The cost of groceries is a topic of conversation even for those who live quite comfortably. Add clean, mostly organic eating to the mix, and suddenly you’re choosing between a home down payment and your favourite almond flour crackers.
I didn’t realize how much I was spending on groceries until COVID, when I had the time to print my Mastercard statements and actually tabulate my monthly expenses by category. They say a credit card statement reveals someone’s core values — and as a clean-eating wellness girly, I won’t compromise on the quality of the food I put in my body. So how do I save on this category?
Start being strategic about what I buy and where.
If I’m being honest, I go through phases. Sometimes I’ll hit three different stores for specific grocery must-haves. Other times, I’m feeling lazy and head to my favourite health food store, where I end up paying more for certain (okay, most) things.
As a single woman with no one else to feed, I always assumed Costco wasn’t for me. I also thought they didn’t offer many organic options. That may have been true a few years ago, but it’s not anymore.
Below is a list of the healthy food staples (many organic) that I buy at Costco. It’s always growing, so if you have great healthy food finds, drop them in the comments.
I’ve added notes and links where available, and I’ve also included a simplified, copy-paste version you can drop straight into your Notes app for your next grocery run. (The Virgo in me loves an organized, efficient shopping list.)
What to Buy at Costco for Healthy, Everyday Eating (the detailed list)
- Organic hemp hearts shop here
- Organic chia seeds shop here
- Frozen pesticide free wild blueberries
- Frozen organic raspberries
- Organic feta cheese
- Organic Hemp hearts
- Organic dates shop here
- Avocados (not in the dirty dozen and you don’t eat the peel so don’t absolutely have to be organic)
- Bananas (same)
- Organic plain greek yogurt (I love mixing this with my clean Maison Jacynthe vanilla protein powder) to make a healthy dessert or sweet treat)
- 12 pack of canned organic tomato paste shop here
- 8 pack of canned diced organic tomatoes shop here
- Fish (antibiotic free salmon)
- Smoked salmon
- 4 pack of capers
- Avocado mayo (made with avocado oil rather than inflammatory canola oil) shop here
- 2 pack of organic olive oil (in glass bottles with is a plus) shop here
- Avocado oil (I can’t find a link for the one I usually buy that is in a glass bottles and of the same brand as the avocado mayo so this is an okay substitute) shop here
- Organic salad topper (sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, Pumpkin seeds) shop here
- 6 pack canned organic coconut milk
- All purpose flour shop here
- Almond flour (blanched) shop here
- Organic sugar shop here
- Organic coconut sugar shop here
- Organic butter (you can freeze one)
- Simple Mills almond flour crackers (these crackers are like CRACK, I can go through a huge box in two days lol) shop here
Simplified grocery list to copy & paste to your Notes app on your phone
Organic hemp hearts
Organic chia seeds
Frozen pesticide free wild blueberries
Frozen organic raspberries
Organic feta cheese
Organic Hemp hearts
Organic dates
Avocados
Bananas
Organic plain greek yogurt
12 pack of canned organic tomato paste
8 pack of canned diced organic tomatoes
Fish (antibiotic free salmon)
Smoked salmon
4 pack of capers
Avocado mayo
2 pack of organic olive oil
Avocado oil
Organic salad topper
6 pack canned organic coconut milk
All purpose flour
Almond flour (blanched)
Organic sugar
Organic coconut sugar
Organic butter
Simple Mills almond flour crackers
Bonus (to save even more $$$)
To be an even smarter shopper, you can stock up on non perishables like:
Toilet paper shop here
Tissues shop here
Paper towels shop here
They even have healthy dog & cat treats like these and Creamies for cats in a family pack for a way more affordable price than in pet stores.
What are your favourite Costco healthy food finds? Share them in the comments!
Happy shopping (and saving!)
Geneviève