Costco Vegan Grocery Haul
A vegan nutritionist walks into Costco… and buys SO MUCH FOOD. Thankfully, this is not a joke. It’s now a reality. Vegan options at big box and mainstream stores are exploding, and the availability of these options and has made veganism and plant-based eating much more accessible.
Expanded vegan options in stores are primarily a result of evolving customer shopping habits, such as Millennial and Gen Z consumer demand for transparency and sustainable practices, in exchange for product loyalty. The vegan food market share is experiencing incredible growth, and stores are showing up for a piece of it.
So, what does a vegan nutritionist buy from Costco, you ask? Here' is the list from my most recent vegan grocery haul.
Refrigerator
Field Roast Vegetarian Sausage Variety Pack
Vio Life Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Shreds
Wildbrine Organic Raw Sauerkraut
Frozen
Wawona Organic Daybreak Fruit Blend
Fresh Fruit/Veg
Organic Sweet Potatoes
Canned/Jarred
Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk
Tasty Bite Organic Lentil Pouches
Tasty Bite Organic Coconut Squash Dahl
Bagged
Dave’s Killer Bread, Powerseed Thin Sliced
Heavenly Hunks GF/V Oatmeal Cookies
Lundberg Farms Organic Brown Rice
Liquid
Kirkland Signature Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Organic, Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Costco also has a variety of other, vegan convenience food and snack items that were seriously tempting me during my hunger-fueled shopping trip. However, I decided not to buy these items at this store because of the sheer quantity of them.
I absolutely support listening to one’s body and allowing room for all kinds of foods in your meal plans. However, I also know that I don’t need a 24 oz bag of chips open in my house to satisfy that salty crunchy craving that pops up from time to time. One of either two things will happen if that giant bag of chips enters my house (when I’m not having a party): 1) I will open bag and eat them with every meal until they are gone. I won’t be eating mindfully; I will be eating out of obligation. I will not appreciate servings 3, 4, 7, and 10 nearly as much as I did 1 and 2, and I will probably not feel great as a result of eating so many chips. Or, 2) The chips will go stale. Instead, a 6 oz bag from New Seasons will do just fine.
It’s easy to get sucked into buying large quantities of processed foods when they seem like a good deal. When shopping at bulk stores, like Costco, I make it a priority to purchase items that 1) I know we will use, and 2) won’t encourage me to eat to a level of discomfort or in disservice to my health. Remember, It’s not a good deal if it doesn’t support your mental and physical health goals.