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Over the last decade I’ve become something of a professional shopper. As a food writer and recipe developer, I’m constantly looking for perfect ingredients. Yet as a dad who literally manages our family budget with spreadsheets, I also look for great deals. That is why I love shopping at Costco.
To be fair, I actually have a love-hate relationship with the mega warehouse. For my personality and temperament, the shopping experience at Costco is about as pleasant as a trip to the dentist–I know it’s important and good for me, but I’m always relieved when it’s done. Costco may be known for its big cuts of prime beef, good quality discount wine, bulk paper products and delicious rotisserie chickens, but if you dig a bit deeper through those extra-wide aisles, you’ll find plenty of hidden gems. Here are 10 of my favorites.
1. Nuts
We go through a lot of nuts in my household. Whether I’m making homemade granola for some breakfast meal prep, spiced pecans for a snack or walnut-crusted salmon for dinner, I always like to have a big bag of almonds, pecans and walnuts on hand. Nuts are not only delicious and super healthy, they are also versatile and perfect to snack on by the handful. But they are notoriously expensive, so buying them in bulk is the only way I go. Costco sells 3 pounds of whole almonds for $9.99, 2 pounds of pecan halves for $10.99 and 3 pounds of walnut halves for $7.99. It’s hard to beat these prices. I like to store them in separate freezer-safe zip top bags in the freezer. I date and label them (including whether they are salted, unsalted or roasted) to have on hand.
2. Pumpkin Seeds
Just like nuts, pumpkin (pepita) seeds are one of those nutritious-yet-expensive foods that are great for buying in bulk since they store well in the freezer. I love to use them in a Pepita and Cilantro Pesto or on a Warm Butternut Squash & Kale Salad. You can often find a 22-ounce bag of sprouted pumpkin seeds for $9.99. Like the nuts, I pop them in a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for several months.
3. Peanut Butter
Continuing on the nut theme, there are a fair amount of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches consumed in my house (mostly by me). That is why I love picking up the double pack of Kirkland’s Signature Organic Peanut Butter (28-ounce each) for $10.99. Almond butter may get most of the attention when it comes to healthy nut butters, but don’t sleep on peanut butter because it’s actually quite healthy. While it makes for a delicious snack with fresh apples or spread on whole wheat toast, I love using peanut butter in savory applications like in a noodle bowl. I like to stir the separated oil back into the peanut butter then store it in the refrigerator. This helps it stay emulsified so no extra stirring is required.
4. Frozen Berries
Fresh fruit is great in season, but you can’t go wrong with frozen berries year round. Seriously, Costco’s 3-pound bag of Kirkland Organic Blueberries for $7.99 is a great deal. We use them for breakfast, especially protein-packed lemon blueberry muffins (perfect for meal prepping those busy weekday mornings). But I love adding them to a dinner salad or in a sweet and tangy sauce for salmon. The 4-pound bag of Kirkland Signature Organic Strawberries for $10,99 is a great deal, as is the 3-pound bag of Townsend Farms Organic Berry Supreme for $10.79. They store in the freezer for six months or more. I recommend keeping opened packages in a freezer-safe zip top bag to limit freezer burn.
5. Maple Syrup
I am always trying to limit my added sugar intake, but with little kids at home, it’s hard to avoid it. And as a (relatively) new Vermonter, I’ve grown to have something of an obsession with maple syrup. But it’s quite expensive. A 1.05 liter jug of syrup at Costco is $12.49, which is one of the best deals on this list. Here in Vermont we can buy Combs Family Farm Maple Syrup (elsewhere in the country you may have Kirkland Signature Organic Pure Maple Syrup). We put it on everything, including oatmeal, pancakes, marinades and salad dressings. I store it in our refrigerator for several months.
6. Wild Caught Sardines
While tuna is often my family’s first choice for tinned fish, I happen to love sardines. Costco sells a 6-pack of Wild Planet Wild Pacific Sardines for $9.99, which gets me several meals of pasta with sardines, salads or even just on crackers. Of course canned sardines are healthy, but they are also highly underappreciated. They are lightly smoked for a toasty flavor, and the oil they are packed in is delicious stirred into tomato sauce and even dressings. I will never stop singing the praises of canned sardines, and you can’t go wrong buying them in bulk at Costco.
7. Vanilla Extract
One of the most expensive ingredients (per volume) in baking is vanilla extract. Just a couple ounces can sell for $7 or more. That is why I like to buy a (16-fluid ounce) bottle of Pure Vanilla Extract from Costco for just $11.99. I know there are some bakers that would turn their noses at any bottle of vanilla extract that’s so inexpensive (one popular vanilla extract brand, for example, would cost about $100 or more for the same amount of vanilla), but for my purposes of baking at home, this one is perfect. I keep it in my pantry for cakes and cookies and a bottle lasts six months or longer.
8. String Cheese
You are never too old to enjoy a cheese stick. My daughters love them in their lunch boxes and my wife and I snack on them in between meals. They are convenient and have a good amount of protein. A 48-count bag of Polly-O Mozzarella String Cheese sells for $11.49 and it typically lasts a month or two in our household. I don’t only enjoy them as snacks, however. I chop them up and add to salads or even peel them and use as a pizza topping. (Hey, sometimes you have to throw together dinner with what you have!)
9. Olives
A staple of the Mediterranean Diet, olives are healthy, delicious and one of my all time favorite foods. Seriously, I keep a big jar in my fridge for snacking and for topping grain bowls, chopping into tapenade or mixing into a sauce for chicken. Olives in brine can last for a year or more stored in the refrigerator. That is why I go big when it comes to buying olives. At Costco you can buy a 27-ounce jar of Parthenon Pitted Kalamata Olives for $9.99 or a 19-ounce jar of Asaro Organic Castelvetrano Olives for $7.79.
10. Fresh Tomatoes
I always like to pick up a 2-pound container of greenhouse grown Gourmet Tomato Medley because they are affordable, delicious and versatile. You can typically find them for about $7.99, which is a good deal considering where I live a single pound of similar tomatoes is $6. Depending on the season, you can also find a 1.5-pound container of cherry tomatoes for $8.99 and a 2-pound container of grape tomatoes for $5.69. There are so many ways to use fresh tomatoes, but I happen to love them grilled and roasted. They keep well on the counter for a week or more, so long as they are out of direct light.
The Bottom Line
It’s hard to pass these high-quality great deals from Costco. The hardest part, aside from the crowds, is finding storage for all those bulk products at home. That is why I didn’t recommend big bags of different flours, sugars and other baking staples–I just don’t have anywhere to put them. However, all the products recommended fit comfortably in my small pantry and freezer, so I can grab them whenever a recipe–or snacking–calls for them.