Eating Healthy for the Lazy Person at Costco!

Disclaimer: Are you easily offended by food in packages? Do you believe that edible food should only contain one ingredient? Or only be purchased at overpriced stores that start with whole and end with foods? If so, please read no further. But if you are like me, super busy, sometimes a little lazy in the cooking department, but still committed to eating healthfully and not going broke while doing so, please read on!

Full disclosure: one of my favorite guilty pleasures is walking around Costco. I don't necessarily go for anything. I just like to meander, checking out the office supplies (I have a love affair with Post-Its and Command products), browsing through the bargain books, oh yeah, and trying pretty much all the samples. I am completely unable to leave without spending at least $40 on Oxi-Clean that will last me a decade and a three-pack of pastel scissors that I probably don't need. I contemplate whether I should purchase a 3-year supply of emergency freeze-dried food in case of apocalypse. (Aside: if you've never seen the Costco-inspired movie Employee of the Month, you are truly missing out.)

On my more leisurely jaunts, I love to do a little sociology observation - watching throngs of observably well-fed people flock to the sample ladies like unfed jungle animals. Upon further thought, I realize that I, at times, might be one of these lemmings myself. I'm even on a first-name basis with one of the sample ladies, Vilma. We engage in lighthearted banter about the quality of the samples that particular day (free tip: the day before Super Bowl is pretty much the pinnacle of Costco sampling). She convinces me to try a Chewy Vitamin C tablet; I'm surprisingly smitten. But I'm okay with this. In fact, I was having so much fun and reached such a state of flow on my most recent trip (today) that I decided, I should do a blog post about all the awesome and healthy things you can buy at Costco!

So here we are! I backtracked (picking up a second helping of chicken skewers and hummus on the way, of course) and broke out my iPhone to start photographing various food finds. People likely looked on wondering, why is that woman attempting to artfully photograph packages of Greek yogurt and oats? It's all in the name of fitness!

Can you eat healthfully at Costco? Unequivocally YES! Can you find tons of single-ingredient, organic, pasture-raised, ethically-raised, cage-free, hormone-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, free-range stuff? Absolutely! But if you are like me, and just wondering, what can I make that won't require every minute of the few free minutes I have when I finally get home after training/working/etc for the past 12-14 hours, then Costco is a certifiable mecca of options!

This is not to say I don't enjoy cooking, it's just that I don't have a ton of time, I hate making messes in the kitchen, I much prefer baking, and well, sometimes my creations just don't live up to my expectations:

Is there a catch? Of course - there always is. And here it is: any time you purchase prepared foods, you are sacrificing convenience for some health benefits - these are typically sodium content and sometimes preservatives. As you will see in my photo montage below, the sodium content of some of these foods can be a little on the higher side. So what's a lazy (er, busy) health-conscious person to do? (1) Keep track of your blood pressure. (2) Exercise. (3) Balance higher sodium, processed items with less-processed, lower sodium options throughout the day. (4) Look for items that won't break the sodium bank (common recommendations are to stay under 2000 mg per day).

So on my most recent trip, here were some of the groovy finds that caught my eye. I have not tried every single one (I will comment on those that I have), but I have had pretty good luck at Costco with stuff not sucking (and if it does, Costco has pretty much the best return policy ever - no questions asked, not even on food). If you happen to try one of these finds, I would love to know what you think. I know I already have my next Costco grocery list!

The Costco Vegetable Tray

This is seriously one of my favorite finds because with vegetables, I can't even say busy, I am straight-up lazy! I wander into Meijer's produce section, picking up beautiful red and yellow peppers, gigantic boxes of spinach, and crisp celery that I can't wait to chop and dip. I place it all in the crisper until, lo and behold! A week has passed and I have nothing but limp, yellowish celery and a pool of greenish-brown liquid where my beautiful spinach once sat. Drats. Enter the Costo Veggie Tray. It is beautiful - I simply snap back the top and start eating. I undoubtedly triple my vegetable consumption to the tune of $7.99. Am I paying for convenience? Absolutely. But considering that I wear rubber gloves to throw out the uneaten pile of mush from my fridge, I consider this a win. Bonus: The low-fat dip is delicious and not even a huge calorie splurge.

How to use it: Raw veggies are awesome any time of day! I personally like them with lunch, but depending on the dinner option, they go great. Additionally, the are terrific to keep around when the late-afternoon snack itch attacks (in direct contrast to my "What to Avoid" below).

Costco Frozen Vegetables

Please never shun frozen veggies. If you have ever suffered from the aforementioned refrigerator problem, you will understand the beauty of ready-when-you-are veggies. Not to mention, many of these veggies are organic, cook beautifully in the microwave, and are far more attractive than many of the other bagged vegetables I've tried.

How to use it: These are a super side for any warm dish. They can be microwaved in mere minutes and are so high-quality that they don't need any adornment.

Grilled Frontega Chicken Fajita

These were a sample on my most recent Costco expedition. I patiently waited while the sampler placed out one solo cup at a time, reminding me three times how hot it was, but I was pleasantly surprised! They were filled with flavor and, upon further inspection, surprisingly low-cal! I was excited that there was a pan-free option (seriously, I am not actually lazy, I just hate making messes).

How to use it: These could easily be paired with a tortilla or even a Flat-out Wrap (also sold at Costco in the bread department), along with some of the aforementioned frozen veggies for a super easy dinner option.

Grilled Mediterranean-Style Chicken Skewers with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

These were phenomenal! They served this sample together and I must have been so visibly happy that the lady offered me seconds (I obliged). I bought both without thinking twice and "made" them for dinner. They are moist and tender and very nicely seasoned! The hummus tasted awesome with them!

How to use it: These are fantastic together. I microwaved the skewers about a minute per side and then added a healthy glob of hummus, along with some of the aforementioned raw veggies (which I also dipped in the hummus). This would make a great dinner, but could also be eaten for lunch, even on a salad or wrap!

Kirkland Grilled Chicken Breast Strips

This is another super versatile and super low-cal protein option that can be morphed into tons of meal choices. It comes in a huge two-pack, and the strips can be eaten cold or heated.

How to use it: These strips could easily be added to tons of dishes that require chicken strips, but my favorite options would be on a wrap with veggies and maybe some more of that hummus, or on top of a salad.

Spinach & Tomato Veggie Patty and Sandwich Thin

I like lots of Costco's vegetarian/vegan options. While I am in no way an official vegetarian or vegan (I love dairy way too much as you will see in a moment), I do find that I personally feel a little better with less meat in my system. This is just me and what I've learned about myself, so I've tried quite a few different veggie patties in my day and these are tasty. Another good option is Costco's Black Bean Burgers (my store carries two varieties; both are tasty). My meat-loving boyfriend even thought that the black bean patties actually had some type of meat in them. As for the sandwich rounds, while I was skeptical at first, I was pleasantly surprised. They also have tons of fiber!

How to use it: While you could easily make a traditional burger with a little ketchup and mustard (yes, I said it, ketchup and mustard...gasp!), you could also glam them up a bit with a few slices of avocado or even some more of that hummus (have you seen how big that tub is??? You better start finding stuff to put that on!). I pair this with - you guessed it! - more of those raw veggies! You could easily place these patties on a salad, though, for even more veggie power.