Costco

David and I made a fairly big Costco haul today, stocking up on a lot of our essentials.  At first glance, I don’t think many people would associate Costco with healthy eating, produce, and specialty diet foods.  Look again!  In addition to crazy good deals on giant tvs, outdoor patio furniture, and jumbo packs of socks, there are a lot of good, healthy, whole foods.

Here’s a peek at the items we picked up today, and a few other things we already had from a previous run.

Chia Seeds—This was the first time I saw these at Costco and even though I have some at home, I bought a bag because I was so excited about the price!  $13.99 for 2 pounds!  I’ve been paying $11.69 for 1 pound at my Kroger superstore—I was thrilled to see such a good deal.  Chia Mojitos or Chia mousse anyone?

Spinach—I use spinach in my smoothies almost daily, so this is always a staple for us.  And while I try to use up the entire box (mostly successfully), even if I don’t completely finish it, it is still less expensive to buy it at Costco.  $3.99 for a 1 pound box—that’s a lot of spinach!

Applesauce—apples are a dirty dozen so I only get organic apple products.  And while I do like to make my own applesauce, both of my guys also like the store bought kind.  So when they have the large jars in stock (not the individual packs) I bring home a package.  It’s nice to have some kind of fruit in the pantry for days when I realize it’s been a little too long since I’ve been to the store and need something for David!

Carrots—10 pounds is a LOT of carrots, but they last really well in the fridge.  They also take up a lot of space!  But it’s worth it—I think my little family of 3 can go through 3 or 4 pounds of roasted carrots in a sitting!  We love them.  I’ve also been experimenting with throwing them into my smoothies.  I can’t believe my little blender can handle them, but it does!

Dried Fruits and Nuts—$8 something for a 1 pound box of dates, best deal in town.  I use these in smoothies, as snacks for David, and in my snack bars.  Don’t be turned off by the pit—they just slide out with a little squeeze—so fast!  I also get jumbo bags of raisins, walnuts and almonds at Costco.  Perfect for making snack bars!  I was thrilled when I saw this big bag of figs today.  Irving loves them, and they are really healthy.  They are a great source of calcium.  Always check the ingredient lists to make sure that they don’t have any added sugar.

Quinoa—another staple in our house—I feel like my pots know how to cook the quinoa on their own!  I like quinoa as a quick side—1 c quinoa, 1 ¾ c water, 1 T nutritional yeast, and 1 T champagne/balsamic/white wine vinegar.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve up all of that wonderful protein!

Fruit—Smoothies anyone?  $1.32 for this bunch of bananas!  I like to freeze them when ripe  so they are ready to go in the morning.  And just $2.99 for a big pineapple!  I love using fresh pineapple in Pineapple Curry Fried Quinoa, quickly stir fried with tofu, and fresh as a dessert.  Yum!

Maple Syrup—this is my unrefined sweetener of choice!  Have you noticed?

Olive oil—I use this almost daily, so I get the big jugs!

Coconut oil—I was so happy to see Costco carrying this.  About $20 for a huge container!  I use it in stir fries, Lara bars, I’ve even used it as lotion!

Lentils—ever wonder who actually buys the 25 pound bag of lentils?  Yep, this girl does!  We get the red and green/brown lentils.  I could eat lentils every day!

Sugar—I like this organic cane sugar.  It’s vegan!  Did you know that most white sugars are refined using animal bones?  No thank you!

Pink Salt—I like the little salt and pepper grinders from Costco.  Especially the Himilayan Pink Salt.  So pretty, and a great source of minerals.

Veggie Meats—Costco carries Field Roast sausages and a few Gardein products, as well as several other brands (these are just our favorites).  And while we’re working to avoid heavily processed foods, it’s nice to have these as fallback items and treats every once in a while!

Who knew Costco could be such a great spot for vegans to shop!  And by using our dollars, we are able to reinforce to Costco that there is a market for all of these great, healthy, veggie products!  Ready to go shopping?

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