Costco Favorites for Healthy Eating
Costco Grocery Haul Favorites
The Refine YOU Program
Learn how to eat with recipes and tips to help you reach your goals with a customized nutrition and fitness plan.
Eating healthy it is not always easy. Healthy foods are typically not in a bag that you can just grab and go. The key to eating healthy is meal prep and meal planning. This means you plan ahead of time what you plan to eat and sometimes even cook these items a few days in advance.
I recommend taking 1-2 hours a week to prepare ahead of time the main dishes for the entire upcoming week. This ensures that you will have plenty of healthy food already prepared for the week.
I typically do most of my grocery shopping at Costco as well as a few other health food stores. Here are some of the things that I routinely buy from Costco, along with a video sharing specific items, and some of my favorite staples that make my week go so smoothly in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. (Be sure to scroll to the end for the video!)
Meats:
Protein is key in building muscle. Eating a good amount of protein also helps you feel full. Costco has a great meat selection. Grass fed beef, organic ground turkey, chicken breasts and they have HUGE salmon filets that I will typically cook half of then freeze the other half for later in the week or the following week.
Veggies:
Vegetables are KEY with keeping the macro nutrient percentages in check! Every lunch and dinner should contain a vegetable. With all meals needing vegetables, getting and preparing them in bulk will not leave any leftovers by the end of the week.
I typically buy Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers (6 pack) which go in a lot of recipes, sweet mini peppers for snacks, baby spinach for salads and they have some great chopped salad mixes. When in season, I will grab spaghetti squash, zucchini and butternut squash (already cubed and ready to use). Have you ever tried to make your own cauliflower rice in a food processor… it’s a pain and it makes a mess! Costco has riced cauliflower in the freezer sections as well as other frozen veggies. The bagged salad mixes I will use in salads I also will cook in a skillet with some extra virgin olive oil, some chopped chicken breast and seasonings. You will also find a great variety of jerky at Costco that is also organic.
My protein sources from Costco don’t only come from meats, Costco also sells eggs by the 2 dozen.
The supplements section at Costco can be overwhelming, but take it from me, you’ll find some of your favorites here. One of my favorite brands of protein powder and protein shakes (Vega) can be found here! They also have a wonderful selection of some great protein bars as well!
Pastas/Grains:
Did you know you know that you can still get your pasta fix by changing it up and using unrefined grains or vegetables? Costco carries Edamame Spaghetti noodles, quinoa pasta, as well as chickpea pasta, which are higher in protein than flour pasta, and great for those strength days that you need more carbohydrates!
Speaking of healthy carbs, you will also find organic quinoa, brown rice, and chia seeds which are the healthy unrefined grains that you should be eating. I like to throw some quinoa or brown rice in my salads for lunch to ensure I get the carbohydrates my muscles need.
Ezekiel bread and gluten free bread can be found in the freezer section. Ezekiel bread and other seeded breads are a great source of protein! Most bread you will find is bread with flour and grains that are stripped of their nutrients.
Fruit:
Fruits contain carbohydrates yes, but these carbohydrates are natural and do not contain added sugar. Fruit is a great source of carbohydrates and can satisfy your sweet tooth. I also add fruit in my salads from time to time which adds some sweetness and extra flavor.
Did you know that avocados are fruits? I buy a bag (contains 6), per week of avocados! They are packed full of nutrients, contain healthy fats, and are probably one of the healthiest foods you can eat! Great on toast (Ezekiel toast), with eggs, on salads, on sandwiches… on everything!
Nuts:
Nuts are a staple in my diet! They are high in fat and protein. Fats and protein will help you feel full so these are always a snack on my lower carbohydrate days! Walnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, nut mixes, cashews, chocolate dipped nuts, you name it, they probably have it!
Costco Haul Video
Costco Favorites to prepare healthy meals
Most of you know that what you eat is very important in living a healthy lifestyle. But do you know how important? The way your body composition is 80% dependent on nutrition and only 20% exercise, sleep, stress, and other factors. It is that important. Furthermore, it is not just how many calories you eat that is important. What makes up the calories you are eating is even more important. To have a good body composition (lower body fat and more lean muscle) you need to pay attention to the macro-nutrients, or macros (fats, protein and carbohydrates). If you need guidance to help you reach your health and fitness goals with your own customized nutrition and workout plan, check out The Refine YOU Program! The Refine YOU Program is a guided, 7 week, online program that will give you the support and guidance you need to get you to your goal!