The Price Makers Presents: The top Costco food items you should be buying right NOW!
If you let your stomach dictate what you throw into your cart, buying bulk foods on a budget can be a truly scary and overwhelming experience. It’s all too easy to get lost in the vast aisles, tempted by giant bags of chips and towering boxes of sugary cereals. You might come home with enough frozen burgers to feed a French army, a couple of industrial-sized pounds of mac and cheese, and very little else in terms of balanced nutrition. This often leads to a pantry full of impulse buys and a feeling of regret when you realize your shopping trip didn’t actually cover your meal needs for the week. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
When you shop at Costco with a clear plan, you can stick to a grocery list full of healthy, versatile, and easy-to-prepare foods that won’t break the bank. In fact, a strategic Costco run can be one of the most effective ways to lower your monthly grocery bill while simultaneously improving the quality of the food you eat. The first, most crucial step is to come prepared with a list of items that you actually need for specific meals and snacks. Sound daunting? Don’t worry! The Price Makers has got you covered. We’re here to take the guesswork out of the equation and guide you toward the smartest purchases.
We’ve scoured the Costco isles, compared the prices, and tasted the goods to come up with a definitive list of the 19 best bang-for-your-buck Costco food items. These aren’t just cheap; they represent a fantastic intersection of quality, quantity, and versatility. Simply add a couple of these proven hidden gems to your shopping list, and you’ll be off to a fantastic, budget-friendly start on your next grocery shopping spree! You’ll leave the store feeling confident and well-equipped for the weeks ahead.
Mott’s organic applesauce
You can readily toss this Costco food item in your work bag, your gym bag, or your kids’ lunchboxes and eat them later as a perfectly portable treat. They are an absolute lifesaver for busy parents who need a quick and healthy snack option. There’s no sugar added to these organic applesauce packs, either, which come in convenient grab-and-go containers, making them a guilt-free choice you can feel good about. Each package contains an impressive 36 individual servings and costs just $12.99, which breaks down to a fantastic value per portion, saving you a bundle compared to buying smaller packs at a traditional supermarket.
Dave’s Bread
The protein-packed whole-grain bread at Costco is a cult favorite for a reason. It is USDA organic and non-GMO, ensuring you’re getting high-quality ingredients in every slice. It boasts a “killer” taste and a wonderfully seeded texture that adds a satisfying crunch and depth of flavor to any sandwich. A two-pack of these generously sized loaves goes for $7.99 at Costco, a price that is often less than a single loaf at other stores. This bread is excellent for those looking to add a little more protein and fiber to their diet, and it holds up beautifully for everything from avocado toast to hearty grilled cheese sandwiches.
Organic berry blend
Elevate your morning oatmeal bowls, yogurt parfaits, and daily smoothies with this outstanding organic berry blend that contains a delicious mix of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Having this blend on hand in your freezer means you can enjoy the taste of summer berries all year long. Because they’re frozen at peak ripeness, they retain an incredible amount of flavor and nutrients. Each bag of this Costco food item is a hefty 3-pounds and costs a mere $7.79. It’s an incredibly economical way to add antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber to your diet without worrying about fresh berries going bad in the fridge.
Hass avocados
You can make fresh guacamole for game day and creamy avocado toast to your heart’s delight for far less with a bag of Costco’s consistently high-quality Hass avocados. These are also perfect for slicing onto salads, blending into smoothies for extra creaminess, or even as a healthy fat in homemade chocolate mousse. Each pack contains six large avocados and costs an unbelievable $5.79, which is less than a buck per fruit. At that price, you’ll never have to hesitate to add this delicious and nutrient-dense superfood to your meals again. Compare that to the price of a single avocado at your local grocery, and you’ll see the savings immediately.
Organic cacao powder
This nutrient-dense, plant-based powder is made from unroasted cacao beans and contains more magnesium than an entire serving of spinach! It’s also packed with flavonoids and antioxidants, which are known to combat free radicals in the body. A generous 24-ounce bag costs just $9.79, offering immense value. And the best part is that it’s resealable, so it stays fresh in your pantry for a long time, ready for your next culinary creation. It’s a far healthier alternative to processed cocoa powder for all your baking and beverage needs.
Pro Tip: You can use this Costco food item to add some delicious, deep chocolate flavor to your protein shakes, morning coffee, oatmeal, or even a pot of chili to give it a rich, complex mole-like taste.
Bear Naked granola
Bear Naked granola is a premium, gluten-free, and organic option that tastes incredibly indulgent. It features a delightful combination of rich Turkish hazelnut butter, a variety of super seeds like flax and chia, chunks of fair-trade dark chocolate, and a hint of sea salt to bring all the flavors together. When you think about it, it’s the perfect topping for your favorite smoothie bowl or a simple bowl of Greek yogurt, transforming a simple meal into a decadent treat. It’s also fantastic on its own as a crunchy snack.
Every 24-ounce resealable bag has about 11 servings and costs $9.99. This bulk bag offers significant savings over the smaller boxes sold in regular grocery stores, making a premium granola experience much more affordable for daily enjoyment.
Sabra’s hummus with crudites
This delicious hummus is made with roasted pine nuts, giving it a rich, nutty flavor and a wonderfully smooth texture that sets it apart from standard hummus. It is absolutely perfect for those hectic days when you have to feed a crowd at a moment’s notice, like for an impromptu get-together or as a quick appetizer before dinner. Just open the tub and serve with crackers, pita bread, or fresh vegetables for an instant, crowd-pleasing snack.
You can find Sabra’s roasted pine nut hummus in the refrigerated area at Costco. Each massive 2-pound tub of this Costco food item includes about 32 servings and goes for an amazing $5.99. The value is simply unbeatable, especially considering the quality and convenience it offers for easy entertaining or healthy snacking throughout the week.
Panera’s single-serve cups of mac and cheese
What can be better than the famously creamy and cheesy mac and cheese from Panera? How about simply grabbing them from your own kitchen rather than having to leave the house to stand in line and pay restaurant prices? These convenient single-serve cups of macaroni and cheese can be frozen and then easily reheated in the microwave for a super-fast meal or even warmed gently on your stovetop for a more traditional preparation.
This Costco food item is a game-changer for quick work-from-home lunches or for satisfying hungry kids after school. It provides a warm, comforting meal without all the extra effort of cooking from scratch. Each four-pack of these Panera Bread single-serve cups cost $9.99, bringing a fan-favorite comfort food right into your home for a fraction of the dine-in cost.
Organic bananas
At our favorite warehouse club, a few pounds of this staple Costco food item cost under $5, making it one of the best fresh produce deals in the entire store. Whether you like eating them as-is for a potassium-rich snack, slicing them over your cereal, or baking them into a delicious and moist banana bread, you simply can’t beat the value. You can pick up a large bunch of organic bananas at Costco for a mere $1.79. Pro tip: let a few get extra ripe, then peel and freeze them. They are perfect for blending into smoothies to create a naturally sweet and creamy base without needing to add ice.
Almond butter
Devoted almond butter fans understand that a single jar of this delicious stuff can be surprisingly pricey, especially when we compare it to its more common cousin, peanut butter. But the good news is that, at Costco, you can pick up some high-quality almond butter in bulk at a reasonably inexpensive price, making this healthy indulgence much more accessible for daily use. It’s often a simple recipe of just roasted almonds and sea salt.
This is amazing for those who love using almond butter in their recipes, spreading it on toast, or adding a scoop to their morning oatmeal. A massive 27-ounce jar goes for just $7.79, which is approximately $0.29 per ounce. That’s significantly more budget-friendly than buying a smaller jar at your local grocery store, where it can easily cost about $0.62 per ounce or more. The savings really add up over time.
Pomegranate arils
How great would it be to sit back and enjoy some vibrant, juicy pomegranate arils without all the added mess, time, and stained fingers of peeling the whole fruit? Costco makes this possible by offering ready-to-eat pomegranate seeds, which are a fantastic time-saver. They are perfect for sprinkling over salads, stirring into yogurt or cottage cheese, or as an elegant garnish on desserts and cocktails.
Every two-pack of 8-ounce bowls costs $6.99 after you grab a common $1 manufacturer’s rebate. But even without that rebate, this delicious Costco food item costs under $15 for a full pound of ready-to-eat arils. Considering the labor involved in deseeding a pomegranate, it’s an absolute steal!
Kirkland Signature walnut halves
While we’ll admit that nuts usually aren’t all that reasonably priced at most stores, they aren’t too bad if you buy them in bulk from this warehouse club, and the quality is consistently excellent. According to one consumer, walnuts are a perfect choice because they’re wonderfully “dense and delicious,” with an earthy flavor that pairs well with both sweet and savory dishes. They are perfect for baking into brownies and cookies or toasting to top a salad.
Their incredible health benefits are well-documented, as well. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic reports that they’re abundant in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and powerful antioxidants. You can pick up a huge 3-pound bag of these fresh, high-quality walnut halves for only $8.99. That comes out to an astonishing $3 per pound, a price that is virtually impossible to find elsewhere.
Risotto bites
The risotto bites at Costco are a gourmet appetizer made easy. They are made with a decadent three-cheese blend of pecorino, asiago, and mozzarella, all wrapped in a creamy risotto and coated in a crispy breading. And this particular Costco food item can simply be reheated from frozen in a 425-degree oven for about 10 minutes. They come out perfectly crispy on the outside and wonderfully gooey and cheesy on the inside. They are the perfect thing to have in your freezer for unexpected guests or when you want a sophisticated snack without the effort.
Rotisserie chicken
We can’t have a list of budget-friendly buys without including our absolute favorite, the legendary Costco rotisserie chicken. It is unbelievably versatile, chock-full of ready-to-eat protein, and astonishingly affordable for how much food you get. The meat is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, and the leftovers can be used in countless other dishes like chicken salad, tacos, soups, and casseroles.
And to stretch your dollar even further, you can shred all the meat from the bones and then boil the carcass with some vegetable scraps to make some delicious, rich homemade chicken broth for free! If you purchase it through Instacart, it’ll cost you $6.21, or you can grab it hot and fresh from the store for an unbeatable $4.99. It’s arguably the best deal in the entire store.
Coconut oil
Unrefined, cold-pressed, and chemical-free, the Kirkland Signature coconut oil can be a fantastic and healthy substitute for butter and many other cooking oils in your everyday recipes. It’s excellent for medium-heat sautéing, baking, and adding a subtle tropical flavor to dishes. Costco has an enormous 84-ounce tub of this high-quality Costco food item that goes for just $13.99. This single purchase will likely last you for many months, offering incredible long-term value and saving you from buying smaller, more expensive jars frequently.
Flav-R-Pac classic mixed vegetables
Getting our daily serving of veggies for mere pennies on the dollar certainly sounds like a good deal to us! And with this enormous frozen medley of green beans, sweet corn, carrots, tender peas, and lima beans, you’re in for a real treat in terms of both value and convenience. Keeping this in your freezer ensures you always have a side of vegetables ready to go, preventing food waste from fresh produce that might go bad.
You can serve them as is with some simple butter and salt, or easily incorporate them into your favorite dishes, including hearty casseroles, pot pies, soups, and quick stir-fries. Grab a massive 5-pound bag from Costco Business Center for only $7.99. That breaks down to a stunning one dollar and 60 cents per pound for a versatile vegetable mix.
Organic baby spinach
Pick up a large container of triple-washed, USDA-certified organic spinach for your morning omelets, fresh salads, and quick veggie sides. The fact that it’s pre-washed saves you a significant amount of prep time in the kitchen. You can also wilt a few handfuls into pasta sauces or soups for an invisible nutrient boost, or blend it into a green smoothie. You won’t be sorry you did! Each one-pound container of this fresh and vibrant Costco food item is consistently priced at an incredible $3.79, making it one of the most affordable ways to buy organic greens.
Swift boneless pork loin
If you have enough space in your freezer for about nine pounds of pork, we highly recommend picking up this incredible Costco food item from the superstore. It’s a fan favorite with many savvy consumers for a good reason. It’s a massive cut of meat that can be broken down into numerous future meals, and you won’t believe how inexpensive it always is for the quality you receive.
You can grind half the pork loin for homemade sausage or pasta sauce and save the rest to use as thick-cut pork chops or a whole roast. Also, pork is typically good for you because it’s full of high-quality protein, essential vitamins like thiamin and niacin, and minerals such as selenium, according to WebMD. Add it to your Instacart for $33.93. That’s an amazing $3.72 per pound for a versatile, high-quality cut of meat!
Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil
The particular olive oil we’re talking about is from the Kirkland Signature line, a brand known for its exceptional quality. It’s PGI-certified, which stands for Protected Geographical Indication. This certification guarantees that the oil genuinely comes from Tuscany, Italy, and adheres to strict quality standards. It has a full-bodied, peppery aroma with distinct fruity overtones, making it perfect for finishing dishes, creating vinaigrettes, or for dipping fresh bread. A large 33-ounce bottle costs just $13.99, an excellent price for authentic Italian extra-virgin olive oil.
Now, it’s YOUR turn. We’ve shared our top picks, but the aisles of Costco are vast and full of treasures. Let us know in the comments if you know of any other must-buy Costco food items our readers MUST know about! Your tips could help someone else save money and discover a new favorite. And if you’re looking for a trusted source to buy fresh produce all the time, especially when you can’t make it to the warehouse, check this out!
If you liked this article and are hungry for more money-saving tips, we highly recommend you also read: 6 Best Grocery Delivery Services to Use RIGHT NOW!
