What are the best foods you have bought at Costco?

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They make you buy such a large quantity that it's kind of a risk to spend $12 or whatever and then end up not liking it. I was kind of disappointed in the Veggie Patties from Don Lee Farms; they were OK but Gardenburger is better. On the other hand, the Nuevo Grille Mini Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas are pretty tasty. And that Berry Smoothie that they sell for $1.35 at the counter outdoors beats any $4 concoction that Starbucks offers. So what are the foods you have bought at Costco that turned out to be really good?

[SeattleGirl]

1. The chicken parmesian and the chicken Caesar salad, from the fresh

foods section. Very yummy!

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8. Thanks - you know what I noticed, though

In the store they sell a large tray with chicken ceasar salad, and it's by weight, and the price is usually $8 or $9. Outside at the walk-up window, they sell a chicken ceasar salad for $3.79, and I have bought it, and it is almost the same thing - same ingredients and almost as large as the one they sell in the store. The one sold by weight has more, but it doesn't look like a lot more, maybe 25% more in it. So why does it cost $9 when the one outside costs $3.79. Strange.

[SeattleGirl]

31. Wow, I didn't know that. I think I'll have to go to the walk-up window

next time.

[ohiosmith]

2. The best fresh meat and seafood in the city.

[Bjornsdotter]

4. Have to agree

..on this one.

The best, hands down. We go and stock up, I grill some of the meats (a massive grilling day) and then vacuum seal the stuff. It's great because I have ready cooked food for the summer when I don't feel like cooking and the teens here can pop a burger in the microwave for a minute and have a hot meal whenever.

We haven't really found anything there we don't like.

Cheers

[grace0418]

3. Sunspire Strawberry preserves. They are sooooooooooooo delicious and low in

sugar (and the sugar used is cane juice, not hfcs). Even my diabetic husband can have them. In fact, he calls them a "miracle" because the strawberry flavor is so intense and yummy.

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9. That's great to know

My Mom is now on a no-sugar diet because she has borderline diabetes. So that would probalby work for us. Plus it sounds delicious. My Dad used to tell me about how his mother (60 or 70 years ago) used to make sun-cooked strawberry jam and it was the best jam he ever had.

[grace0418]

17. I can't recommend them enough. My husband will actually buy several (big!) jars

at a time because you know how Costco is where a product will suddenly disappear one day.

This product isn't available at Costco but I would also recommend Agave nectar to your mom. It looks like thin honey and has no strong flavor (not honey, or maple syrup, etc.) except sweetness. It doesn't raise the blood sugar like cane sugar or honey does. My husband can use it without spiking. And it's a very concentrated sweetness so you don't use very much. It's a wonderful, natural alternative to those chemical sugar substitutes. All my husband's doctors say to get off those substitutes if at all possible. They are so full of chemicals and actually make people crave sweets. Anyway, we've used it in desserts and it's great. You can get it at Whole Foods and Wild Oats and other stores of that ilk.

So many doctors are not giving people all the information they need when they are diagnosed with pre-diabetes or diabetes. My mom is borderline diabetic as well and they pretty much told her to stay away from sugar and white bread. Which is true for the most part but not entirely accurate. And I think, in my mom's case, it scared her and made her feel like she could never stick with it. Diabetics can have carbohydrates (even sugar) in moderation. They just need to replace simple carbs (white bread, potatoes, white rice, cereal) with complex carbs (100% whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats), spread them out over the course of a day, increase their intake of fruits and vegetables, lower their intake of fat and meat, and use refined sugar as little as possible. We actually love the way we eat now, and don't feel like it's a diet at all.

Sorry, that may be more information than you needed or wanted, and maybe your mom's doctor has told her all this. I just get very frustrated when I hear that so many diabetics are not getting the whole picture. One woman I know didn't eat sugar, but she ate potatoes and white rice and honey like crazy, and couldn't figure out why her blood sugar wasn't improving. I felt so bad for her!

:hi:

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22. That's great information - thanks

My Mom's doctor told her as a first step, to eliminate sugar, cut back on all carbs, whole wheat bread was OK, but reduce or eliminate other carbs including fruits. She said to eat manily meats and vegetables. She said she would set us up to talk with a nutritionist. We use a lot of Splenda but it would be nice to switch to something more natural. Unfortunately we haven't progressed much yet with the doctor. She asked for another 12-hour fasting glucose test in June. The office told us the blood lab was open 7 days a week, starting at 7 am every day. So on a Saturday night I didn't let my Mom eat anything for 12 hours, when she woke up in the morning I didn't even let her go to the toilet because the doctor also requested a urinalysis. We got there at 7:15 on a Sunday morning and they were closed. The parking attendant told us they didn't work on Sunday. So I put my Mom through all that for nothing - and my Mom is 88. We are in the process of switching to a different medical group because of that. The doctor was fine, but if the people who work in the office aren't accurate or honest, we can't risk going there. What if it had been a life-threatening situation, and bad information from them caused us to go to the wrong place at the wrong time? So I don't trust that office any more, and we are going to have to start all over with a new doctor in a different office. I appreciate all the good information you have supplied, this will help.

[grace0418]

28. You're most welcome. I'm sorry your mom had to deal with that. Especially

since she'd older and has some problems with blood sugar. To have her fasting for nothing is a bummer.

My husband was told about the no fruit thing as well, but since read conflicting reports about it. He decided to try it (it's hard having to give ups sweets AND fruit) and has had no problems. He only eats whole, fresh fruits, no canned or juice or anything like that. Not that your mother should do the same thing but just fyi.

Good luck with your mom. It's definitely a difficult thing to go through with a loved one. You're kind to help her out so much.

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30. Thanks. I buy fresh papaya, mangoes, melons, avocadoes, etc.

My Mom loves all of them.

[grace0418]

48. If she likes them then she should keep eating them.

She can cut out carbs from other sources. The health benefits from them outweigh the carbs.

[supernova]

24. Agave syrup is fantastic!

I use it in my morning coffee, to sweeten plain yogurt (it's even better than honey), anywhere I'd use honey or syrup.

Great stuff. I get it at Whole Foods. It's expensive, but like you say, a little goes a long way and I don't still crave sweets or other simple carbs after eating it.

[grace0418]

26. You can use it in desserts as well. We make a tofu chocolate mousse that is absolute

heaven in a bowl. We brought it to a family party and it was gobbled up. Whole Foods puts in on sale a lot so we stock up. I have it every morning on my yogurt. It's so good with fresh berries and walnuts! YUM!

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29. We have agave americana (century plant) growing in our backyard

Too bad we can't make syrup out of it. A Mexican lady told me that when the flower stalks first shoot up (they look like a giant asparagus on the way up, then when they reach 30 feet high they open up into the flower, which looks like a miniature tree), they cut them and bake them in pieces in Mexico, and they are sweet. They make tequila out of a related species (agave azul). The one we have is agave americana, a whole patch of it, and it's really dangerous with the needle-sharp spikes on it. Below is a sample picture of agave americana. I wonder which species they use to make the agave syrup from.

[supernova]

41. According to what I've read

you can make the nectar from any agave variety, but the most common is the azul (the tequila one)

[susanna]

39. I just got those last week.

They are amazing - we love them too!

[grace0418]

47. One note on the name. It's called Organic Strawberry Fruit Spread. Not preserves.

Just in case you were looking for it. I just had some on a whole wheat English muffin. YUM!

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

5. The Kirkland organic 1% milk - you'd never know it wasn't whole milk

Also love the bite-sized brownies (alas, I love them TOO much).

[KitchenWitch]

6. Really - I have never bought milk there

I usually buy my dairy at Trader Joes.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

19. I wish we had Trader Joes - not in Texas, unfortunately

I must go every day when I go visit Bullwinkle925 (which I'm doing tomorrow - YEA!!) Even my husband, who grew up on warm goat's milk and buffalo milk in Pakistan, loves the Costco 1% milk.

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35. I love Trader Joe's but

the one near me is so small and crowded, it's an ordeal to get around in it. "Excuse me... Excuse me, please" is all you hear in every aisle. They have some great stuff and unusual items you see nowhere else. But the process of shopping there, at the one near me anyway, almost ruins it.

[KitchenWitch]

40. We have two Trader Joes' close by - the older one is tiny and yes, not very pleasant

However the brand new one (just opened this summer) is large, the aisles are wide and it is a joy to shop there (and it is closer :woohoo: )

[grace0418]

45. Trader Joe's and Costco have made me such a grocery store dorkus malorkus.

Seriously, I can have whole conversations with friends where all we talk about is delicious stuff we've found at one of those two stores. I've learned the best times to go to TJs to avoid the madness and crowds, although I have to say I'm always impressed with the staff there and how efficient and friendly they are even when it's super busy. Between Costco, TJs, and the farmers market/produce market, I never have to shop at Jewel or Dominicks anymore. Which is great because I always end up frustrated at the selection and quality of the food there, as well as the workers. I also enjoy the Wild Oats near my house, but I think that may be going away soon if Whole Foods has bought it out.

Oh, AND, there is a new Whole Foods that opened up near my office that is completely different (and way better) than all the other Whole Foods in Chicago. I used to shop at WF on occasion but would get so frustrated at the prices that it wasn't enjoyable (they don't call it Whole Paycheck for nothing). But this whole foods has HUUUUUUGE and extensive fresh food counters that are actually quite reasonable compared to buying carryout from a restaurant. There is one whole counter devoted to BBQ, another to made-to-order sushi, another to all kinds of hot foods, another to salads, another just to panini and other made-to-order sandwiches, another to pizza, another for seafood items, another for soups, a deli, a bakery, a gelato counter and a cheese section so huge I gasped the first time I saw it. I can't do all my shopping there because the other stuff is still too expensive, but it's a nice treat to pick up food there.

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10. Sounds good although I'm afraid I would eat the entire box in one day.

That almost happened with the "Fruit and Nut Medley" (the one with the dried kiwi fruits and about 10 other dried fruits). It was delicous and I was happily munching away, then suddenly noticed that the entire bag contained over 5,000 calories - so I put the rest out for the birds!

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Oh, my. Where to start?

Their frozen shrimp is awesome. No strange flavor. The white meat chicken, mozzarella and tomato sausage is fantastic.

The raisin bread is outstanding. The crab cakes are fantastic. The bruschetta is delicious. The queso sauce/dip is delicious. My kids love the potstickers.

The sorbet is great. I can't say that I have purchased anything that I was unhappy with.

[distantearlywarning]

11. They used to have this Margarita Lime Shrimp stuff

Hubby and I both LOVED it! But a few months ago they stopped carrying it. :-(

Now my favorite thing from Costco are the boxes of tropical sorbets. Reasonable calories for such a naughty-tasting dessert, and they have real cane sugar in them instead of that high-fructose corn syrup crap (which I have recently determined I have some kind of food allergy to).

[AllegroRondo]

12. We like the giant frozen chicken pot pie

its big enough to feed 8 people, so it lasts us for a dinner and a couple lunches.

[qb]

13. The dried mangoes are awesome.

The dried blueberries & cherries, however are too sweet and taste artificial.

Frozen salmon, salmon burgers, orange roughy & cod are great, too.

I used to love their caramel apple pie but can't buy it any more because they have a peanut warning on all of their bakery goods (my son has a peanut allergy).

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15. Have you tried that bag of "Fruit and Nut Medley?"

It's delicious, with all kinds of dried fruits including the mangoes, plus dried strawberries, kiwi fruit, and others. I couldn't stop eating it until I looked at the bag, did the math and realized the bagful contained more than 5,000 calories. That put a stop to it.

[qb]

46. No, but I will.

Thanks for the warning - I tend to lose track of what I'm eating until the bag is empty!

[supernova]

14. Anything from the bakery

is screamingly good. The dark chocolate cake and chocolate icing really tastes and looks like something you'd get in an Austrian Konditerei. Their artisanal breads are Yummo! And you get two loaves (or is it three? can't remember).

I'm like everybody else. I haven't found anything at Costco I wasn't fond of. :9 :9 :9

I really have to restrain myself from getting all those party hor d'oeurves as real food. x(

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16. That's the whole problem there - it all looks so good, you want too much.

[kay1864]

18. Several:

Homerun Pizza (best frozen pizza I've had, including at Trader Joe's)
Spinach/Feta pizza (also very good; 3 for $10)
Tilapia with chipotle coating (not spicy, just really good)
Kirkland salmon filets (I rub on a 1/2 tsp Williams-Sonoma's potlatch seasoning, then bake in a little olive oil and butter--much better results than with grilling)

Dubliner cheddar cheese
Delice de Bourgogne cheese


Edit: a few more...

Milton's multi-grain bread. Fantastic, esp when toasted.

Spinach salad (includes bacon, hard-boiled eggs, onions, cheese, mushrooms, dressing. 2 or 3 servings for about $8)

How could I have forotten the **CROISSANTS** Best I've had outside of Paris. Heavenly. Warm in at 300 degree oven. You can also slice one open and sprinkle in chocolate chips, then warm. Instant chocolate croissant.

Key Lime pie is outstanding.

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23. There goes my diet. About the Milton's bread...

I almost bought one yesterday, but it seemed like it was a little hard or tough - is it like that on the inside?

[kay1864]

25. It shouldn't be that way inside or out

I mean, it's not as soft as white Wonder bread, but it should just feel like a loaf of sliced wheat bread, not like French bread or anything.

And if you don't like anything at Costco, you can return it for a refund, no hassles.

[Mz Pip]

20. Fresh salmon

I barbecue it and it is always fresh and yummy. I get all of my meat there and just divide it up and freeze it. They have a good selection of cheese, too. I don't eat cheese much but the horseradish cheddar is so good.

My cats even like their catfood.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[MysticalChicken]

21. Sinai Kosher Dogs

I'm not Jewish, but these are the best hot dogs ever.

[Scurrilous]

33. I like the Sinai Kosher mini bagel dogs.

:thumbsup:

[cloudbase]

27. Kalamata olives

and baby back ribs.

[AzDar]

32. In the fresh food section... Crunchy Asian Chicken Wraps, made with

their rotisserie chicken.
Yummmm...

[PassingFair]

34. The Sabra hummous.

Also they have these sausages made with chicken, apple and gouda cheese.
I can't recall the manufacturer, but they are GOOD!

Jumbo cashews, $9.98 per jar.

[dembotoz]

36. first wisconsin costco opens at the end of this month

about 1 mile from where i live.
Closer than the nearest supermarket.
Sad but true-i am looking forward to costco more than an upcoming family trip to disney.

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42. Costco is everything WalMart should have been.

Quality merchandise at reasonable prices, environmentally conscious, and they pay their employees well. It's like the opposite of Wal-Mart. The only drawback is that you have to buy a large quantity of most food items, and if you're a very small household that doesn't really work well (4 pounds of bananas can go bad before you can eat them all). Otherwise it's the almost-perfect retailer.

[grace0418]

43. I'm so excited for you! I really am!

Costco is amazing!

[NC_Nurse]

37. Ciabatta bread, organic peanut butter, hummus

organic milk, salad mixes...

that's all I can think of at the moment.:-)

[smtpgirl]

38. portobello mushroom ravoli

[grace0418]

44. So many... the Campari tomatoes, the fresh blueberries, the English cucumbers,

the rotisserie chicken (huge and juicy, we get so many meals out of one chicken! Boston Market chickens look like cornish hens in comparison), the goat cheese is SO GOOD AND SO CHEAP, someone else mentioned the Dubliner cheese but I have to add that one as well, the olive tapenade is amazing (although I haven't seen it in awhile), the organic salad greens, the organic chicken broth in boxes...

And even though I can't have them anymore, the desserts and baked goods are astoundingly delicious. And I'm a total dessert snob! The chocolate chip cookies, key lime pie, berry pie, muffins are all amazing.

[redqueen]

49. Thanks for making this thread...

I've been afraid to buy much food from there due to quantity/cost... this'll help tremendously. :)