Costco is my absolute favorite place to shop. Like most of us, I am way too busy to run to the store multiple times per week and I love “stocking up” on things while I am there. We buy the majority of our protein sources and produce in bulk on a monthly basis. Not only does this cut down on the amount of shopping but it also cuts my grocery bill significantly! Below are some of my favorite fat-loss friendly finds that can be purchased from your local “warehouse store”.
- Canned tuna packed in water: Super quick snack on the go and you can take it anywhere (except in your carry-on when flying- speaking from experience :)). Be sure to drain and rinse well as they rarely often lower sodium varieties.
- Almonds: I bought a 3 pound bag for $10 at Costco yesterday- that will last for 3 months or longer!
- Produce: On a given week I will buy large cartons of greens, spinach, collards, and blueberries, bags of broccoli, green peppers, apples, pears and anything else that looks tasty. This is a GREAT place to save as produce can be one of the most expensive parts of grocery shopping. Check out our list of foods that you may or may not want to buy organic.
- Seafood: Costco offers large slabs of salmon that offer 8 servings for around $12. This is a go-to meal at my house when we invite friends or family for dinner. A few spices and 20 minutes on the grill and dinner is ready!
- Lean Beef: We often purchase lean ground beef in a bulk quantity (about 6 pounds) and then split it up into freezer bags of about 2 pounds each and freeze. The hassle is well worth the savings!
- Chicken: Costco offers a great price on organic chicken breasts and even its “regular” chicken breasts are very tasty and have no added preservative solution full of salt and slime :)
- Pork Loin: Costco is one of the only places that I can find lean pork loins and sirloin without marinades or ridiculous amounts of added sodium. I often cook a pork loin in the slow cooker with a low sodium and low sugar barbecue sauce overnight and then “pull it”. It amazingly tastes very similar to “Carolina Barbecue”.
- Eggs: We go through a TON of eggs at my house and Costco is a great place to buy them in large quantities with convenient packaging. Use them to make omelets throughout the week or hard-boil a dozen or more on the weekends for quick grab-and-go snacks.
- Sugar-free gum: I am a gum addict. I do realize that it is not a healthy food and is not contributing to my physique goals, but I love it and I know a lot of you Jillfit followers do too! I can buy my Dentyne Fire in bulk here at a great price!
- Protein bars: Costco offers a variety of brands at any given time but they always have “Pure Protein” bars that offer at least 15 grams of protein and very little sugar. (Beware they do contain malitol which can cause stomach upset for some people).
Get your big cart and go to town! Disclaimer: Warehouse stores can be really terrible for impulse buys so be ready!!! :) Good luck!
