mykdsmomy Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 This is sort of a spin off of my other thread about special diets. I need some meal ideas/ingredient list of things to buy from Costco that would be free of dyes/preservatives. What do you buy that you use for your meals? Every time I go to Costco, I wind up coming home with a bunch of quick/easy frozen/fresh foods that are gone in a few days and are , I'm sure, filled with junk. Any help/ideas/suggestions/recipes are WELCOME!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I buy, among other things: - fresh chicken tenders in 6 one-pound packages, for grilling (take them apart before you put them in the freezer for easier getting out later! The plastic has perforated lines on which to cut, in between the six packages - just be careful that you don't spring a leak) - fresh skinless/boneless chicken thighs in 6 one-pound packages - into the freezer as well - in particular, these are what I use in my slow cooker, so I like to have them on hand for when I get an idea on a cold morning - steak and any other meats - berries - red peppers - frozen tilapia fillets and other frozen seafood (shrimp, scallops) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Costco is my main source for meat (except for local grassfed hamburger I get at our Farmer's Market). I get chicken breasts in the packaging described above, flank steak (grilled in summer, use a half steak for fajitas or stir fry the rainy half of the year), and pork loin. We get cheese sticks and Chobani yogurt--I think those are pretty much whole foods. I love the uncooked tortillas in the refrigerator case. Quesadillas are a house staple here and those packages have so many in them that we always have tortillas on hand. I buy a large can of crushed tomatoes to make marinara and/or pizza sauce. I don't buy much in the way of produce there simply because we have trouble eating it all before it goes bad. There are some baking basics I get there--vanilla, brown sugar, yeast (lasts forever). Olive oil too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jen* Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Things I get monthly Lots of fruit and veggies - Apples, oranges, strawberries, grapes, raspberries, spring mix, mini peppers, potatoes and onions Cold foods - Talapia, cheese (lots of cheese), milk, butter, eggs, frozen fruits and frozen whole organic green beans Meats - Chicken breasts and thighs, Pork loin, Bakery - Bread/Tortillas I get a few more things in the dry good section but I can't think of them now since I only stock up on stuff from there every 4 months or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 If you eat lamb, Costco often has really good prices on New Zealand lamb. And while I know it isn't food, I was amazed at the (low) price of Costco parchment paper. I didn't buy any, as I already have some wildly overpriced paper from Whole Foods, but I'm intrigued. Can anybody verify whether it's any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Regular purchases: Six pack of romaine heads Organic apples Bricks of Tillamook cheese Feta cheese Occasional purchases: Organic eggs (they often don't taste as good as organic eggs I buy from other stores) Melons in season Sliced turkey lunchmeat -- they used to have one that was nitrate free, but the branding has changed and I haven't bought it in a while Salsa Guacamole Avocados Plain whole milk yogurt when they have it (rarely) Blueberries in season Pure maple syrup Brown sugar Dried herbs -- basil, oregano, etc. I don't buy their grapes. They always have a funky, stored-somewhere taste. Blech. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjneary99 Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 we buy meats, 'natural' chips, quinoa(very cheap there), rice, yogurt, butter, organic salad, veggies, eggs, cheese, bulk baking items--oils, spices etc(we make all of our own sauces due to allergies) ... Then I choose 10-15 meals from my menu service and make two batches of each one and freeze them. I prep several extra for the week ahead. I complete one month of meals in a few hours and I'm done. we don't eat prepared foods and I am not a cook, so the menu service is great for us. My daughter is gluten free, so we had to elimante most processed and/or prepared foods from our diet. I like costco's prices and bulk items work well for us. My hubby typically shops for me and then brgins it home where I prep all of the meals. I am now no longer overwhelmed by cooking and meal planning and find Costco's basics to be pretty good. They have the cheapest meat prices on organic in our area as well. If anyone is interested in the meal service, it is 5 dollars a month, comes with the whole menu and shopping list for the month and has 3 menu options--we choose the gluten free option. So far, my kids have not complained about one meal, and we have been doing it for about 4 months. It works for us--5dinners1hour.com is the site. They have samples there and do have substitutions for some things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansmama Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Whole organic chickens for making stock/chicken soups and chilis Grass-fed ground beef Wild salmon Organic apples Cage free organic eggs Jasmine Rice Mara Natha almond butter Organic bagged kale Larabars Organic jam Organic diced tomatoes/tomorrow paste Wild pole caught tuna that contains far less mercury than other canned tuna (can't think of the brand name) All natural potato chips/seed chips Chemical-free laundry and dish detergent Grain free all natural dog food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 I shop there like I would the grocery store, and we shop there weekly. We've saved a lot of money by shopping there consistently. I *rarely* buy prepackaged foods there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Our Costco doesn't have tons of organic (and zero grassfed/pastured meat or dairy products! :thumbdown: ) and our family is small in a small house so I don't depend on it for regular weekly shopping. That said, I do find some good things there: Dubliner cheese (DH loves it!) Quinoa, brown rice, oats wild salmon organic ground beef (good price, but I prefer to buy local grassfed as much as possible) organic canned tomatoes spicy lentils (can't remember the brand, bright yellow box - one of the few processed foods we buy. no bad ingredients, just real food!) EVOO, vinegar chocolate chips, nuts produce sometimes - depends on what they have. I find that their prices are not always better than Walmart or Kroger and it helps to know the price/unit (which is not always marked) before I buy. Costco is a life saver when entertaining or hosting a crowd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Meats Produce Olive Oil Coconut Oil Nuts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
three4me Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Nuts, produce, cheese, milk, sugar, frozen fruit, beef, rice, quinoa, vanilla, spices, EVOO, and whatever other random things we need :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durriyyah Posted November 29, 2012 Share Posted November 29, 2012 Fruits and veggies to snack on, potatoes, cheese, hash browns, cottage cheese, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, nuts, dried mixed fruit to mix in oatmeal/cottage cheese/yogurt, rice, and I haven't gotten eggs there yet, but every time I'm out of eggs I wonder why I didn't buy them in bulk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dands Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 toilet paper olive oil organic jam organic Quinoa organic pasta organic cane sugar Tillamook cheese( New Leaf has this double the price) so i stock up. nuts last three times i got watermelons, they were rotten. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Costco is good for me cooking whole foods because if you shop out of the produce and meat aisles, then you come hme with a lot and you have to cook it or lose it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 Thank you all :) I guess different Costcos sell different products based on the region. Our Costco doesn't sell much in the way of organic food (that I saw). I wound up getting pears, peppers, grapes, two rotisserie chickens, boneless/skinless frozen chicken, hamburger patties (frozen), milk, butter, horizon chocolate milk (ds picked it out as a treat), frozen pineapple (for smoothies), corn tortillas, Rosarita vegetarian refried beans, and a few other odds and ends. I didn't get as much as I wanted but at least I have some meat to start :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykdsmomy Posted November 30, 2012 Author Share Posted November 30, 2012 double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 Whole foods I buy at costco: Cheese, meats, quinoa, nuts, and olive oil. Fruit and veggies are hit or miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tullia Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 If you eat lamb, Costco often has really good prices on New Zealand lamb. And while I know it isn't food, I was amazed at the (low) price of Costco parchment paper. I didn't buy any, as I already have some wildly overpriced paper from Whole Foods, but I'm intrigued. Can anybody verify whether it's any good? I like it, but have to confess I'd never used parchment paper until I saw a roll at Costco and bought it on a whim. I had to make a pie at the last minute for Thanksgiving and used it to roll out the crust (didn't have a pre-made one in the house), inverted it, and dropped the dough right onto the pie plate. It worked beautifully, and I know 1001 ways to ruin piecrusts. I've also baked veggies in parchment pouches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted November 30, 2012 Share Posted November 30, 2012 If you eat lamb, Costco often has really good prices on New Zealand lamb. And while I know it isn't food, I was amazed at the (low) price of Costco parchment paper. I didn't buy any, as I already have some wildly overpriced paper from Whole Foods, but I'm intrigued. Can anybody verify whether it's any good? I just bought the parchment paper the last time I was there. I've used it twice and it is just as good as the Reynolds brand I used to buy. It is a fabulous price at Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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