Costco Favorites: My Go-To Costco Items

Big stores intimidate me.  I feel like it took me forever to jump on the Costco bandwagon for this exact reason.  There is so much to choose from and I didn’t know what was really a good deal.  Before committing to the Costco membership I asked around to see if it was really worth the membership.  Now I love Costco and make a trip every few weeks to get our staples.

When I go to Costco it important for me to have my list written out and I stick to it.   With so many things to choose from, it is easy to rack up a hefty bill and fill my cart with unnecessary items.

There are certain things we buy every single time we go to Costco.  We have our list of Costco favorite that are staples in our house and in our weekly meals and snacks.

1.  Almond Butter

I am an almond butter addict and have it every single day.  I usually put a scoop in my oatmeal in the mornings and then have it again in the afternoon with my apple.  My kids also can’t take peanut butter in their lunches so they eat almond butter and jelly sandwiches at school.  I love Costco’s almond butter because it is just almonds!

2. Applesauce Packets

These are our favorite and I usually by 2 boxes when I am there to make it until the next time I make a trip.  This is what I packed every day when we leave the house as a morning snack for my kiddos.

3. Eggs

We go through a lot of eggs in our house and I love Costco’s organic brown eggs.  I usually buy two cartons and then when we run out I wish I would have purchased three.

4. Salmon

I am the only one that eats this in my house not because the others don’t like it, but I like to hog it.  In the meat area they have already prepared meals and the salmon with pesto butter is my favorite.  There are three pieces in the container and if you take it home you can cook it right there in the container.  I don’t do that though, instead i put each piece in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze it.  I have this for lunch about once or twice a week.  While I am getting lunch on the table for my kiddos I put this in the oven and cook it for myself.  So easy and yummy!

5. Cheese

Another thing we pack for snacks with our applesauce is cheese.  Buying a big thing of cheese sticks is always a must every time we go to Costco.  Oh and it has to be the “orange” cheese and not the “white cheese”.

6. Bison

This might be my favorite thing to buy because it is really hard to find bison at regular grocery stores.  I love bison, sausage seasoning and eggs for breakfast in the morning.  Bison is pricey, but I love the leanness to it.  I brown my bison as a part of my Sunday meal prep and add a few ounces to my scrambled eggs for a yummy breakfast.  Pretty soon I will be sharing a recreation of the best bison burger I’ve had on here too!

7. Produce

At our house we go through fruit like crazy.  If Costco were closer, I’d go there every week for the produce because I love it that much and we eat that much of it.  If you find me leaving Costco you will probably find a bag of brussel sprouts, apples, grapes, and strawberries also in my cart.  I have tried the fresh broccoli, but I can’t seem to cook it fast enough until it starts smelling funny (usually like 4 days).

8. Sweet Kale Mix

I am apparently late to this train, but so glad I jumped in it because I love this salad mix.  I usually add some lean protein to it and enjoy it as my lunch.  I love that it has so many different greens in it and I don’t have to chop up a bunch of stuff.  Yes, I am paying for convenience and this is fine with me.

9. Almond Milk

Depending on the week and if we are out, we also get the almond milk there.  I love that it comes in a pack of three and I store them in our garage refrigerator until we are in need.

10. Snacks (in moderation)

I do also let my kids pick one snack item when we are there- just one. I do let them have something other than fruit or cheese as a snack or for their lunch once a day.  This is when they get to enjoy that big thing of pretzels they chose at Costco or the animal crackers.

Here is the thing with Costco, you can fall into the organic crap trap.  Yes, I just wrote organic crap.  Just because the big, giant thing of animal crackers says organic does not automatically make it healthy.  Guess what?  Organic sugar is STILL SUGAR!  Are my kids allowed to choose these as their snack for the next couple of weeks? Absolutely!  But these do not trump their healthy, non processed food.  Organic tortilla chips are still chips, people!  The word organic does not make things automatically healthy.  I still prefer the non processed food over anything which is why when I head to Costco I make sure I have a list of my favorites that I need so I don’t fall into the organic crap trap.

I do allow my kiddos to choose one item each time we go that will serve as one of their fun snacks for the next couple of weeks.  Sometimes it is a big thing of pretzels and other times I let them choose veggie straws (which are not veggies at all, and just really potato chips!).

Next time you head to Costco, jot down some of these items and try them out for yourself.  Don’t fall into the “organic crap trap” and use Costco to fill your cart up with real, whole food.

Your turn- tell me!
What am I missing at Costco?
What else do you buy?