To Costco or not to Costco, that IS the question.
For a while we were in.
Then we were out.
And now for a couple of years we have been back in, to membership that is. A Costco membership has made its way back in to our lives in the past 2-3 years. We just found that it’s not affordable to eat organic vegetables all winter long in Minnesota without a Costco membership.
I’m not a Stop-in-to-Costco-once-a-week kind of girl simply because I’m not in its neck of the woods on a regular basis, so for us it’s more like a monthly or every other month, or even a quarterly trip.
Which means it can be expensive.
Which also means less running around in the meantime because the pantry is full.
And that makes me happy.
In the Cheap Easy Healthy Eating System (get it now for only $27!) I talk about what we purchase, where and about how much we spend, because it takes something to keep it happenin’ on a budget.
Keeping to a budget for us requires meal planning (mostly). I use menus like this gluten-free, soy-free, GMO-free downloadable lunch menu to help keep us on tap.
In my Nutrition Response Testing practice, families are looking for ways to heal gastrointestinal distress (among other things), and when we talk about shifting the diet the question of where to shop and what to buy always comes up, so I’m including a list of what we purchase from Costco.
Keep in mind we also pick up things like batteries and the random new pillow or stack of socks, but mostly we use Costco for natural and organic foods we can get at a great value.
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What to Buy at Costco
Nuts: walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews
Nut butter: Maranatha Almond Butter & occasionally the Kirkland brand peanut butter
Honey
Coconut oil
Chia seeds
Frozen foods: organic broccoli, organic berry mix, organic raspberries, organic strawberries, organic mangoblueberries, peaches and organic mixed veggies, organic frozen peas
Dairy: Mountain High yogurt, romano cheese, manchego cheese and Dubliner white cheddar cheese
Kerrygold butter (I can’t buy any other butter anymore, this one is too good)
Produce: mushrooms, dates, organic carrots, organic mixed greens, organic spinach
Newman’s Own grape juice (we use this for making gummy fruit snacks)
Snack foods: Pirate’s booty, Seaweed (the kids looove these)
GF bread-occasionally
Others: organic diced tomatoes, organic figs, medjool dates, organic lemon & lime juice, real maple syrup, occasional GF crackers,
Organic chicken if our farmer is out and organic eggs if the girls aren’t laying.
Every once in a while we might pick up the Lifeway Kefir’s if we’ve got a road trip on the calendar or special school occasions, but I don’t love to have these around (even though they are so tasty) due to the packaging and sugar content.
What do you love to buy at Costco?
