The Ultimate Heart-Healthy Costco List for Busy People
Costco serves more than 10 million members across Canada and 132 million in the USA, so there’s a good chance you have a Costco membership and want to make good use of it, especially with the scary price of food these days.
But there’s a lot going on when you walk into a Costco. Big screen TVs with pretty pictures. Christmas trees in August. Samples that turn into lunch.
So let’s focus. I’ve updated my list of Costco foods that can promote better heart health, with an emphasis on time-saving and convenience products, because most of my readers are overwhelmed, exhausted, and living with heart disease or related conditions.
Like all of my reviews, this post is NOT SPONSORED. I don’t take money to promote anything, so you can be confident you’re getting independent expertise.
You can go straight to the list, a particular section as below, or read on for my rationale first.
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Nuts and seeds
Lentils, beans, and other legumes
Fish
Dairy
Poultry and meat
Kitchen staples
What does heart healthy really mean?
Having worked in this field for nearly 20 years, I’m painfully aware that this is a controversial topic! 😂 So I’ll base this on the latest clinical practice guidelines.
The Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s guidelines recommend the Mediterranean dietary pattern, and the American Heart Association (AHA) dietary guidelines, summarized below, are quite similar:
- Plenty and a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Whole grain foods and products
- Healthy sources of protein (mostly plants; regular fish and seafood; low-fat or fat-free dairy; and if meat or poultry is desired, lean and unprocessed)
- Liquid plant oils rather than tropical oils and partially hydrogenated fats
- Minimally processed instead of ultra-processed foods
- Minimize beverages and foods with added sugars
- Foods with little or no salt
I generally based the list on these recommendations. Skip down to the list or read more about my criteria here first.
How do we translate that into specific products?
Some products are obvious. Frozen mixed vegetables – in. Giant tubs of pork rinds – not so much. Here’s my thinking when translating those guidelines into specific products.
”Minimally processed instead of ultra-processed foods”
We’ve heard a lot lately about the link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and cardiovascular disease. But what exactly counts as UPF?
It’s easy to assess at the extremes. Fresh veggies are minimally processed, Veggie Straws are ultra-processed. But what about store-bought low-sodium vegetable soup?
The NOVA Food Classification System, which is widely used in research, would count the soup as ultra-processed too. But clearly its effect on health wouldn’t be the same as Veggie Straws (pet peeve).
Some have criticized the NOVA system for being poorly defined. The AHA guidelines acknowledge that “There is no commonly accepted definition for ultra-processed foods, and some healthy foods may exist within the ultra-processed food category.”
So we’ll use our other heart health principles to assess the more processed foods at Costco: Do they give you vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, fish, etc? How much sodium do they have? How much added or free sugar? Refined grains?
“Minimize beverages and foods with added sugars”
How much sugar is too much? This is a tricky one. Heart and Stroke Foundation guidelines suggest that we aim for no more than 10% of our calories from added sugars, and ideally 5%.
For a 2000-calorie day, that means about 50 grams of added sugar, or ideally 25 grams. (Note: You may well need more than 2000 calories, so you might have more flexibility here.)
My rule of thumb is to aim for 8 grams of added sugar at a meal or less. Do that over three meals and you’re at 24 grams. That gives you some wiggle room for when your neighbour drops by with homemade chocolate chip cookies.
So I looked for foods at Costco with no more than about 8 grams of added sugar per serving.
“Foods with little or no salt”
Again, how much is too much? My rule of thumb here is about 500mg of sodium or less per meal, which will help you stay under Hypertension Canada and WHO’s 2000mg a day sodium recommendation, with room for snacks and/or occasional meals that are higher. If you’re aiming for the AHA’s 1500mg target, you can be a bit more conservative.
So clearly if a food has 1090mg sodium per serving, it’s not on my list. (Apologies to fans of the frozen Yakisoba with Vegetables bowls.)
If it meets Health Canada’s definition of low-sodium – ≤140 mg per serving (or ≤140 mg per 100 g of food, if it’s a prepackaged meal – I included it.
If the sodium was somewhere in between, I included if it helped with other principles, and I mention the sodium, so you can balance with vegetables, grains, and other foods that can be prepared with little sodium.
Note: Organic not needed
Don’t be misled by the many organic foods at Costco. Organic foods have a powerful “health halo,” meaning people assume that makes them health-promoting.
You may have your reasons to buy organic, but we don’t have concrete evidence of long-term health benefits, cardiovascular or otherwise. There are organic foods on my list, but for other reasons.
Also consider: quantity and price
Of course, you should only buy food at Costco if having a truckload of it works in your household! It doesn’t save you money if it lands in the compost.
And the price is often significantly lower at Costco, but not always. Compare unit prices if that’s important to you.
The list
A few caveats:
- I sorted the foods roughly in order of level of processing, with higher fibre choices generally first, and higher sodium or sugar products last.
- If you’re in another part of Canada or another country, you may have different brands, but likely similar products.
- Please forgive my hasty photography!
Fruits and vegetables
(“Plenty and a variety of fruits and vegetables”)
Of course Costco sells row upon row of fresh fruit and vegetables. If you like to munch on apples or baby cucumbers, these are the ultimate heart-healthy convenience food.
What else do they have to help us get those elusive veggies and fruit?
- Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach – Prewashed and ready to slip into stir-fries, wraps, smoothies, and more. Spinach is a good source of nitrates, which can help lower blood pressure.
- Frozen vegetables – You’ll find the usuals – corn, peas, broccoli – all with no salt added. But if you don’t want a Costco-sized bag of each in your freezer, the Kirkland Signature (KS) Stir-Fry Special Blend gives you a nice variety, whether you use it for a stir-fry or not.
- PuraVida Fire Roasted Vegetable Primavera is another tasty frozen veggie mix you can have with eggs, pasta, or alone. Note that salt has been added to this one, but the sodium level is moderate.
- Frozen fruit – Like the frozen veggies, you get all of the nutrition with none of the food waste. Don’t overlook the luscious Moov Dark Sweet Cherries. They’re a bit higher in (naturally occurring) sugar, but they’re also a good source of potassium and polyphenol antioxidants, both of which are thought to be beneficial for heart health.
- Kirkland Signature Organic Diced Tomatoes – No Salt Added (pictured above) – Great to always have a can on hand if you make a lot of soup, chili, or pasta sauce. We also just toss with pasta and cooked chicken for an easy weeknight meal.
- Diana Sliced Peaches – Like canned vegetables, canned fruits retain much of their nutrition, and this was the lowest in sugar I could find. Keep some on hand so you can enjoy fruit even if you haven’t been to the store for a while.
- Dole Tropical Gold Pineapple Chunks – Wouldn’t that make a nice dessert? Bonus: A cup contains 9% of your daily potassium! Good for blood pressure.
- Salad kits – So handy! But sorry to say that the Taylor Farms Baja Salad Kit is the only one low in both sugar and sodium. Fans of the popular Eat Smart Sweet Kale Salad Kit (high in sugar) and Taylor Farms Creamy Dill Pickle Salad Kit (high in sodium) could experiment with leaving out some of the dressing and fixings, replacing them with extra virgin olive oil and a zesty vinegar.
- Fontaine Sante Bruschetta – An easy way to add flavourful tomatoes to pasta, eggs, or whole-grain toast. My kids like to dip whole grain crackers (see below) in hummus and then this bruschetta mix.
- Wholly Guacamole Minis – Not quite the same as homemade guacamole, but they make quick work of packing lunch, paired with whole grain crackers. Plus you can use them for tacos, sandwiches, or to toss into a salad when you don’t have a ripe avocado. Bonus tip: You can freeze them!
- California Sun Dry Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes can be high in sodium but these ones aren’t bad. Try them for pasta salad with artichoke hearts or pizza with goat cheese. Pro tip: Use the sun-dried tomato-flavoured olive oil to saute other veggies. (And don’t worry when it solidifies in the fridge. Olive oil does that. Just let it warm back up to room temperature.)
- Dr. Praeger’s Organic California Style Veggie Burgers – People seem to love or hate these, but they’re worth a try, as they’re loaded with veggies and fibre (not much protein though). Sodium is a bit high, especially if you add a bun and cheese, but typical for a burger.
Whole grains
(“Whole grain foods and products“)
How’s your whole-grain game? One analysis showed that if you eat 2.5 servings a day or more, you’re 21% less likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or need bypass surgery or a stent. Bonus: Most are a great source of fibre, which helps with both heart and gut health.
How can Costco help you get there?
- Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats – These have the most fibre of the unprocessed whole grains at Costco, including beta glucan, a type of fibre that can lower cholesterol. Ready in 7 minutes. Also works for overnight oats. (See my oatmeal primer to better understand the different types of oat products.)
- Kirkland Signature Organic Quinoa – Quinoa has about twice the fibre of brown rice and cooks in just 15 minutes. If you’re a fan, you know you can use it in salads, bowls, or side dishes. Not a fan? A great recipe might change your mind.
- Sunbrown Australian Calrose Brown Rice – The least expensive whole grain at Costco, and an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral critical to heart health that about a third of Canadians don’t get enough of.
- Lotus Foods Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen – Unlike typical packaged ramen, these noodles are made from just brown rice and millet flours – no palm oil, sodium, or refined grains. A heart-healthy win, but you’ll need to come up with your own seasoning – perhaps a coconut curry sauce for a stir-fry or lower-sodium chicken broth for soup.
- Silver Hills breads – Sprouted grain breads like Squirrelly Bread are whole grains with a relatively low glycemic index and more protein and fibre than other bread. A little too hearty for sandwiches, in my opinion, but great for toast. Add some guacamole or bruschetta mix (see above).
- Dempster’s breads – The Ancient Grain with Quinoa and other multi-grain whole grain options also generally have a low glycemic index, with a texture that some prefer over sprouted grains, especially for sandwiches.
- Kellogg’s All-Bran Buds – I find that people who don’t like this have tried to eat a bowl of it like regular cereal. Think of it as a fibre supplement instead and sprinkle it on another cereal or yogurt, or blend into a smoothie. Its psyllium really can help nudge down cholesterol. Start with just a tablespoon or two and gradually increase.
- Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn – Popcorn is a whole grain, but it’s often slathered with too much butter, salt, and/or sugar to land in the heart-healthy column. This product is a good compromise between air-popped and the more decadent fare.
- Dempster’s 100% Whole Wheat Large Tortillas – A burrito, quesadilla, or wrap gives you a convenient, portable, tasty way to get another whole grain serving or two. Try to fill it with lower-sodium ingredients like peanut butter and banana, because the wrap alone is 320mg of sodium. Better than most tortillas, but not insignificant.
- Kodiak Power Cakes – Not only are these whole grain wheat and oats, but they serve up a decent amount of protein, tough for many people to get at breakfast. Watch the sodium if you go for a stack of them.
- Mary’s Organic Original Crackers – Crackers aren’t the heart-healthiest way to get whole grains, but they’re better than refined grain crackers. Made with brown rice, quinoa, flax seeds, sesame seeds, tamari, and sea salt, these are pretty hearty/dry, but some people love them. They’re also gluten free, if you need that. The sodium is a bit higher than other whole grain crackers.
- Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers – As far as I can tell, these are the only other whole grain crackers at Costco. The main ingredients are brown rice flour, potato starch, and a variety of seeds, so less fibre than Mary’s. But they’re lower in sodium and tasty. Don’t confuse them with the Crunchmaster Rice Crackers, which are not whole grain.
- Nature’s Path Pumpkin Seed & Flax Granola – Granola is a whole grain but it often has a lot of sugar. Costco’s granolas are no exception. Stick with a ½-cup or less and combine with a lower-sugar food like plain yogurt or Post Shredded Wheat cereal (not sold at Costco). The other granolas at our Costco either have more sugar, more saturated fat, or more sodium.
Nuts and seeds
(“Healthy sources of protein – mostly plants”)
Plant protein comes mainly from nuts, seeds, and legumes, which include lentils, dried peas and beans, tofu and soybeans.
What plant protein foods does Costco sell? Surprisingly quite a few legumes, as well as nuts and seeds, which are generally priced much lower than at other stores.
While nuts and seeds don’t provide that much protein – with the exception of peanuts and pumpkin seeds – they’re associated with a 25% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and they’re satisfying and tasty to most people. Let’s take a look at them first:
- CanMar Organic Milled (Ground) Golden Roasted Flax – A tool in our cholesterol-lowering toolbox, ground flax is less a source of protein and more a way to boost your intake of cholesterol-lowering soluble fibre and omega-3 fat. You can use it to replace eggs in baking, and sprinkle it on everything from oats to yogurt.
- Kirkland Signature Organic Chia Seeds – These are the highest in fibre of the seeds, also including soluble fibre. Not sure what to do with them? Try chia pudding or chia jam and go from there.
- Kirkland Signature Organic Hemp Hearts – These hulled hemp seeds stand out for protein, but they’ll also give you some omega-3 fat and fibre. Seeds really are underrated! Add them to oatmeal, a smoothie, or even a salad.
- Yupik Raw Cashews – My favourite thing to do with raw cashews is blend them into a creamy pasta sauce reminiscent of alfredo, but you can also use them to make a cardioprotective alternative to sour cream or heavy cream. They’re magical!
- Natural nut butters – The Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter is made from nothing but peanuts, while their Almond Butter is 100% roasted almonds.
The Mixed Nut Butter with Seeds combines almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds, giving it a bit more fibre and omega-3 fat, but a bit less protein.
And our Costco just started carrying the popular Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter, which contains just peanuts and a small amount of salt.
Which is best? They’re all heart-healthy in one way or another! Go with what you enjoy most.
- Kirkland Signature Roasted Whole Cashews – Many people think of roasted cashews as an indulgent treat, but they’re actually quite heart healthy! They’re mostly heart-healthy unsaturated fat, and the half-cup serving on the package gives you more than half a day’s worth of magnesium.
If you like them unsalted, fantastic, but even the KS salted cashews aren’t bad for sodium, with just 150mg (7%) in that generous half-cup serving. Combine with an apple for a satisfying, crunchy snack.
- Kirkland Signature Peanuts – Similarly, these salted peanuts, which might seem like a no-no for sodium watchers, are fine if you can keep your overall intake of sodium reasonable. (A half-cup serving has 200mg (9%) of sodium.)
Believe it or not, the humble peanut may improve your cholesterol numbers and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Kirkland Signature Snacking Nuts – I love recommending these because they’re so easy to stash in your car, gym bag, and/or desk. The packages are peanuts, almonds, or cashews, with sodium ranging from 105 to 180mg per package (about a ⅓ cup).
- NaturSource Tamari Almonds – These are the highest in sodium, at 170mg for just a quarter-cup serving, but if you don’t eat out often or eat much processed food, you can enjoy a few for occasional variety. I like to use them for homemade trail mix with no-salt-added cashews and dried cranberries.
- NaturSource Organic Salad Topper – These are just pumpkin and sunflower seeds with dried cranberries, but it saves you having to dig into a bag of each of those. Thanks to the sweetened cranberries, the sugar is 7g per ¼ cup serving, so it barely made my cutoff.
Still, if it means your salad goes from ho-hum to yes please, it’s a win!
- Kirkland Signature Nut Bars – If you need another option for stowing healthy snacks everywhere, I like these for their balance of reasonable sugar (6g), impressive fibre (8g), and decent protein (5g), and lack of non-nutritive (aka artificial) sweeteners. (And they taste so good!)
What other plant protein foods are there?
While we also get protein from grains and even a small amount from fruit and vegetables, the biggest category is…
Lentils, Beans, and other Legumes
A diet rich in legumes can help lower your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, or strokes. Eating them every day can effectively treat these diseases if you already have them.
Surprisingly, Costco has plenty of options to ease your relationship with beans!
- Nature’s Classic Edamame – The only ingredient in this quick frozen snack or side dish is soybeans. There’s no seasoning, so next to no sodium, but you’ll probably want to add something. A light sprinkle of coarse salt might taste salty, because it’s on the surface of the food, but it doesn’t add much sodium.
- Nature’s Classic Green Chickpeas – Green chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) are harvested at an early stage, giving them a softer texture like fresh peas. They’ll add a vibrant green colour to any dish.
Boil, saute briefly, or defrost in the fridge before tossing in a salad, bowl, or pasta. You can even use them to make hummus! Look for them with the frozen vegetables.
- Verka Split Red Lentils – Dried red lentils, also called masoor daal, are incredibly nutritious and heart-healthy. They cook and become soft very quickly, making them easy to slip into soups, pancakes, curries, or stews without them overwhelming the other ingredients.
- Verka Split Chickpeas – Dried chickpeas or channa dal can be similarly used for soups, curries, stews, pilafs and salads. These and dried lentils are some of the least expensive plant proteins you can buy.
- Superior Natural Extra Firm Organic Tofu – Tofu is derived from soybeans so it’s another easy way to add plant protein to a meal, if you get the hang of cooking it. Not a fan? Maybe this Peanut Tofu dish will change your mind.
- Dunya Harvest Organic Black Beans and Chickpeas – Having a case of canned beans on hand means you can always whip up black bean quesadillas, black bean soup, or chickpea salad. A heart-healthy convenience food! They have salt added, for 125mg sodium per ½ cup serving, but if you drain and rinse them well you can cut out about half of that.
- Fontaine Sante Hummus – Hummus is a tasty way to get chickpeas, but don’t think of it as the protein in your meal – it’s not that high because there’s also plenty ofca tahini, oil, and seasonings. But as dips go, hummus is a winner! Available in mini cups you can throw in when packing lunch. Combine with raw veggies or whole grain crackers (see above).
- MorningStar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burger – I’d say this is the tastiest veggie burger at our Costco, with more than twice the protein of the Dr. Praeger’s burger above.
Unfortunately, all that spiciness comes with a cost – 450mg sodium per patty. But with ten grams of fibre, it’s a winner in my books.
Fish
(“Healthy sources of protein – regular fish and seafood”)
Costco has an impressive variety of fish. The fresh choices – convenient if you’re cooking it in the next day or two – will vary depending on your location. These are some other useful products you might want to have on hand:
- Frozen Wild Sockeye Salmon – Some people love sockeye for its rich flavour and firm texture. But avoid overcooking! It’s best when it’s still moist and slightly pink inside.
- Kirkland Signature Frozen Mahi Mahi – Flashback to your Hawaii vacation. Well, not exactly, but the sodium is low (100mg) and each piece is individually frozen and vacuum sealed, so it’s convenient. Hello fish tacos!
- Royal Harbour Frozen Haddock Fillets – This relatively affordable fish comes with the MSC checkmark, indicating it’s sustainably sourced. There’s no omega-3 fat, but it’s still a high quality, lean protein. It needs seasoning – lemon, garlic, dill, salsa, parmesan, and/or panko bread crumbs will elevate it.
- Trident Seafoods Wild Pacific Salmon Burger – These cook from frozen in minutes – watch that you don’t overcook them. Sodium is typical for a burger – 330mg. Pair with lettuce, tomato, avocado, tzatziki, and/or Greek yogurt with dill.
- Ocean’s Wild Sockeye or Pink Canned Salmon – Wild salmon with the MSC checkmark, omega-3 fat, more affordable than fresh, ready when you are. What’s not to love? Some people struggle with the strong taste and bones.
If you have my 30 Minute Heart Healthy Cookbook, try the Salmon and Avocado Toast (p.39) or Tomato and Zucchini with Salmon and Farro (p.114). Both use canned salmon.
- Kersen Boneless Canned Sardines in Sunflower Oil – Sardines are even less popular, but they’re so sustainable, reasonably priced, and high in omega-3 fat that they deserve a mention. And some people really like them!
Mix with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper and use like you would tuna. Or try some of the mouth-watering ideas in this article.
- Gold Seal Canned Wild Mackerel – Not to scare you, but mackerel also deserves consideration. It’s even higher in omega-3 fat, with a milder flavour than sardines.
As this article advises, combine with “good buttered bread and half an avocado, all sprinkled with flaky salt and a squeeze of lemon,” and call it supper. Try it anywhere you’d use chicken or tuna.
- Canned tuna (various brands) – While canned tuna is low in omega-3 fat, it’s an affordable, convenient, more widely accepted, high quality lean protein. The popular tasty Rio Mare brand is canned in olive oil, but watch the sodium content, about twice that of other canned fish.
Dairy
(“Healthy sources of protein – low-fat or fat-free dairy”)
The most significant difference between the traditional Mediterranean diet and AHA is the latter’s emphasis on low-fat or fat-free dairy, although they do acknowledge that the role of fat in dairy is still being debated.
Studies that look at the different types of dairy typically find yogurt beneficial, regardless of fat content, and even higher-fat cheeses neutral or slightly beneficial, so I go with that.
Options for these at Costco?
- Kirkland Signature Plain 0% Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt is significantly higher in protein than regular yogurt, so if you don’t mind the thicker texture, go with that. If you don’t like the tangy taste of plain, one option is to sweeten with a bit of honey or maple syrup. You’ll likely add much less sugar than is in flavoured yogurts.
- Oikos Vanilla 2% Greek Yogurt with 25% less sugar – Flavoured yogurts, including vanilla, all have about the same sugar content, except the ones labelled like this as lower in sugar. I think the taste is still fine, and they’re handy in lunches or for a protein-rich snack.
- Good Mood Farm Plain 3.25% Kefir – Kefir is a fermented dairy product, like a drinkable yogurt, but with a different array of beneficial microbes that can support gut health. It’s also a good source of protein and calcium. Add it to smoothies, use in baking like you would buttermilk, or drink it straight. People often find the flavour off-putting, but you might just develop a taste for it. Think “lemony milk, nice,” not “sour milk, yikes.”
- Tre Stelle Mini Bocconcini – You might be surprised to see it on the list, but these bite-sized balls of fresh mozzarella cheese have next to no sodium! The saturated fat isn’t bad either. Layer with fresh tomato and basil, drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil – the classic caprese salad.
- Bella Casara Burrata Cheese – Nutritionally similar to the bocconcini, this fresh cheese is creamy, soft, and rich. It even contains bacterial cultures! Serve with your caprese, roasted vegetables or a sandwich.
Note that these soft cheeses only last a few days once opened. Buying them at Costco may not make sense unless you have a crowd.
- Individually packaged cheese (numerous brands) – These cheeses, like Balderson Cheddar or Hollandia Gouda, will be higher in sodium and saturated fat, but you can’t beat the convenience when packing lunch or a snack.
- Kirkland Signature Cheese, Fruit, and Nut Packs – Another option for protein on the go. These are right at my sugar limit (8 grams) and have 180-190mg sodium, but for a change and a snack you’ll look forward to, they might hit your “sweet spot.”
Poultry and meat
(“Healthy sources of protein – If meat or poultry is desired, lean and unprocessed”)
As with fruit and vegetables, you’ll find plenty of lean, unprocessed poultry and meat at Costco, from chicken breasts to beef tenderloin. In general, cuts with the word “loin” in the name, like top sirloin, are leaner, but let your eyes be the judge. If you see more fat, there will be more in the meat, even if you trim away visible fat.
Note that the word “processed” has a specific meaning when it comes to meat, poultry, or even fish. Processed meats are those “preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or the addition of chemical preservatives,” including bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, and more.
While studies have “documented a direct association between red meat intake and CVD incidence and mortality,” the association is stronger from processed versus unprocessed red meats, which is why I’ve included lean red meat below but no processed meats. The Mediterranean diet does include red meat, but it’s secondary to other proteins, as in the AHA guidelines.
In addition to fresh poultry and meats, what can you get at Costco to make life a bit easier?
- Kirkland Signature Extra Lean Ground Turkey – Brown for pasta sauce, chili, or tacos. Leaner than lean ground beef, so watch that you don’t overcook it. Costco has recently moved to a giant 3kg (6.6lb) log for ground turkey here, but if you don’t mind repackaging into smaller portions and freezing, you’ll be set up with turkey for ages!
- Kirkland Signature Frozen Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – These breasts are individually frozen, so if you just want to cook one or two, you can. And they can be cooked directly from frozen – so easy! Note that they have a bit more sodium than fresh – 185mg per 100 gram serving.
- Kirkland Signature Frozen Chicken Breast Fillets – Fillets are smaller, thinner, flat pieces cut from the breast, so they’ll cook faster than full breasts. (Be careful that you don’t overcook them.) Try stir-frying or roasting in the oven with a bread crumb coating.
- Gourmet Grille Homestyle Chicken Breast Burgers – Another convenient protein option to stash in the freezer! People seem to like these better than the Connie’s brand, which is higher in sodium. These are 270mg sodium per patty as well as a whopping 28 grams of protein.
- Rotisserie Chicken – You can’t beat the convenience of coming home with a hot, cooked whole chicken. In terms of sodium, rotisserie chicken is typically about halfway between fresh chicken and deli meat, about 350mg per 100 gram serving, and without harmful nitrates and nitrites.
- Kirkland Signature 91% Lean Ground Beef – If you prefer ground beef versus turkey, Costco’s is fairly lean. Just enough fat to add flavour.
- Kirkland Signature Frozen Lean Beef Patties – The only ingredient in these is beef, compared to most pre-formed patties, which have salt and other additives.
- Kirkland Signature Canned Chicken Breast – A pantry staple you can use to make chicken salad sandwiches, enchilada filling, chicken tortilla soup, or combine with salt-free taco seasoning for tacos, burritos, or taco salads. You might even pop a couple in your 72-hour emergency kit for high quality protein in a power outage.
Sodium is 380mg per 110 gram serving, so try to pair with fresh veggies and other low-sodium foods.
Kitchen staples
(“Liquid plant oils”, plus a few other essentials)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Costco sells several brands of EVOO, as it’s affectionately known, a staple of the Mediterranean diet.
- Canola or avocado oil – You’ll likely also want a neutral-flavoured oil in the kitchen, and really, either canola or avocado oil will do the trick. Bonus: They both have relatively high smoke points.
Canola is a lower priced option, while avocado oil is for those who prefer to avoid genetically modified (GM) foods.
Costco also carries this easy-to-use Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray, although given the cost, I usually just drizzle oil and spread it with a brush. But the spray is good for things like popcorn and muffin tins.
- Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Broth – No Salt Added – If you want natural chicken flavour without salt, you can use this as a base for soups, stews, risottos, sauces, or as a cooking liquid for grains and vegetables.
- Better Than Bouillon – 50% Less Sodium – Vegetable or Chicken – I always have both kinds of this richly flavoured soup base on hand for adding broth to a dish as above.
A teaspoon makes a cup of broth and adds 350mg sodium, so factor that in. I often use a teaspoon with a larger quantity of liquid, to cut back on the sodium per serving. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto – Pesto ingredients include basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, EVOO, and fresh garlic, resulting in a fresh and vibrant flavour with your “liquid plant oils.”
Use it with pasta, scrambled eggs, grilled meats or vegetables, or as a base for pizza or bruschetta.
At first glance the sodium looks high – 630mg per serving – but the serving size is a quarter-cup! I can’t imagine eating that much. If you end up downing a tablespoon of it with your meal, the sodium would be a much more reasonable 160mg.
There are no preservatives, so watch the expiration date and freeze if you can’t use it all or it will get moldy (speaking from experience).
- Perrier Carbonated Natural Spring Water – Sparkling water isn’t a kitchen staple, but there are so many beverages at Costco, I just wanted to highlight this because it isn’t sweetened with sugar, juice, or non-nutritive (aka artificial) sweeteners.
- Bubly Sparkling Water – Similarly, this one is flavoured without sweeteners, with unique flavours like cherry, blackberry, and orange.
(Plain San Pellegrino makes the grade too, but not the popular flavoured ones, which have almost as much sugar as a can of pop.)
Download a printable list
I managed to squeeze these products onto a single page so you can print and take it with you. Even better, I’m giving you access to the file so you can personalize it.
Click here to download or save a copy of the list (It’s a Google doc but you can open it in Microsoft Word too.)
First delete what you wouldn’t buy, then add your favourites.
If you’d rather just print the list, here’s a PDF:
My favourite Costco product didn’t make the list!
No worries. These are just the particularly sharp tools in our heart health toolbox, but you can certainly enjoy other foods for perfectly good reasons. For example, you enjoy them! Or perhaps they make a crowd-pleasing post-hockey meal for your family. These things matter.
My goal here was to highlight heart-healthy products you might not have otherwise known about. I sadly left out A LOT of Costco foods because they were too high in sodium, sugar, processed meats, or refined grains.
Also, some products are in some Costcos but not others. Some products go in and out of stock. Costco keeps you guessing!
But if you have a favourite that really seems like it should be on the list, post a picture in our free private Facebook group and we can chat about it, and I’ll add it here if it meets the criteria.
Join the conversation!
In addition to products you think I might have missed, I’m curious to know, which of these foods do you already buy? What do you do with them? Is there one product on the list you’re going to try for the first time?
Share in the Facebook group on this post. We’d love to hear about it.
Did you find a typo or similar mistake? Let me know! Although perhaps it’s best not to encourage my perfectionism.
A final note
In case you missed it in the introduction, THIS POST IS NOT SPONSORED. Like all of my reviews, it’s my evidence-informed opinion about how we can best translate vague nutrition guidelines into dinner.
“But you don’t have ads! You must be getting paid by Costco or some of these companies. How do you make money?” demanded one charming subscriber in an email after I published part 1.
Dearest readers, I’m a working dietitian. I pay my bills by doing one-on-one counselling with individuals and by hosting a cozy little community for people with heart concerns.
I write this blog so I can use the information with my clients, to get my name out there, and for fun! Trust me, it’s much more of a hobby than a profit centre. 😂❤️
