Many people have described the diet as “life changing.” However, it can be extremely difficult to shop for the diet. A lot of people have to change where they shop and potentially even spend more on groceries when they go on the Whole30 diet. It doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg to eat healthy though. In fact, you can still shop at your favorite wholesale club when you are on the Whole30 diet.
To adhere to the Whole30 diet, you are not supposed to consume any additional sugar, no alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, MSG and absolutely no desserts or junk food (even if they are made with approved ingredients).
Even if you aren’t on the Whole30 diet, many other diets require the foods that you can also buy at Costco. People following Paleo diets, gluten-free diets and even vegetarian and vegan diets can still shop and save money at Costco.
Fresh Produce
Produce is extremely important when you are dieting, especially if you are following the Whole30 diet. Costco has a huge selection of fruits and vegetables. Costco carries all of the following (and more):
- Romaine lettuce
- Avocados
- Organic vegetables
- Kale
- Sweet potatoes
- Berries
- Bananas
- Green beans
- Asparagus
- Brussel sprouts
- Tomatoes
Fresh Meats and Seafood at Costco
Costco has one of the largest fresh meat and seafood sections. If you are following the Whole30 diet or the Paleo diet, meat and seafood are a must. When you are trying to eliminate as many chemicals and additional ingredients in your food, you should try to go for grass-fed meats. Costco has plenty of those. The wholesale club has all of the following:
- Organic Ground Beef
- Organic, Grass-fed Steaks
- Organic Whole Chicken
- Organic Chicken Thighs
- Organic Chicken Drumsticks
- Wild-Caught Shrimp
- Wild-Caught Sole
- Wild-Caught Sockeye Salmon
- Wild-Caught Halibut
- Wild-Caught Rockfish
- Aidell’s Chicken Apple Sausage
Oils
Everything you use to cook food changes when you are following the Whole30 diet as well. Oils and sprays cannot be the regular “run of the mill” vegetable oil. Costco has all of the following oils for those who are trying to be healthier:
- Avocado oil
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Flavored olive oil
Snacks
Obviously, snacking can be difficult when you are dieting. However, there are a ton of healthy snacks that you can take advantage of and, surprise, you can get some really healthy, really yummy snacks at Costco as well.
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Dried fruits
- Guacamole
- Tuna
- Pistachios
- Pecans
- Fruit chips (apple chips, plantain chips, etc)
Other Healthy Foods at Costco
Costco has a ton of other healthy foods that do not necessarily follow the Whole30 diet guidelines. They have a number of organic products, gluten-free products, granola and healthy trail mix.
Have no fear, if you are looking to be a bit healthier, you do not have to shop at the more expensive grocers. You can still shop at places like Costco and eat all of the healthy foods you would normally eat without spending any additional money.
For more info on Costco check out these articles.
Is the Costco Membership Fee Worth it?
Is a Costco Executive Membership Worth the Price?
Costco Gas Calculator: Will I Save Money Buying a Membership if All I Buy is Fuel?
You can check out our articles for Target as well.
Target Holiday Schedule and Store Hours
Photo: Flickr: Güldem Üstün
More veggies for everyone!