us at home. I’ll go in next Tuesday when I’m in town and have a look around again to see if they have more that I would buy on a regular basis.
I get my epilepsy meds through Costco pharmacy. You don’t have to be a member to use that.
My Costco has a gas station, as well. Gas is at least 5¢ cheaper there.
Anitra
Love love love Costco! Of course I am biased because my husband works there but they are an AMAZING company to work for and they really value their customers. We stock up on their organic produce, Kerry gold butter and cheese, and other items! We love it there and are very grateful for them since we are a household of 5.
Bethany
I noticed organic eggs were mentioned. We eat so many eggs in our house that I’ve been reluctant to pay $5/dozen for pastured ones. I would love some opinions: are organic eggs a good half-way point, or does the fact that we seem to eat so many indicate that this is one of those things worth the investment?
Magda
Where I am (GA), pastured eggs are expensive and honestly I never get truly orange yolks (and yes, I do pay $5 or $6 per dozen). I have settled for eggs from SC and NC which are consistently bright yellow and taste very, very good. I have bought the organic eggs from Costco but was not impressed. They are good and I’m sure a better choice than any ‘standard’ grocery store eggs.
KimiHarris
Bethany,
I am not eating eggs right now….but I have had some Costco eggs in the past. I have to say…they aren’t very good in flavorful. But we were getting really nice eggs, so I knew what “real eggs” tasted like. 🙂
wholesome kids
I seriously just posted about Costco on my site!! This is such a useful list, I wish I had it when I went there a few days ago. Thanks for posting!
Lady Dorothy
I’ve heard that Costco olive oil is the best. Have you heard of the fake olive oil scandal?
“Costco’s Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil may be the best-kept secret in the store. At $9.99 for 1.5 liters, it is roughly half the cost of the well-known Bertolli brand, and yet, according to at least one independent study, it’s much better. In a recent comparison of 19 olive oils on the market, The Olive Center, a research group at the University of California-Davis, found that Kirkland Organic was one of only five in the study not mixed with cheaper refined olive oil that can spoil the taste. The other four at the top of the list were all high-end brands that cost as much as five times Costco’s. Make sure you buy the Costco version that’s labeled organic, though, as opposed to the one that’s simply called “extra virgin olive oil.” It’ll cost a little bit more, but it’s worth it.” http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-51484582/5-things-you-should-buy-at-costco/
Rachael
SWEET! Thanks so much for sharing, Lady Dorothy!
jill
North San Diego County here. Costcos do vary from store to store. I buy many of the items already listed. One that I can’t always find, but love is the organic hamburger patties. Sometimes I just want a quick easy hamburger, and those sure are handy. Healthy meat in a junk food package. Otherwise I shop at Jimbos and Sprouts. Or online at Azurestandard, vitacost and amazon, and a few others. I get my largest buckets of coconut oil at Tropical Traditions.
Costco is coming out with more and more organics and I’m delighted. I just found organic Faro the other day. For quick, the frozen organic veggies are a great deal. I like having some of the frozen choices for those times when we run out of fresh or the 4 yr old grandson demands broccoli instantly.
Congetta
Hi Jill,
I live in San Diego County too. I buy from Sprouts, Trader Joes, Costco, Jimbos and sometimes Whole Foods. I am lucky that the first three stores are across the street from each other and the Jimbos is a couple miles away from them. Online I use the subscription servie from Amazon and also use nuts.com and some Green Polka Dot.
I have considered purchasing from Azure Standard, but haven’t done so yet. Do you bulk purchase with others in the area or do you order on your own.
Thank you,
Congetta
Katie@ Nourishing Simplicity
I was shopping at the Santee Costco yesterday. They really do very store to store even in SD county. I was delighted with what I bought though, kerrygold butter (they have the chesse as well), organic ground beef (saddly not grass fed), dried figs, carrots, frozen cherries and mixed fruit, olive oil….. It was a good shopping day. Then I headed to Sprouts to pick up the rest. I too order from Azure.
Lisa
It is unfortunate that all Costcos aren’t created equal!
Christie
My Costco in Central Oregon didn’t have Kerrygold butter recently. We asked and were told “not right now.” 🙁 That has been one of our staple purchases from Costco.
GiGi Eats Celebrities
LOVE COSTCO!! Sadly, I don’t have a Costco card but EVERY time one of my friends who do have a card are going, they always invite me along just in case I need to stock up, and I certainly do… Because really you can find healthy things at Costco, you just have to look closely! 🙂
Jen Mc
on the kerrygold butter………. here’s what I have found, they only have it about half the year. Depends on how fast they sell the shipments they get. But, it will come in early fall and be around till it’s gone, usually around easter in my recollection. Then they don’t get more till the next fall. Has to do with how kerrygold makes their butter, mainly from the milk from summer grazing, so once all that milk is used, they have to wait to re-stock. So, after scourging stores all spring last year 😉 and finally paying alot more for butter all summer I was so thrilled to see it again this fall around the same time I learned more about how it’s made. So, now I am buying as much as my budget will allow each month and sticking it in the freezer, eating the oldest sale dates first, and hoping by the time they sell out this year I have enough in the freezer to see me through till next fall. My budget won’t let me buy unlimited amounts all at one time, but doing this for the last 4-5 months I have accumulated a decent stock right now. And last week when I was in the stores, they still had it around here.
Crystal
What do you think about all the BPA in the organic canned food items (tomatoes, etc)? I quit buying them from Costco cause I have not found out if they are BPA free or not (I am assuming they aren’t, cause it would state it if so, which the other companies I buy from do, like Natural Value), so I stick to the companies that are or buy things in glass on Azure Standard Co-Op, which I love if I can’t find things at Costco or Trader Joe’s. But we love Costco, their return policy is the best EVER! We love our Blendtec that we got from there and we got a great deal on it! We even blend a whole avocado pit in it, WAY HIGH IN FIBER!!!
Crystal
Oh and I wish they carried Macadamia Nuts from Hawaii, just got back from HI and got some while I was there and they are amazing! They aren’t the same ones that they sell at the store now. Yes I wish all Costco’s were created equal as well. 🙂
Karen
There are only two of us and we use Costco a lot. Costco’s differ based on the population that uses them. At one point they were using local foods – as Udi’s granola that is made in Denver. Don’t know if that is in stores outside of Colorado.
Funny you mention HI. I was looking for some Macadamia Nuts when in Kauai last week and a clerk told me to go to Costco because they were cheaper there. We didn’t have time and actually only wanted a small bag. One must have room to store foods that come in large quantities. Our stand alone freezer is smaller now than the one we had when our son was home.
We love Costco and glad that they are around. It was great to see stores built in Colorado Springs – it seems that Costco is really expanding everywhere. That is great and means they have a successful business model. I’m not sure their stores are big enough to have the stores all created equal though. Besides, for those of us who travel, we like some differences to have variety. Locally, it gives me a reason/excuse to go across town now and again :-).
I too will look for Kerrygold there. Their Gouda cheese is really good. Sorry they stopped carry8ing Dorofino’s sliced Gouda though, easier to use when already sliced.
Maybe someone from Costco Management will read the Nourishing Gourmet and get ideas from all of you:-).
Magda
Glad you mentioned the Gouda – we love it!!! And the price can’t be beat.
For any newbies, here is an awesome article about the benefits of Gouda (one of few, if not the only, cheese that does not have to be raw to have benefits):
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/gouda-the-nutrient-dense-cheese-of-choice/
Ever since I told my 8.5 year old about the vitamin K in the Gouda, he started calling it ‘the vitamin K cheese’.
Meredith
Found you via Pinterest. We live in TN and had memberships to Costco and Sams, but dropped Sams at renewal time specifically because of Costco’s amazing organic selection.
Kathryn Grace
It’s been years since we let our Costco membership lapse, mainly because we buy only organic. It may be time for me to take a cruise around our local store once again. I go through pounds of baking soda a year, and my eyes lit up at the savings on baking soda alone!
One question: I hadn’t heard about mercury-free, sustainable tuna. How do they manage that? Is it farmed? Would love to know more. If you have a link to share, I’d appreciate it.
Stephanie
We drive over an hour to our Costco, but even with travel costs its worth it. Beware of their almonds though, as they are sprayed with PPO:
http://foodidentitytheft.com/trying-to-avoid-almonds-that-are-gassed-heres-a-little-guide/
Costco customer service has always been excellent. If you ever call them about information regarding a specific product they always have the answer, or are willing to call you back once they find it. I also like the fact that they can tell you the exact farm where your organic meats and eggs come from.
Sarah
Costco is awesome. It’s a very good company – treats employees well, etc. – in addition to selling a lot of great products. Even with just a family of 2, now 2+toddler, we find that our annual membership is totally worth it. The clothing section is hit or miss because it changes a lot, but a couple of great bargains there per year, not to mention the actual food, are more than enough to offset the membership fee. Last week I found a UV swimsuit set (shirt, shorts, hat) for my toddler for $18 – the exact same stuff I’ve seen online for $40-50.
Sarah B.
Sadly we don’t have a Costco near us, the closest one is about three (plus) hours drive away to Kansas City or St. Louis. Does anyone near these two locations have a good list of what organic products they carry? I’m interested in getting a membership and driving in once a month to stock up and also do some Trader Joe’s shopping!
I also looked into getting a business membership with some friends and we could split the cost of the membership to make the driving worth it.
Does anyone have thoughts on that? Do you have experience with a business membership?
Would love some “midwest” Costco tips! Thanks!
Starre
I wasn’t even going to read this because I am already big Costco fan. Glad I did though cause I’m going to stock up on the Kerry Gold butter. Didn’t know it had a season but that makes sense
For years I bought just the regular membership but one time at renewal an employee took the time to explain the $100 card gets you a rebate at the end of the year. Even with only DH and I we get back between 80 and 100 so most years we only pay a few bucks for our membership. Check it out and talk to a knowing employee. Thats my big Costco tip:O)
Rachael
Costco girl over here, too! We recently got a membership, and I’ve been so excited to shop there over some of the other local grocers.
Personally, I have to be VERY careful when I go in, since those prices can definitely add up. It’s a lifesaver when it comes to baking, though. As someone who doesn’t coupon because I rarely find useful deals on the high-quality ingredients I use, it can be difficult landing big, fat money-saving deals. I recently bought 20 lbs of whole wheat flour for $10, and even an enormous bottle of pure vanilla extract for $7. I didn’t realize they had Kerrygold butter or organic eggs, so I’ll be checking out those next time. I also want their organic sugar ($10 for 10 lb here in DC). I’m a Tropical Traditions fan for coconut oil, but the Costco prices might be enough to change my ways if the quality matches…
Thanks for sharing all of this info! It’s really helpful, and gives me a look at what I’d need to budget.
Leslie
I wish Costco was closer to us, we would go there over Sam’s. However, the closest Costco is about 30 minutes away through traffic while Sam’s is 5 minutes. I do have a friend get me the pine nuts since I use them in a lot of my cooking.
Jenesis
Our Costco in Phoenix (Tempe, actually) carries an item you might like – Coach’s Oats, steel-cut oats that are really good, made in a proprietary way that somehow changes the texture a bit and makes them easier to fix. I’m sold – I use them to make my own coconut-butter granola bars. Coconut butter is one thing I haven’t been able to find at Costco, but that’s asking a lot! And I love Nutiva coconut oil, just didn’t realize Costco carries it. Thanks for the great list!