Costco is known for being an ultimate money-saving destination, offering just about everything in colossal sizes, from toilet paper to 75-inch smart TVs. And as food budgets continue to be under attack, more people are turning to the retail giant for their groceries. That’s because you can score nut butters, frozen berries, and milk at prices that beat other retailers by a country mile.
The good news is that if you love a bargain and also desire eating healthy, you are not out of luck if you do most of your food shopping at Costco. Amid the 3-pound tubs of chocolate-covered raisins, king-sized muffins, lifetime supplies of ranch dressing, and endless canned food options, it’s possible to find nutritious options at lower price points as long as you don’t mind upsizing your purchases. You just need to be strategic about what you buy (ask yourself, are you going to use up a 3-pack of gigantic ketchup).
But it’s understandable if you are feeling a bit hapless when shopping in the warehouse. So much room, so many options. With that in mind, we zeroed in on some of the best shelf-stable packaged foods to add to your next Costco haul to build muscle and boost health. Time to save some cash.
You should go nuts for this mix of almonds, cashews, pecans, and pistachios. The beneficial fats, protein, and fiber makes a handful or two of the powerhouse nut mixture a great snack option to take a sledgehammer to hunger. Also toss them on oatmeal, salads, and yogurt. Research suggests that when men add tree nuts like almonds and pecans to their diets they may experience improvements in blood lipid and insulin levels which could benefit heart health. This option allows you to sidestep the salt added to most nut mixes and is a very reasonable 15 bucks for 2.5 pounds. To maintain freshness, it’s a good idea to store some of the nuts in the freezer if you don’t plan on polishing off a bag quickly.
Hearty and satisfying steel-cut oats without the lengthy cooking time and just 13 cents per ounce. This is a breakfast option without the deluge of added sugar, which is more than can be said for most of the boxed cereals on Costco shelves. Science says the soluble fiber in oats is pure wizardry for helping improve cholesterol numbers.
And here is another reason to retire those packets of instant oatmeal: A research review published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that post-consumption blood sugar and insulin responses are better after eating lesser processed forms of oats like steel-cut than after consuming more processed rolled or instant oat flakes. It appears that a greater disruption in the structural integrity of the oat kernel is associated with alternations in digestion rates and, in turn, fewer glycemic benefits.
Building muscle has never been so cheap. At just over a dollar a bar, these bars are budget-friendly protein. Each bar packs in 21-22 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber, and just a few grams of added sugar. That is a pretty good nutritional byline for a protein bar. And the 170 to 180 calories is not unreasonable for a sensible snack. The chocolate peanut butter and cookies and cream flavors will delight your palate.
This oil shouldn’t just be for seed oil haters. Avocado oil is a neutral oil that can be employed for all uses: cooking, dressings, sauces, you name it. So, yes, very versatile. It’s my go-to for cooking in replace of butter. It contains mostly monounsaturated fat which is considered more beneficial to heart health than detrimental. However, avocado oil can be expensive, which is why you want to buy this brand in a larger bottle from the big-box store to bring costs down.
Most days we are all looking to get a meal on the table with less effort and time. These microwavable pouches of quinoa and brown rice help you with that task as they are an ultimate meal prep shortcut. Serve as a simple side dish or dump the nuked grains in a bowl and top with hunks of meat, vegetables and a sauce for a satisfying meal any day of the week.
Yes, they are high in carbs, but research suggests that consuming whole grains can be protective against developing diabetes by helping improve blood sugar numbers. But the key here is eating whole grains like quinoa and brown rice which provide the fiber and micronutrient composition you won’t get from refined grains.
With Kirkland offering a two-jar pack of its creamy peanut butter for a smooth $13, you can have one of life’s purest pleasures at the ready. As you should know, peanut butter can be a sneaky contributor of added sugar and not-so-great palm oil in your diet depending on the brand you buy.
Thankfully, this peanut butter is simply made with peanuts and a little sea salt for a healthier spread. Because peanuts are technically a legume, peanut butter provides more protein than spreads made from tree nuts, such as almonds and cashews. Keep these jars of deliciousness in the fridge after opening them. You’ll have a convenient source of healthy fats and plant-based protein on hand to add to toast, oats, protein shakes, and baked goods. Or just spoon the stuff up if you are ok with those extra calories.
Embrace your inner arrr with these two-bite meat sticks. Dense in high-quality protein, jerky is one of man’s best friends for packing on muscle, but the parched meat has become downright costly. This bag of mini sticks priced at a reasonable $20 that are made from grass-fed beef helps keep snacking costs down and are a great option for when you just want a little bit of savory protein – 4 grams in each stick. Stash some in your car and work desk when cravings strike. Plus, they are made with no added sugar which is rarer than you would think in the dried meat world. Yes, it’s almost criminal to walk out of Costco without a bag of these in your oversized cart.
When it comes to affordability, convenience, and solid nutrition, you can’t beat a can of salmon. This swimmer comes with a boatload of nutritional benefits including muscle-building protein (about 34 grams in a can), mega-healthy omega-3 fats, B vitamins, and hard-to-get vitamin D. And less risk of going overboard on mercury than with canned tuna. At Costco, you can buy a 6-count package for only $17.99, making this cost-conscious seafood. Kirkland to the rescue again.
If you need to satisfy some sweet cravings, look no further than these dried plums, which are crazy sweet despite there being no added sugar. Consider them nature’s candy but with high amounts of health-hiking antioxidants and dietary fiber. At $12 a bag, this is less costly fruit nutrition than many out-of-season fresh options that can be crazy expensive at this time of year.
And, yes, dried plums (aka prunes) can keep your No 2 on a regular schedule. You can also count on these parched fruit to add more potassium to your diet to help keep blood pressure numbers in the safe zone.A few dried plumes can be an energizing pre-workout snack, but you can also simmer them with oatmeal, use in a variety of stews, slice them up and add to a bowl of yogurt or cottage cheese, blend them into protein shakes for some recovery carbs, or use the sweet dried fruit as a replacement for some of the added sugar and fat in baked goods.
Go big on whey protein to build muscle and save cash. This value-priced colossal bag of good old-fashioned whey protein gives you a 25 gram serving of protein for just 80 cents. Now that is an economical bonanza. And the deep chocolate flavor can make your post-gym shakes taste like dessert. It’s cheap enough that you can worry less about adding it to your diet elsewhere like oatmeal and pancakes.
Most crunchy granola on the market is a sugar bomb. A classic example of a health halo. This keto-approved option ($37 for 2 packets, so not the cheapest cereal you’ll get from Costco) ditches the added sugar and goes bigger on nuts and seeds for more protein and healthy fats. And the blueberry comes from real blueberries instead of a flavoring produced in a food lab. Add it to a bowl with milk and fresh berries and you have a sensible breakfast meal or even late-night nosh. The only downside is that it’s only available via online ordering.
These oh-so tasty savory crackers make it easier to side-step the ultra-processed carbs in most other boxed options. Each cracker is made with a nut and seed blend to up the nutritional ante over traditional crackers. And buying a 2-count from Costco is noticeably cheaper than purchasing individual boxes from regular grocers. You can dip them in nut butter, hummus or guacamole, or go bigger on protein by topping with these next-level crackers with canned salmon.
Jiri Hera
Power Oatmeal Recipe
Here’s how to turn your Costco haul into a breakfast fit for frugal champions.
1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats
1/3 cup sliced Kirkland Signature, Sunsweet Whole Dried Plums
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 scoop Kirkland Signature Whey Protein
1/3 cup Kirkland Signature Extra Fancy Mixed Nuts
In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir in oats and cinnamon, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring a couple of times, for 8 minutes. Stir in whey protein, remove from heat and let stand covered for 2 minutes. Place oats in a bowl and top with nuts.
