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25 Things I Always Buy at Costco for Healthy Meal Prep

Is putting together healthy meals and snacks a challenge? I’ve got ya covered. I’ve put together my favorite things to buy for Costco meal prep that are perfect for making quick and healthy meals and snacks.

Erin at Costco and collage of other foods to buy at costco.

I love shopping at Costco! But I will say that some things are more cost-effective than others, especially for my family. However, of these 25 Things to Buy at Costco, I feel like I’m getting a really great value, and with most items on this list, even better than what I would find at a grocery store.

Getting the most out of your Costco Shopping Trip

  • Avoid Costco on the weekends. The parking lot is difficult to navigate, and getting in and out efficiently is nearly impossible. Do your best to plan on getting there during the week. Weekday mornings are always a good time – everything is well stocked, clean and un-crowded. Note that if you have an Executive membership, you can enter 1 hour earlier at 9am, while everyone else has to wait until 10am.
  • Go by yourself, not with your kids. I feel like this is a good rule of thumb any time you are shopping. When you are there by yourself, you can get in and out relatively quickly, and you don’t have little hands randomly putting extra stuff in your cart, or having a melt-down in the middle of the frozen foods section.
  • Don’t go hungry! Those samples will get you every time. Eat breakfast or lunch, and then plan on doing your shopping on a full stomach. It’s true what they say, if you are hungry while grocery shopping, you’ll make all kinds of unhealthy choices that you would never make if you were full and focused.
  • ALWAYS have a list! Having and following your list is not only helpful in staying within your budget, it is really helpful in making good, economical food choices. Additionally, when you are meal prepping for your week, it’s critical to have all of your needed ingredients when it comes time to do the cooking. If you don’t have a list, you are much more likely to forget something, and then your plan for meal prepping is nearly shot before you even start. Good news, you guys! I’ve created a list, specifically for Costco. It includes all my favorite items, plus extra room to jot down your other necessities (I also love buying laundry detergent, dishwasher tabs and toilet paper at Costco!) Get your list here!

Table of contents

Costco Meal Prep Items: Refrigerated Section

1. Hand-Pulled Rotisserie Shredded Chicken (White/Breast Meat)

This might be my favorite thing to buy at Costco. Not only is this chicken precooked and ready to be put in soups, salads and numerous other recipes, it’s already shredded for you. Yes, you could purchase a rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself, but that takes time. On weeknights, when time is especially tight, I need things that are quick, simple and healthy. This chicken checks those boxes!

Price: $15.99  Location: In the refrigerated prepared foods section

Costco pulled rotisserie chicken in sealed plastic.
Healthy chicken cobb salad in a meal prep container.

Recipe ideas for this Rotisserie Shredded Chicken:

2. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts are something that I pretty much always have in my freezer to take out for a quick weeknight meal. In the summer we will grill these almost once a week. In the winter, they are a staple in my slow cooker or for sheet pan dinners. I like the fact that these come pre-sealed in 6- 1 lb. sections so you can use them as needed and freeze the rest for later.

Price: $2.99/lb. Location: Open refrigerator case

Costco chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts in the refrigerated section.
Baked sheet pan chicken and sweet potatoes, chicken sweet potato broccoli on sheet pan.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

Recipe ideas that use Costco boneless skinless chicken breasts:

3. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

Costco has some of the best deals on cuts of meat, particularly chicken thighs. You can get these bone-in, or boneless, skinless. I enjoy grilling chicken thighs in the summer, and roasting thighs in sheet pan dinners with potatoes and vegetables.

Price: $3.29/lb. Location: Open refrigerator case

Costco chicken thighs in their refrigerated foods section.
Grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs on plate, sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs with Honey Garlic Marinade

Recipe ideas that use Costco chicken thighs:

4. Plain Greek Yogurt

We eat a significant amount of Greek yogurt at our house. From yogurt bowls with berries and granola to adding yogurt to many of my overnight oats and chia pudding recipes. We love adding plain Greek yogurt to smoothies and topping rice cakes for a high protein snack.

Price: $4.69 for a large 40 oz. container. Location: Closed refrigerator case

Large tub of Chobani plain Greek yogurt from Costco.
Need a healthy snack option? This simple, 5-ingredient Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip is the perfect way to enjoy fresh veggies. Enjoy with veggies, spread on a sandwich or topping a salad, this Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip is a great alternative to a dip mix!
Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip

Recipe ideas that use Costco plain Greek yogurt:

5. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a big staple at our house. Not only do we enjoy cottage cheese with fruit (something I eat daily at lunchtime), but I also include it as a protein source in several recipes. Costco offers a great price.

Price: $5.99 (for a 48 oz. tub), Location: refrigerator case near the yogurt

Blueberry cottage cheese muffins after being baked in the oven.
Three bowls of cottage cheese chocolate mousse with whipped cream, chocolate pieces and raspberries.
Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse

Meal prep recipe ideas using cottage cheese from Costco:

6. Unsweetened Almond Milk

Unsweetened almond milk is a primary staple in most of my overnight oats, baked oatmeal and chia seed pudding recipes. My son also enjoys in with cold brew in the morning to make his iced coffee. We go through quite a bit of it, so finding a good price is key to our household budget. I’ve discovered that both the refrigerated Silk Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk and the Kirkland Shelf-Stable Almond Milk are great buys.

Price: $10.99 Silk Organic Unsweeted Almond Milk (3 pack of half-gallon containers), Location: refrigerator case

Stack of healthy blueberry pancakes, blueberry oatmeal pancakes topped with yogurt, blueberries and almonds.
Healthy Blueberry Pancakes
Cup of peach overnight oats, garnished with walnuts and peach slices.

Here are some of the many recipes I have that include unsweetened almond milk:

7. Eggs – Packs of 24 Eggs

With a teenager that can put away 5 scrambled eggs in one sitting, it’s important to my budget to buy the best priced eggs on the market. Hands-down, Costco has the best price on eggs. I typically buy 2-3 packs of the 24-count eggs in one visit, as my household goes through 4 dozen eggs a week. In addition to eggs for breakfast, I also meal prep hard-boiled eggs for salads and to top avocado toast.

Price: $3.79 (2-dozen carton), Location: refrigerator case

Pack of 2 dozen eggs at Costco.
A slice of spinach egg bake in a meal prep container with fresh berries.

Here are my top recipes great for meal prep that use eggs:

8. Chicken Sausage

I rely on this Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper Chicken Sausage quite often when I need quick dinners. I love doing sheet pan dinners with chicken sausage, adding it to pasta or just giving it a quick-cook in the air fryer and serve with some veggies and potatoes. It’s also my favorite thing to add to scrambled eggs and really amps up the protein.

Price: $12.99, Location: open refrigerator case

Pack of chicken sausage at Costco.
Sausage egg scramble with fresh berries in a glass meal prep container.

Here are some of my favorite recipes that incorporate this chicken sausage:

9. Organic Ground Beef

Ground beef is something that I use on a very regular basis for weeknight dinners. I keep these packs of organic ground beef in my freezer to defrost and make a quick skillet dinner on a busy weeknight. Ground beef is also something that reheats well, which makes it a fantast meal prep lunch. These packs of ground beef are vacuum-packed which is ideal for keeping in your freezer.

Price: $25.99, Location: open refrigerator case in the meat section

Packs of presealed ground beef in the refrigerated section at Costco.
Unstuffed peppers casserole in a meal prep container with fresh vegetables.

Here are some delicious meal prep options that use ground beef from Costco:

Costco Meal Prep Items: Frozen Foods

Some of the best deals in the entire store can be found in the frozen foods section. Particularly frozen meat is priced very competitively and can be made into quick weeknight meals. Here are some of my favorites.

10. Alaskan Salmon Burgers

These a big-time family favorite at my house. With 20 grams of protein per burger, they’re also an awesome healthy option for lunches and quick dinners. I love these salmon burgers because you don’t have to thaw them. We love grilling these on our outdoor grill, but you can also pan-sear or cook them in the air fryer, which my teenage son does on the regular. Pair with some veggies and rice and you’ve got yourself a healthy, delicious dinner!

Price: $19.99, pack of 12 burgers  Location: Frozen Foods Case, near the frozen beef burgers and chicken nuggets

Trident Alaskan salmon burgers from Costco.
Greek tortellini salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta on a spoon.

Here are some recipes that are great served alongside these salmon burgers

11. Kirkland Signature Frozen Raw Shrimp

Costco is probably the best price I’ve found for raw, frozen shrimp. I like buying raw because you can cook it to your specifications (you can’t do that with pre-cooked shrimp.)

Price: $15.99, 2 lbs  Location: Frozen Foods Case, with the rest of the seafood

Frozen raw shrimp in the frozen foods section at Costco.
Five air fryer shrimp tacos served with avocado, tomato, cilantro, jalapenos and red cabbage.
Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos

Recipe ideas to make with this shrimp:

12. Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon Filets

I prefer wild caught salmon versus farm raised. It tastes better, and might be a little more nutritious. Caveat: it’s also a bit more expensive than farm-raised. However, I’m happy to pay a little more money for a better cut of fish. I also love buying this salmon because the filets are individually wrapped, so I can take out just what I need, versus thawing the entire package.

Price: $42.99 for 3 lbs.,  Location: Frozen Foods Case with the seafood, $32.99 for Farm-Raised Salmon

Package of wild Alaskan sockeye salmon at Costco.
Honey garlic salmon bites with steamed broccoli in a two-compartment meal prep container.

Recipe ideas for this Salmon:

13. Riced Cauliflower (Cauliflower Rice)

This is actually a rather new Costco discovery for me, and I was super pumped when I found it! This package contains 5, 16 oz (microwave steamable) bags of rice. I absolutely love using cauliflower rice any time I’m meal prepping healthy lunches for the week, and perfect to keep on hand for quick weeknight dinners, too!

Price: $8.99, Location: Frozen Food Case, near the frozen vegetables

Package of frozen riced cauliflower at Costco.
Cauliflower shrimp fried rice in a meal prep container.
Cauliflower Shrimp Fried Rice

Recipe ideas/Pair with my:

Things to Buy at Costco: Produce

I will preface this by saying that it is only worth it for you to buy produce at Costco if you and your household can consume it in a relatively quick fashion.

Produce at Costco is a great value for the amount, but just like everything else, you have to buy a large quantity of the item. If you cannot consume the produce before it goes bad, you might not be getting your moneys worth. Here are a few produce items I love getting at Costco:

14. Fresh Blueberries

Fresh blueberries are something my family always loves for breakfast and snacks. On top of yogurt or in a smoothie, berries are a healthy and tasty ingredient. Depending on the season you can get a good sized container of berries for a reasonable price at Costco. I’ve also discovered that they are available year-round.

Price: (depending on seasonality) $6.99, Location: Walk-in refrigerator case or open produce section

Large container of fresh blueberries from Costco.
This recipe for Blueberry Overnight Oats will be your new go-to healthy breakfast! Perfect for meal prep, learning how to make overnight oats is a great way to have a healthy start to your day!
Blueberry Overnight Oats

Recipe ideas:

15. Fresh Strawberries

While available nearly all year, fresh strawberries are a great produce buy at Costco. Added to yogurt, salads and paired with chia seed pudding, fresh strawberries are a great way to add vitamin C and fiber to your diet.

Price: (depending on seasonality) $5.99, Location: Walk-in refrigerator case or open produce section

A strawberry cottage cheese smoothie topped with a fresh sliced strawberry.
Strawberry chia pudding in three round glass bowls topped with Greek yogurt and sliced fresh strawberries.
Strawberry Protein Chia Seed Pudding

Recipes that are fantastic with fresh strawberries:

16. Fresh Apples

If your family is anything like mine, we go through apples at warp-speed rate! That’s a good thing, as I want my family to be eating healthy fruit, and apples are always a great grab-and-go snack. I will slice these to add to my sons’ lunch box or snack with a little bit of nut butter.

Price: (depending on size of bag/package and variety) $9.99, Location: open produce section

Bags of fresh apples at Costco.
Ham, cheese and fruit skewers in a lunchbox paired with milk and almonds.

Recipe ideas:

17. Spring Mix

Any type of spring or spinach mix is something I pretty much always have in my refrigerator. Making a quick salad or meal-prepping salads for the week, a good salad mix is essential. I’ve discovered that the price of this Organic spring mix is the best around at $3.79. I’ve checked at multiple stores and locations, and it is rare to find a lower price anywhere else.

Price: $5.99, Location: walk-in refrigerator case

A container of fresh spring mix from Costco.
Blueberry spring mix salad on a platter with a pint of blueberries on the side.
Blueberry Spring Mix Salad

Recipe ideas:

18. Cherry Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes are another produce item that pretty much always have on hand. I love mixing these into a pasta dish or simply snacking with my lunch. I will also add these to just about any salad I make or meal-prep.

Price: $6.79, Location: open produce section

A container of fresh cherry tomatoes at Costco.
Spoon taking out a scoop of the Boursin tomato pasta.

Recipe ideas:

19. Baby Potatoes

These sweet little potatoes are a great deal at Costco. I love using these in sheet pan dinners, and roasting for a quick side in our air fryer. My son loves these baby potatoes to go with steaks or pork chops. He will even add them to his weekly meal prep to take to school for lunch to go with grilled or roasted chicken. The price at Costco is for a 5 lb. bag and is much more economical than other grocery store prices.

Price: $7.59, Location: open produce section

Sheet pan chicken and potatoes that has been placed into glass meal prep containers.
Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes
Garlic herb roasted red potates with red onion on a sheet pan ready to be baked.

Here are some of our favorite recipes that use baby potatoes, which are great for meal prep:

Things to Buy at Costco: Dry Goods

20. Whole Earth Granular Sweetener

I’ve tried several sugar substitutes over the years. This Whole Earth Granular Sweetener is one of my absolute favorites. It’s what I sweeten my coffee with and my primary sweetner in most of my baked treats. I use this in DOZENS of recipes as a way to sweeten a recipe without extra added sugar or calories. It has a zero glycemic index, no refined sugar, Paleo & Keto friendly and has no aftertaste.

Price: $9.99, Location: Dry goods, baking aisle

A package of Whole Earth monk fruit granular sweetener from Costco.
Pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal cut into bars, with one bar missing in the baking dish.

Here are just a few of the recipes I sweeten with Whole Earth sweetener:

21. Peanut Butter

I’m always on the hunt for cleaner food products that contain minimal ingredients. This Kirkland Natural Creamy Peanut Butter only has two ingredients: peanuts and salt. No other mystery ingredients, added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can’t beat the price anywhere else, as it would be twice as much money for the same amount of natural peanut butter at any other grocery store.

Price: $9.79, Location: Dry goods, baking or cereal aisle

A two-pack of creamy peanut butter from Costco.
Peanut butter protein balls in a glass meal prep container.
Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Just a few of the recipes I make with this natural peanut butter from Costco:

22. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are not only a nutritional super food, they are really helpful in keeping you full and satiated for hours. I love adding chia seeds to my overnight oats and making a batch of chia pudding to keep in the refrigerator for snacks. It’s a great way to thicken your smoothies, too!

Price: $9.99, Location: Dry goods, baking or cereal aisle

Chia seeds being mixed into the strawberry mixture for making strawberry chia pudding.
Sliced strawberry and chocolate chunks on top of chocolate chia pudding.
Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

Recipes you’ll love that use chia seeds from Costco:

23. Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oatmeal

Again, one of the best prices for a name-brand product, these Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Rolled Oats is a great buy, especially if you go through quite a bit of oatmeal for meal prepping, breakfasts and baking. I especially love mixing together meal prep snacks that use oatmeal to stock my freezer.

Price: $8.89 for a 10 lb. box, Location: Dry goods, baking or cereal aisle

Healthy banana blueberry muffins garnished with rolled oats and fresh blueberries.
Healthy Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
White plate with stack of no bake oatmeal balls with M&M's.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls

Here are just a few of the dozens of recipes I make with Costco Quaker Oat Old Fashioned oatmeal:

24. Canned Diced Tomatoes

This is a pantry staple at my house. I continually use diced tomatoes a few times a week, and are great for pasta dishes, soups and stews. It’s a great price for organic.

Price: $9.89/case of 8, 14.5 oz. cans  Location: Canned Goods Aisle (near pasta)

Cases of canned diced tomatoes at Costco.
Ingredients for crock pot chili in the slow cooker ready to be stirred together.

Recipe ideas using these organic diced tomatoes from Costco:

25. Raw Honey

Once again, this is an amazing price for organic! We enjoy honey at our house, but I also like having something organic as an option to top my yogurt and berries, or to add to smoothies for a sweetener. I also use honey in several sauces.

Price: $9.59  Location: Baking Goods Aisle, near the peanut butter

A container of raw honey from Costco.
Low carb protein balls in a white dish with chocolate chips sprinkled on the side.
Cookie Dough Protein Bites

What I Don’t Buy at Costco (and Why)

While Costco is fantastic for several food items, there are several things that I pass up simply because we can’t use up the large quantity before it does bad, or the price is a little over-inflated. Here are things that I tend to pass up at Costco:

  • Most Frozen Vegetables – the price per lb. isn’t very competitive with my local grocery store, where I can buy smaller packages of frozen vegetables for a lower price. My freezer space is also very limited, so buying large bags of vegetables is difficult to store.
  • Refrigerated, Sliced Deli Meat – many households go through quite a bit of sliced ham and turkey, especially if you’re a home that enjoys sandwiches for lunch. As for my household, we cannot use up the large amount of meat before it goes bad. It is less wasteful and more affordable for us to buy smaller packages of sliced deli meat at our local grocery store.
  • Rice – most packages of rice come in huge 10lb bags (or larger!) of rice. While we eat rice occasionally, we simply don’t have the storage space to use up this amount of rice in a reasonable time.
  • Pasta & Pasta Sauce – my Costco warehouse has a limited selection of pasta and pasta sauce. What they do offer is quite expensive compared to my grocery store jars of sauce and boxes of pasta, which are typically priced at $1.00 – $1.50. The better deal is at the grocery store, not Costco.
  • Chips, Pretzels and Snack Foods – I try to avoid buying these types of foods overall. They are not filling and often contain ingredients that are not good for us. Additionally, because these foods often come in very large bags or boxes, we cannot finish them before they go stale, thus wasting the food. For our household, if we want a savory, crunchy snack we will buy a smaller bag or box at the grocery store that is easier for us to finish.

High-Protein Costco Finds (20g or More Per Serving)

Costco is a great place to buy high-protein foods ideal for snacks, lunches and quick dinners. Here are some of my favorite items that I often pick up for when time is tight:

  • Costo Chargrilled Chipotle Seasoned Chicken – this is a pretty new item (Spring 2026), and one that has landed in my cart nearly every week since it arrived at my warehouse. This is a prepared food item found in the refrigerated section near the other refrigerated dinners and party foods. This seasoned chicken goes right into a skillet to heat up, and can be enjoyed as burrito bowls (or favorite), tacos or used as a base for chicken chili or chicken tortilla soup.
  • Kirkland Chicken Breast Nuggets – these are likely my teenaged son’s favorite Costco food of all time! He will pop these into the air fryer, and in 10 minutes will have tasty, crispy chicken nuggets ready for lunch. I’ve also added these to top a salad or added to a low-carb wrap for a high protein lunch option.
  • Realgood Foods Chicken & Pepper Jack Cheese Burritos – another of my son’s favorites! With 37g of protein per burrito, these chicken burritos are satisfying while still hitting your maco goals. Easily heated in your microwave or air fryer.
  • West End Cuisine Grilled Mediterranean Style Chicken Skewers – these come in a 28 oz. packet and are perfect for topping salads, adding to wraps or even enjoying by themselves. The flavor of these is fantastic and have no added preservatives and have 24 grams of protein per serving.
  • Costco Rotisserie Chicken – this is a beloved Costco item that most people swear by. I will often grab one of these if I know I won’t have time to cook later in the day. High protein, tasty & juicy!
  • Bonus Item: At 16g of protein in comes in under the 20g but well worth adding to your cart. Greenridge Farms Beef Snack Sticks – my husband LOVES these. I like them too, as they have no added sugar, nitrates or nitrites. We love these with some cheese and fruit for a snack or light lunch.

Healthy Costco Lunch Ideas for the Week

These Costco food items are ideal for assembling meal prep lunches for the week. Here are some fantastic meal prep lunch ideas:

  • Blueberry Spring Mix Salad: asseble with spring mix, blueberries, avocado and a couple grilled chicken skewers.
  • Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad: pick up a package of the pre-sealed rotisserie chicken, and add chopped apples, cranberries and pecans. Great with spring mix or enjoyed on a Costco bakery croissant.
  • No Mayo Egg Salad: Super easy to mix together with hard boiled eggs, and plain Greek yogurt, this is a simple lunchtime staple that can be enjoyed in a low carb wrap or on your favorite bread.
  • Easy BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza: Grab some flatbread crusts, and add the rotisserie chicken and your preferred bbq sauce.
  • Copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest Salad: A great salad to asseble with the Costco Chargrilled Chipotle chicken, spring mix, black beans, corn and any other southwest toppings you would enjoy.

5 Healthy Costco Dinners You Can Make in 15 Minutes

Here are 5 different dinner options you can make in minutes with these Costco staples:

  • Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Peppers: Kirland Chicken Sausage + Chopped Bell Peppers + Red Onion. A fantastic low-carb savory quick dinner. Get my full recipe here: Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
  • Chicken Caesar Salad: Chicken Caesar Salad Kit + Kirkland Chicken Breast Nuggets + Cherry Tomatoes. Great savory flavor, and a quick dinner win when time is tight. Get my homemade Caesar Salad Dressing here.
  • Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice: Costco Rotisserie Chicken + Frozen Riced Cauliflower + Eggs. Get my quick and easy recipe for Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice here.
  • Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos: Kirkland Frozen Shrimp + Taco Seasoning + Avocados. A simple and super healthy dinner in under 15 minutes, get my easy Shrimp Tacos recipe here.
  • Ground Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables: Ground Beef + Broccoli Florets + Honey (in the sauce). Quick cooking and tastes like take out, this easy Ground Stir Fry recipe is fantastic!

Looking to focus on healthy eating? Here are some of my healthy eating resources:

Do you have some go-to items from Costco that help you eat healthy? I would love to hear them! Leave me a comment or tag me on Instagram @delightfulemade with a photo of your item or shopping cart! Oh, and DONT forget your list! Get it below 🙂