Costco Pantry

Did you know that Costco has a great selection of healthy/organic products?  And I swear every time I go, they have brought in more organic items.  The more we demand it, the more stores will provide it!

Funny story: I called Costco about 2 months ago to ask if a 2-cheese blend (Parmesiano-Rigliano or something like that) that I had purchased (Kirkland brand) was made from cows treated with the growth hormone rBGH or not.  The customer service agent was very helpful, but wasn't sure of the information right away.  He said he knew for a fact that the Kirkland brand milk does not contain that hormone, but he wasn't sure about the shredded-cheese blend. He also mentioned that he thinks all the Kirkland brand products are non-GMO, but he wasn't 100% definitive about that and I haven't double-checked that fact.  ;) He took my info down and said he would get back to me.  Later that evening he called and left a message saying that, indeed, my cheese blend was FREE of rBHG, and that it was imported from Italy.  He was SO helpful and I was pleasantly surprised that he actually took the time to track down the answers to my questions.  I was very impressed with their customer service.

I get a lot of my pantry staples from Costco, as they have terrific prices for a lot of organic products.  Here are the regulars on our shopping list:

1. Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil

2. Kirkland Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - coconut oil and olive oil are the only oils I use

3. Kirkland Organic Tomato Sauce

4. Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock - nice to have when I don't have any homemade stuff in the freezer

5. Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Cane Sugar

6. Annie's Macaroni and Cheese - I like to keep these in our pantry for quick-lunch days.  Most of the boxes in the Costco pack are NOT organic (you can get those at Target), but they are made from healthier ingredients and do not contain artificial food dyes.

7. Kirkland Organic Animal Crackers 

8. Kirkland Organic Tomato Paste

9. Organic Unsweetened Applesauce

10. Organic Chicken Breasts

11. Kirkland Organic Salsa

12. Organic Frozen Veggies - like corn, green beans, or peas
13. Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand Flour - not organic, but a high-quality all-purpose flour made right here in Lehi.  It is cheaper to buy the 25-lb bag here than it is in the actual Roller Mills store!
14. Kirkland Organic Strawberry Jam - for when I don't have any homemade jam in the pantry

15. Kirkland Pure Vanilla Extract - not organic, put pure. We don't use imitation vanilla, anymore.

Here are some other healthy products that Costco carries:

1. Nutiva Organic Chia Seeds

2. Organic Eggs (I buy eggs from backyard chickens from a lady in Eagle Mountain, dubbed the "egg lady")

3. Organic Butter (I really need to start buying it here)

4. Bob's Red Mills Whole-Wheat Flour, 25-lb bag - this was removed from our Costco over a year ago and I haven't seen it, since.  :(

5. Annie's Fruit Snacks (or other organic fruit snacks) - We LOVE Annie's fruit snacks, but have never found them at our Costco here in Utah. My sister says she buys them from her Costco in California.

6. Organic frozen berries - I probably should also start buying these at Costco since we go through them so fast,
7. Kirkland Organic 100% Maple Syrup - I just saw this one last time I went, so I will definitely start buying it here instead of at Good Earth.
8. Cheese made from grass-fed cows - I haven't tried any of these, but they are on my list to try.
9. Organic quinoa - we still haven't learned the quinoa love, so I have yet to need a Costco-sized pack
10. Organic rice medley
11. Organic canned beans
12. Organic all-purpose flour
13. Organic canned soups
14. Organic milk - rice, coconut, soy, and even whole cows milk!
15. Organic tortilla chips
16. Organic peanut butter

...and the list goes on and on. I had to stop writing down all the organic options I was finding at Costco. And right now they are having a sale on their organic products! Green tags mean the products are organic.

What other healthy food options have you found at Costco?