UPDATED: 5 July, 2021
When we first moved from Asia to Canada in April 2020, one of the places I was really excited to go shopping in for the first time was Costco. We bought ourselves a membership and I will happily admit that our first trip was extremely expensive. Fast forward nearly a year and we go about every 2 months or so and stock up on a lot of products. We know the layout really well, the staff are efficient and polite and we are done in less than an hour. While I don’t keep an accurate record of how much I save by going to Costco, I think I do save a lot of money if, and only IF, I follow my Costco rules!
Only buy things you would buy at the local store anyway
I love Costco, but I can easily be drawn in to buying highly processed snacks that I wouldn’t buy anyway and despite the cheap price, these snacks are certainly more expensive than the snack I usually eat (which is no snack).
Don’t get carried away in the refrigerated and frozen section
You are limited in these areas if you only have a small refrigerator and freezer. How terrible would be if you got home only to discover that you didn’t have enough room for everything. I know some Costco fans that buy a chest freezer and extra freezers just for their Costco purchases. While I am not sure if that’s the right approach, you want to make sure you do have enough room for perishable items.
Think carefully before buying produce
Items that will perish quickly like baby spinach should be used as quickly as possible after buying it. Plan your meals after you get home to make sure that you don’t end up composting your vegetables in your salad crisper. It’s money down the drain and a huge waste of resources.
Store food carefully
Even dry goods should be stored at the right temperature and if a product has been opened, make sure it is in an airtight jar so that weevils don’t get into your food.
Other tips
Avoid overly packaged products
Sadly buying in bulk at Costco does not always mean less plastic waste. Usually it is just normal sized products that are packaged together with even more packaging.
Bring a cooler with some freezer blocks
Perhaps you have a Costco close to your house. We don’t and we don’t travel all the way to Vancouver just for Costco (we like to add a lunch somewhere, maybe a neighbourhood walk, visit with friends, etc.) which means we need to have a coolbox and freezer blocks so nothing will melt by the time we get home.
Join the Vegan Costco Facebook Group
This incredibly active group is really good. Find out all the latest fun vegan products available.
The products
Before we get started, you need to know where it was we did this shopping! These products were in the downtown Vancouver branch in March 2021. If you are reading this from the USA, UK or other countries where Costco operates, then be aware that perhaps some products shown here might not be available where you are.. and vice versa. If you head to your local Costco because they had a product I listed here, then you might be disappointed.
The intention behind this post is to simply show you the kinds of products they tend to stock, their prices, and to give you a snapshot in time of what is available. Hopefully, this post will help you decide if a Costco membership is worth the money. I do hope to do updates on this post as new products appear in Costco and old ones are no longer stocked and also create another one for Costco in the US when the borders open again. Enjoy!
If you like it, PIN IT!
Fruits and Vegetables
Medjool Dates
I love ooey gooey Medjool dates. They are so much sweeter and stickier than Deglot Noor dates and work really well to sweeten up smoothies, or to make a granola bar. The problem is the deliciousness of these dates usually reflects a higher price tag but at Costco, they are good value.
Butternut squash and Zucchini Noodles
If you are gluten-free or want to replace your refined wheat pasta with some more nutritious vegetables, this would be a good option. Use these very quickly. They are already finely cut, so they won’t last long in the refrigerator.
Baby Spinach
This enormous bag of spinach is perfect for lasagna, salads and more. Make sure you keep an eye on this in your fridge so it doesn’t turn into compost. When you see it is no longer good for use in salads, try cooking it.When it is no longer good for cooking, freeze it and put it in smoothies.
Broccolini or sweet broccoli stems
I love this stuff and find myself steaming a few stalks of it to go with my lunch, to add another serving or two of vegetables to my day.
Cauliflower florets
With cauliflower buffalo wings now so popular, we need to have cauliflower in our life ready to go.
Organic Chefs mix of mushrooms
If you are a mushroom fan like me, these mushrooms would be a super addition to a risotto or a tofu and mushroom stroganoff.
Whole mushrooms
This large container of mushrooms will keep you in mushrooms for a while, but don’t take too long. Mushrooms can go a bit slimy if they aren’t eaten quickly!
Brussel Sprouts
If you are not a sprouts fan, then perhaps you have not tried them quartered and roasted in the oven! They taste good and are so good for you.
Vegan meats
3 pack of Tofu
Tofu. A vegan’s staple! While tofu is the cheapest out of the whole food vegan meats (the others being tempeh and seitan) you will certainly save some money by buying this tofu. Make stir fries, tofu bacon and tofu steaks from tofu!
Yves Veggie Chick’n Nuggets
Vegan meats are often a lot more expensive than whole foods so you can save some money with this product. I love to fry up a batch of these in the air fryer and add them to a Ceasar salad to turn it into a chicken ceasar salad. It’s also great to have in the freezer for a fussy kid that comes to visit! We also love Yves as they have a special recycling program.
Beyond Sausages
If you love Beyond Sausages, then this is an excellent deal! Where I live, a pack of 4 sausages is about $10 and here you can have 12 for $20! We love these in hotdogs, with gravy and mashed potatoes, in stews, on top of pizzas etc.
Beyond Burgers
Many people’s favorite vegan burgers that taste nearly exactly like meat! Like the sausages, these are more expensive in the regular grocery store so if you have space in the freezer, then stock up on them.
Plant-Based Bolognese Sauce with Beyond Meat
The vegan Costco groups went crazy when this was discovered and we found it in our local Costco! This discovery just made lasagna a whole lot easier!
Crispy Tenders – Gardein
Yet another vegan chicken product! They are physically bigger than the Yves nuggets but they are really great on salads. You can fry these in the airfryer and fry them on the stove top. These are perfect for a weeknight dinner when you need to cook something quickly. Quickly mash up some potatoes and boil a few peas and you have a fantastic dinner that the whole family will love.
Dr Praeger’s Organic California Style Veggie Burgers
If you have not tasted these burgers before, please don’t expect them to taste like the products above. These burgers are much more vegetable based. They are not oil free (they contain canola oil) but if you like the old school vegan burgers then you’ll like these!
MorningStar Farms Chipotle Black Bean Burgers
Not all MorningStar Farms products are vegan, but these ones are! These would be great with some avocado, some greens, some salsa and perhaps some of the queso cheese dip above. Each patty contains 15 grams of protein!
Wholly Veggie! Buffalo Cauliflower
We have purchased these products at our local supermarket but frankly, the packet is way too small! This will at least be a good serving for a party.
Oh Natural Spinach and Chickpea Patties
Another fun product that doesn’t really taste of meat, but it is a lot of fun to have in your freezer for those last minute weeknight dinners.
Gardein Meatless Meatballs
We absolutely love Gardein’s products and this massive bag of vegan meatballs are going to help you veganise all those childhood meatball recipes!
Plant Based Protein Burger
Okay. We have never actually tasted this brand before so we can’t comment on the taste, but we can comment on the price! Less than a dollar a patty!
If you like it, PIN IT!
VEGAN DAIRY
Daiya Cheddar flavour slices
This mammoth pack of cheese slices will keep you in grilled cheese with your soups and sandwiches for months! 2 x 330 gram packs is excellent value. Please ignore the price on the image here. We didn’t take the cheese with the correct price tag and despite our attempts to find the price online, we have not been successful. It’s Costco, I am sure it’s much cheaper than the supermarkets.
Macadamia Beverage (long life)
This non dairy milk is really delicious and we love their tagline ‘moo is moot’. Have you ever tried macadamia milk before? This was my first time trying it and it was really good. The price per carton on this is really pretty amazing.
Kirkland soy milk (long life)
One of several brands and types of soy milk available in Costco. This one is organic and fortified as well as unsweetened.
Silk soy milk (refrigerated section)
This is one of my favourite brands in terms of taste. It does well in coffee even whipped up in a milk frother.
Kirkland Almond Milk (long life)
Yet another non dairy milk, this time almond
Kirkland Almond Milk Vanilla flavor (long life)
Same as above, but with a hint of vanilla.
Almond Breeze Unsweetened (long life)
If you want a more premium product then you might want to check out Almond Breeze which is generally the most well-known almond milk out there, You are paying a little more for the brand recognition and personally, I don’t think the extra dollars are worth it however give it a try.
So Nice Organics Vanilla Almond Milk (long life)
There are only three containers in this, but each one is nearly 2 litres. Make sure you have enough room in your fridge for this one.
Silk Organic Coconut Milk Unsweetened (long life)
This is not the stuff that you add to your Thai curries or make into whipped cream. This stuff only has a hint of a coconut taste and can be really helpful for those that have allergies.
Suzie’s Oat Milk (long life)
Goodness. So many good and cheap non dairy milks available in bulk at Costco! Lastly, we have oat milk. We are pretty sure you will find a non dairy milk that you will love.
Riviera Coconut Yogurts
This is a simply amazing price. $8.80 for 24 yogurts! We love the flavors too and we really like that they come in glass. The pots make great little containers and of course they can be recycled easily.
Prepared foods refrigerator
Quinoa Salad
This enormous salad is perfect if you need to contribute to a picnic or a potluck and don’t have the time to do something.
Winter Solstice Salad
Everyone loves this salad. It has tons of toppings to make a delicious hearty salad, however, it has so much packaging for a salad.
Seaweed Salad
This stuff is a fantastic item to have in the refrigerator. Seaweed salad is incredibly nutritious and just adding a spoon of this stuff just on the side of your plate at dinner time. You can add it to rice salads to make some sort of deconstructed sushi salad.
Prepared Foods non refrigerated
Lodge and Stove Canned Chilli
I often forget just how convenient canned food can be, especially food that is already prepared and just needs to be warmed up. Here’s the perfect example! Chilli in a can. Not only are the cans easy to recycle, they don’t need refrigeration. This makes them perfect for lunches at work (just don’t forget a can opener) and car camping (also don’t forget a can opener) and having a couple of these in the pantry means you have a pretty healthy dinner in a flash!
Organic Lentil canned Soup
The same goes with these soups! Except these don’t need a can opener. It has one of those pull lids. I honestly don’t know why we aren’t taking a can of soup to lunch. It’s $1.81 a can only!
Coconut Cashew Granola
We rarely buy granola, because it is pretty expensive and seems to last only about two days so we wait until Costco where you can get a much bigger bag. We think this one would probably last us 5 days!
Ancient Grains Granola with Almonds
Like above, this is an even bigger bag. This is the perfect cereal to take camping. It tastes fancy, is high in calories and really delicious.
Pumpkin Seed and Flax Granola
Our last granola. We couldn’t help ourselves because these are such a good deal.
Frozen
Dipped Salted Caramel Ice Creams
I don’t love these ice creams as much as I love Magnums, but at this price, they are going in my cart.
Frozen Edamame
Edamame are not something that I use everyday, but I do like to have them handy. They are such a satisfying texture and mouthfeel as well as having such a fantastic colour. Turn them into soups and salads or just have a spoonful or two as a high protein side dish.
Frozen Blueberries
Costco is well known for it’s huge range of frozen fruit, but this is always what we head for. Blueberries are generally considered the most nutrient dense of all the berries and we love to put them in smoothies and baked goods.
Bakery
Pizza Kits
These bases are heavily packaged, but are a great alternative to frozen pizzas. Just add a layer of vegan cheese (if you like) as well as a few mushrooms and some pineapple if that’s your thing (it’s certainly my thing).
Organic Cooked Beets
Are you a beets fan but don’t want to boil them for hours and hours, deal with the water that stains and the hassle that comes with preparing beets? This will save you a ton of time in the kitchen.
Grilled Vegetable Ravioli
We really have reached a bit of a turning point that vegan fresh ravioli is more widely available. It used to be that fresh pasta would always have egg in it. Again, I photographed this with the wrong price. Apologies.
Spring Rolls
With this bag of spring rolls you will have the perfect appetizer for Asian food. It even has some plum sauce as well.
Dry Goods
Nuts / Seeds
Hemp Seeds are usually pretty pricey, but they are a fantastic item to have in your pantry. They are a fantastic source of Omega 3 fatty-acids and unlike flaxseeds, usually come hulled so you can easily use them. They are fantastic to sprinkle on salads, to add to oatmeals and are often used in vegan parmesan.
Almond Butter
Almond butter is usually twice the price for a container half the size. Need we say more, other than to wish that they packaged this in glass jars
Mixed nut and seed butter
We love the idea of having a nut and seed butter with so many different types of nuts and seeds in. Each nut and seed has an interesting nutritional profile so why not cut two carrots with one knife and spread this on your toast.
Chia Seeds
Another incredibly cheap price for a really good omega 3 source. You’ll have chia seeds for months!
Almond Flour
If you are playing around with vegan keto, them you’ll probably want some almond flour to replace whole grain flour.
Pecans
Pecans are normally pricey but this will last you for ages and make enough pecan pie for the whole season. We love to bake these with liquid smoke and sriracha to make the tastiest salad sprinkles you’ve ever tried.
Grains
Six pack of dried pasta
Pasta is cheap at our local supermarket, but you can’t usually get the fancier shapes of pasta and the lowest possible prices. If you like to have the right pasta shape for your sauces, then this is a good one to have in your pantry for a cheaper price than in regular stores.
Farro
Wholegrains are an excellent addition to your diet however, it can become a little repetitive, especially if you are someone who really likes to eat very simply. Here’s where farro comes in. Originally from the flood plains of the Nile, it can really help vary things up in the kitchen. Add a handful to stews and soups to thicken it or use it in place of any wholegrain like brown rice, quinoa or millet and to make ity even better, this rice replacement cooks in 10 minutes! That’s even quicker than quinoa.
Red Quinoa
We know that technically quinoa is a seed, but most people use it as a grain. Quinoa is a super source of nutrients for vegans and it really is so incredibly versatile. Soups, stews and salads are the perfect place for quinoa to shine and to make things even better, this one is grown in Canada so you won’t get anyone telling you that vegans are pushing up the price of quinoa in Peru.
Legumes
Red Lentils
Unless you have an Indian grocery store near you, I can’t imagine a better deal on red lentils. If you have not tried these lentils, you should give them a try. They don’t hold their shape like other lentils but they are seriously good in stews and curries.
Vegetables
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Gone are the days when you need to buy a tiny jar of sundried tomatoes for $6! This huge jar is only $12 and once opened stores in the fridge. These are so good for pasta sauces, creating an umami flavour in burgers and sauces and putting on top of pizzas and salads. We always have one of these in our fridge.
Pitted Kalamata Olives
I love kalamata olives but I don’t like the price in the supermarket and I would prefer it if I don’t have to pit them. This enormous jar is perfect if you have a fridge big enough to keep this jar. Like sun dreid tomatoes, they are great in pasta, have a super umami flavour, and a must have if you like mediterranean or middle eastern cooking.
Vegetable Broth
I usually buy concentrated broth rather than this stuff in tetra packs, but if you like to buy your broth this way, I cannot imagine a better deal.
Better Than Bouillon Concentrated Vegetable Broth
This broth is my absolute favourite. It is easy to dissolve, highly concentrated and so much cheaper than in the regular shops.
Snacks – Savory
Queso Style Dip
We have bought this several times and we love it! We pile it over nachos or as part of a 7 layered dip. This very large 680g pot will keep you going for a really long time.
Guacamole Minis
This is heavily packaged of course, but if you want some little snack packs of guacamole for lunch boxes this will be super handy.
Hummus
This kilo (actually 1.2 kg) of hummus will keep you going for a really long time. Divide it up into small tupperwares for a perfect lunchbox snack.
Pico De Gallo
Salsa is a really super low fat dip to have in the refrigerator. Simply by snacking on salsa before dinner can add another serving or two of vegetables to your day’s intake.
Guacamole
This is not my favourite guac ever, but I do like that it doesn’t go brown quickly and has lots of other ingredients such as black beans and capsicum and for a purchased guac it has less packaging.
Flourish Veggie Chips
We purchase these and they are quite tasty. We love the very crunchy texture and the fact that it has only two thirds of the calories of deep fried potato chips and also fewer of the calories come from fat.
Riceworks Sweet Chili Chips
We love that Costco has an abundance of crunchy snacks. We love this rice based one.
Sweet potato and Beetroot Crackers
They have these crackers in two different flavors and more
Cheddar and Green Onion Popcorn
This popcorn is so tasty and it is in an enormous bag. The seasoning is on point too!
Summer Fun Pack of Dips
Yes. This is A LOT of dip and perhaps you don’t have a party which needs quite this much but did you know that dips can be frozen? Divide them up in smaller containers and pop them in the freezer to have dip for the next three months.
Snacks – Sweet
Mochi
This Japanese snack made of ground rice is accidentally vegan and delicious. This would make a perfect dinner party gift for those who don’t like a bottle of wine.
Keto Bars
These vegan bars and widely thought to be some of the best on the market. The price is still expensive but per bar they work out at $1.64 a bar which is a huge saving compared to buying individually..
Coconut Clusters
These balls of seeds and grains are perfect to put on top of salads to make them more substantial, or thrown them in a vegan yogurt for a quick breakfast, or just keep a small container in your purse for when you get hangry.
Smart Sweets
These candies seem to be a much healthier version of some of the chewy candies that are often not vegan. Perfect if you are looking to reduce your sugar.
Clif Nut Butter Bars
These really are nut butter bars. Bite into one and have thick nutella or peanut butter oozing out. We like to take one of these skiing to tide us to the end of the skiing day.
Cleaning
Ecos Laundry Detergent
If you are still using a water based laundry detergent, then this one might be up your alley. According the manufacturer it has never been tested on animals and according to the packaging, it is good for up to 210 loads!
Wellness and Supplements
Vega Organic Protein Powder
Protein powder is not cheap, especially ones that don’t contain whey. This one is a very high quality. There isn’t a wide range of varieties, but because this is vanilla flavour and has greens you will be able to add it to baked goods as well.
If you like it, PIN IT!
Let’s Discuss!
We’d love to hear from you! Did we miss anything? What awesome vegan prodcut does your local Costco carry that ours doesn’t? Let us know in the comments below!
