Whole30 at Costco Update #1!

Since my original Whole30 post back in early January I have come across even more Whole30 compliant foods & beverages that you can get at Costco!

If you are new to Whole30 or you haven't already checked out my original post, "Survive your Whole30 with Costco!" you can read it here. If you're already familiar with Whole30 then read on.

Proteins

Costco sells organic hard boiled eggs - peeled and ready to eat. When I first saw these I thought it was ridiculous to pay more money for hard boiled eggs when you can buy regular eggs and hard boil them yourself at home. But then I did Whole30. These are a HUGE time saver and totally worth it when you are doing Whole30 or even if you just have a family that loves to eat hard boiled eggs.

 

I also found organic, cage free, pasture raised eggs at Costco!

  

I love fish and I try to get wild caught versus farmed whenever I can, and Costco's low prices makes Wild caught fish like Alaskan Halibut and Chilean Sea Bass more attainable.

  

  

Whole30 compliant deli meats are hard to come by, it was eye opening when I started reading labels and discovered nearly EVERY brand adds sugar to their cold cuts! Needless to say I was elated to find this organic oven roasted turkey breast which is perfect for roll ups for lunch. (I wrap sliced bell peppers and other vegetables in a few slices of turkey breast and dunk them in a compliant mustard, hot sauce or dressing for a no fuss lunch.)

 

I was in Denver in April when I stumbled upon Teton Waters Ranch doing a roadshow at a local Costco. I was so excited to find affordable, GRASS-FED, Whole30 compliant beef that I bought 4 packs, froze them and carried them on the plane home with me in my insulated lunch bag. These sausages have a different, but welcome texture compared to the Aidells sausages and the skinnier links remind me of hotdogs. The three varieties I have shown below (Thuringer, Polish, &  Hot Links) are all Whole30 compliant, BUT not all Teton Waters Ranch sausages are Whole30 compliant so make sure to read your labels.
(And let me offer up a few helpful tips if you plan to pack frozen sausages in your carryon: 1) only attempt if your flight is domestic, 2) make sure your flight isn't so long that your frozen goods will thaw out before you get home and 3) be prepared to get some funny looks from security as they go through your bag for a more thorough inspection. LOL!) 

  

  

 

I spotted more grass-fed beef when I was in the Bay Area! Organic Grass-Fed Beef Ribeye Steaks and Filet Mignon. I LOVE steak but it can be next to impossible to find grass-fed beef and then its insanely expensive when you do find it. But these frozen steaks are a fraction of the cost you would end up paying to have a grass fed steak in a restaurant or to get grass fed steaks from your butcher - if you can find have grass fed beef in your area.   

 

  

Vegetables

Why is it that I always seem to spot the best produce when I am traveling and it doesn't make sense for me to by a 3.5 lb bag of organic yellow squash and zucchini!?

 

Organic, PEELED and CUBED sweet potatoes!!! Roasted vegetables are a staple at our house regardless of Whole30. But peeling and cubing a variety of vegetables takes FOREVER. Anything to cut down on the prep work - ESPECIALLY when you are doing Whole30 - is totally worth it.

 

And speaking of time savers, hello organic peeled garlic! Three pounds is probably a bit much for us but this is definitely an item I would buy and split with my mom.

 

Both Whole30 books, (which I mention at the beginning of my original Costco Whole30 blog post), talk about the benefits of fermented foods.  Make sure to check your labels - as long as the ingredients are Whole30 compliant you can dive right in and enjoy fermented foods like this organic sauerkraut!

 

This organic ginger root sure would have come in handy during my first Whole30. One of my favorite recipes from The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide book is the Thai Coconut Soup. I easily made it three times in one month! And because I love ginger so much I doubled or tripled the amount of ginger the recipe calls for.

 

Fruits

I think I mentioned Kiwis in my original Whole30 post but I forgot to get a picture. Well here is proof that Costco carries organic kiwi fruit and at at great price too!

I feel like I see more and more organic produce at Costco, like these organic blueberries, which are perfect for making the "Seared Scallops with Ginger Blueberry Sauce" recipe from the The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide book.

  

Good Fats

I'm pretty sure I posted pics of this incredible deal on Instagram when I spotted these massive jars of GRASS FED Ghee at the Sunnyvale, CA Costco. The Costco price is 51% LESS than what you would pay for this exact same product on Amazon.com! In fact, it was such an amazing deal I literally mailed four jars to my mother. 

 

What can't you do with coconut oil!? I use it in cooking, especially when stir frying vegetables or making roasted okra but I also love to use coconut oil as a moisturizer and when making homemade soaps & body scrubs. 

 

Other

Salsa was an item that was difficult to track down in a Whole30 compliant version. Luckily the Costco near my office carries Pace Picante Salsa which turned out to have all compliant ingredients!

 

If plain almond butter doesn't cut it for you try this Nuttzo crunchy nut & seed spread. Made of all Whole30 compliant ingredients this is a compliant food if used sparingly. Try it with apple slices or celery sticks. And those allergic to peanuts can rejoice - this product is made in a peanut-free facility!

 

When it came to mayonnaise during Whole30 I regularly made my own homemade mayo following the recipe my mom uses (you can check it out here.) It calls for dry mustard and Colemans is the BEST dry mustard you can get.

I also stumbled across yet another organic apple cider vinegar at Costco!

  

If you think you can't get live probiotics while doing Whole30 because you can't eat yogurt, think again! Kombucha (fermented tea) is a great source for live probiotics, but read your labels carefully as some brands, like Kevita which Costco also carries, add sugar. GT's organic raw kombuchas, like the gingerade shown below, contain only the natural sugar from fruit juices so they are Whole30 compliant.

   

La Croix sparking waters are so refreshing! They are ever so lightly flavored with natural fruit essence and contain ZERO sweeteners which makes them perfect for Whole30. I have seen two different variety packs at Costco, a lime, lemon and orange pack and a lime, lemon and grapefruit pack. Check out my Costco vs. Whole Foods and Target post to see just how much cheaper La Croix is at Costco compared to Whole Foods and Target!

  

Larabar's are technically Whole30 compliant but the authors strongly caution to use them sparingly as emergency food only. Both flavors in this Costco bundle (Cashew & Apple Pie) are Whole30 compliant and the Costco price is 53% LESS than the retail price!

  

These organic bare fruit apple chips are another example of a technically Whole30 compliant food but the creators would strongly caution you about eating this because it can be too easy to sit down and snack right through the whole bag. Its probably best to keep these in the car along with some Whole30 compliant nuts for emergency food only :)

  

Tools

This Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron skillet set is an amazing deal! Sold separately these pans would cost you over $60, but this 2-pack at Costco can save you over 40% off the retail price. We cook almost everything on our cast iron pans, and cast iron is the perfect cookware to go from the stove top straight into the oven.

  

This Lodge pre-seasoned cast iron grill pan set is perfect for grilling! The set includes the 10.25" inches grill pan, a silicone handle cover and a plastic scraper for easy cleanup. And the Costco price is 40% LESS than the retail price!

For tips on how to care for your pre-seasoned cast iron pans check our Lodges Use and Care page.


I hope you found this update to be helpful during your Whole30 adventure!
#CostcoWhole30

Until next time,

the Costco Connoisseur

#GoingToAllTheCostcos

P.S. - Selections and prices listed above will vary from different Costco locations.

P.P.S. Don't miss out on the latest roadshows and other Costco deals I spot in between blog posts- use the links below to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and like my new page on Facebook!

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