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Vegan Grocery Shopping 101 at Costco
Quite often when people change to a more plant-based diet, they have a hard time figuring out what to get, where to shop, where to eat out and what to eat. I get these kinds of questions all the time. I have decided that my Wednesday theme for Vegan MoFo 2013 will be Grocery Shopping 101 / Whatcha Gonna Eat Wednesday. This theme was a last-minute changeup inspired by a great couple I met last night at a VegMichigan Cooking Demo. If they're reading this, thanks for the inspiration and for reminding me why I write this blog!
This week I am featuring my Metro-Detroit Costco store. Costco (at least around here) is actually a good place to get vegan food. Here's sort of a vegan shopping list for Costco with a few meal ideas thrown in:
-Chips & Snacks (tortilla chips, plain potato chips, on-the-go snacks, etc.)
-Canned Beans (great in salads, soups, with grains)
-Ready-to-Eat Soups, Vegetable Stock, Ready-to-Eat Grains & Meals
-Tomatoes - sauce, paste, diced, etc. (pasta - duh!, also great for flavoring soups and stews, cooking with beans)
-Beans - This is something new I have not seen at Costco before! Yay!
-Pasta, Whole Grains & Seeds (different kinds of rice, pasta, quinoa, chia, freekeh, etc. - they're always adding new items here)
-Spices (including organic)
-Cereal
-Nuts & Nut Butters (great as an on-the-go snack, in salads, desserts, DIY trail mix)
-Dried Fruit (great as an on-the-go snack, in salads, desserts, DIY trail mix)
-Non-Dairy Milk (great for smoothies, coffee/tea, cereal, baking, etc.)
-Vegan Sweeteners (that's right, Costco carries vegan sugar for all your baking & sweetening needs)
-Fresh Fruit & Vegetables (don't forget that these are great snacks or additions to a lunch)
-Frozen Fruit (great in smoothies or desserts)
-Frozen Vegetables (great for making a quick soup or stew, adding to rice or quinoa, etc.)
-Tofu & Meat Substitutes
-Refrigerator Section Finds
-Hummus Galore! (put on sandwiches, eat with fresh veggies for a snack or with pita chips - also available at Costco)
Check out the totally vegan 'Texas Caviar' - also great for stuffing a pita or adding to your lunch or picnic
Here's what I picked up this time
This week I am featuring my Metro-Detroit Costco store. Costco (at least around here) is actually a good place to get vegan food. Here's sort of a vegan shopping list for Costco with a few meal ideas thrown in:
-Chips & Snacks (tortilla chips, plain potato chips, on-the-go snacks, etc.)
-Ready-to-Eat Soups, Vegetable Stock, Ready-to-Eat Grains & Meals
-Beans - This is something new I have not seen at Costco before! Yay!
-Pasta, Whole Grains & Seeds (different kinds of rice, pasta, quinoa, chia, freekeh, etc. - they're always adding new items here)
-Cereal
-Dried Fruit (great as an on-the-go snack, in salads, desserts, DIY trail mix)
-Non-Dairy Milk (great for smoothies, coffee/tea, cereal, baking, etc.)
-Vegan Sweeteners (that's right, Costco carries vegan sugar for all your baking & sweetening needs)
-Frozen Fruit (great in smoothies or desserts)
-Frozen Vegetables (great for making a quick soup or stew, adding to rice or quinoa, etc.)
-Tofu & Meat Substitutes
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| Silken tofu is especially good in desserts, soups, vegan mayonnaise and creamy sauces. Not in the refrigerated section like the other tofu. |
Here's what I picked up this time
I HIGHLY recommend these Field Roast Sausages, especially for new vegetarians and vegans! I haven't found anyone who doesn't like them. They can also be found at Whole Foods Market.
Also, don't forget the great
-Kitchen Appliances and Products available at discounted prices
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| This is by far my favorite non-food item in my kitchen! |
Does anyone have any other suggestions for vegan shopping at a warehouse store like Costco? Any favorite vegan products from Costco?
Posts
I heard a rumor from a restaurant worker that Costco sells the delicious almond-milk ice cream that Whole Foods stopped selling. Still need to verify.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen that, but I didn't really look in that section. I will check the next time I go. Also, it could be one of those things sold in only certain areas?
DeleteThanks, Heather for all the great recommendations for vegan shopping at Costco. Like you, I love all the vegan stuff you can find there. A couple more to add to the list that I recently found are Gardenburger's Malibu burgers. They come frozen in a box. Also, I like to buy the edamame (bundled in three bags), canned organic tomatoes and the gynormous bag of peanuts I buy specifically to throw out for the birds and wildlife in our backyard.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you for the great suggestions, Susan! I did not even notice those burgers!
DeleteThank you for the great post! I just recently switched to becoming vegan and shopping has been the hardest part, constantly reading labels sometimes missing ingredients and getting home to find that it has honey or casein (jerks!). My boyfriend and I have been wanting to join costco for a while, so this was perfect!
ReplyDeleteIt really is one of the hardest parts about changing your diet. Not only do you have to find where to shop and which items are safe, but you have to find which products you like! I'm glad I could help. I hope you can find all of the great things we have at Costco here in your local Costco. I'm pretty sure they let you check out the store before you join (you just can't buy anything until you join.) The good news is that once you get the hang of it, shopping (and being) vegan becomes easy.
Deleteorganic grapes 5 lb packages, only seen it once last year. I only shop at Costco 4 times a year
ReplyDeleteNO FAIR! Our Costco doesn't have the Field Roast products. I love them so much
ReplyDeleteI think they are a somewhat recent addition in the Metro Detroit area. Either that or I didn't notice them until sometime in the last year. Here, they are in the refrigerated section by the hummus, tofu, cheese, and meat sausages. Maybe you could request that they carry them in your store.
DeleteLet us know where you are and maybe some of us can try to help you request Field Roast in your area. I'm sure you're not the only person who would like to see them there.
DeleteI'm in the Vancouver, B.C. area and would be SO delighted if I could find Field Roast products at our Costco(s). A long time ago they had "Curry in a Hurry" brand veggie samosas and also pakoras - but they stopped selling them :( Similarly, they also more recently had Gardein's "Beef" bourguinon - which was amazing. But they don't sell it any more! Wish they'd bring these back!
DeleteI am in Northridge, CA... southern California. I have not seen the Field Roast in our Costco but would LOVE to be able to get it there... Also have not seen the Amy's canned goods.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm in southern California, too, and I doubt they have Field Roast at my local Costco - but I'll definitely check the next time I'm there. That would be rad.
DeleteWow, I would expect you to have them before us!! Can anyone help out in requesting Field Roast & Amy's at Costco in Southern California (or specifically Northridge)? Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a costco but o my - who doesn't love a wall of hummous? :D
ReplyDeletehahaha! You are SO right!
DeleteOrganic coconut oil, at a good price. They also used to carry a wonderful quinoa pasta, but for some reason that has disappeared.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah. You're right! I forgot about that because I'm all stocked up! Great suggestion!
DeleteI've been looking for that Quinoa pasta for a year now...please post it if you find it. Thanks!
DeleteIt's back at Costco in Texas
Deletegreat post!! i only recently joined Costco, and I've been stoked on all the great vegan finds, and also all the organic stuff they have. Last week I got a box of Justin's Dark Chocolate PB cups, yumz!!! It's neat to see what other costcos carry - some of our stuff is the same as yours, and some is different. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I LOVE those! I think I'm going to double check my store to make sure I didn't miss those. Otherwise, I just might have to do some traveling. ;-)
DeleteMadras Lentils by Tasty Bite - we put them on french fries and they tast like chili fries. Love them! Cannot wait to try the sausages I kept seeing them and not getting them because in the past Chris never liked any other brand I had bought.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! I didn't include the Madras Lentils because I'm pretty sure they include dairy. But you brought up a great idea! I think I'm going to start putting Indian food on french fries now! Brilliant! We could create all kinds of new spins on chili fries!
DeleteWe LOVE those sausages! If you guys don't like them, we will be glad to take them off your hands for ya! The spicy ones ARE spicy for you guys so I'd suggest cutting them up and cooking them in something. I like to saute them with potatoes for brunch.
This was a great post! I live in SE Michigan and shop at the Roseville Costco and we buy almost everything you posted!
ReplyDeleteHere are some of the things we buy as well:
maple syrup (HUGE bottle for $12)
oatmeal
almond butter (costs $3 less for twice as much than Kroger!)
salsa
Minced Garlic
Olives
Strawberry Jam
Corn Tortillas (they stopped selling these, too)
the HUGE bag of spinach for only $4! (worth mentioning on its own!)
I've seen the newer section of vegan Gardenburgers, too.
They also carry Ling Ling vegetable spring rolls in the frozen section that are vegan. I try to stay away from that stuff, but my husband loves them!
I'm curious as to which Costco you go to, because I've never seen the tofu and would LOVE to be able to cut Kroger out of most of my weekly store visits if I could just get it at Costco! My Costco also recently stopped carrying the veggie broth. =(
I haven't noticed the Amy's soups and will have to check that out too!
My biggest wish is that they'd carry bulk unsweetened soy or almond milk.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the great suggestions!! I have bought tofu at the Shelby Twp, Bloomfield Twp & Northville stores. They occasionally run out. I wonder if it's possible that your store carries it and they've been out or you missed it when they had it? (That's what I'm hoping for so you don't have to travel elsewhere to get it!) These are the only three stores I've been to in Michigan and they all had tofu so I think you'll be likely to find it at another location if they don't carry it at yours. (And the tofu is less than $5 for a 3 pack)
DeleteWow .. I have been away from Detroit for a couple of months because of work .. If I am coming home to this at my local Costco I am VERY excited .... Great post !!
ReplyDeleteYay! Hope you can find everything you want there!
DeleteI just stumbled across your blog and love Field Roast sausages too! I was looking for them in Costco - the Northville one and the one in Commerce, however neither of them had any. What stores have you found them at in Metro Detroit? I'd definitely take a trip to buy some!
ReplyDeleteWhat Costco's did you find the Field Roast at and does Costco still carry them? Sadly, I went to the one in Northville and Commerce and they didn't have any. They're so good - I'd drive to another store just to stock up on them!
ReplyDeleteMost recently I have bought them at the Bloomfield Twp store. I can go check if they still have them. I really hope so. I thought I bought them at Northville before though. Hopefully they just ran out!!!!! They are SOO good!
DeleteI just bought them yesterday at the Costco in Bloomfield Twp (NE Corner of Square Lake Rd & Telegraph Rd) They are in the refrigerated section with the ready to eat foods, meats, and cheeses.
DeleteThis is one of the more helpful and practical pages I've found so far. I am just barely starting to transition to Vegan and I haven't really known where to start. Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I am just barely trying to make the transition into Vegan and this has been one of the more practical helpful pages I've found. This gave me some specifics on how I can makes those first steps.
ReplyDeleteI'm SO glad to have helped, Genevieve! The transition gets easier and easier and time goes on and you learn more. Good luck to you! Thank you for your comment! I really appreciate it!
DeleteWow, we have Costco here but I don't know that they would have the same products. There are only a couple around and you have to have a members card to be able to shop there. I've never been in one but am really intrigued to go and find out what they have!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure they will let you go check it out once before joining - to see if it's worth it for you. You could give it a try.
DeleteCould you believe I've never been to a Costco? I think I'd spend a fortune! I love those green pea snacks... they are so addictive. I've never seen those chia squeeze pouches, but I do buy their bottled drink from time to time... it's weird-fun to drink. I'd definitely go for the heirloom bean blend... and those pasta are my favorite. They make such unsual shapes.
ReplyDeleteI bet you would spend a fortune, Babette. It's so easy to do when everything is in bulk! It would still be worth it though! The green pea snacks are totally addictive! We had to stop buying them because we were starting to have a problem!
DeleteThis makes my grocery shopping so much easier!!! my go to is usually trader joes, whole foods or grocery outlet. I had no idea Costco had so many options. Thank you for creating such a great page! I will definitely go get a Costco membership when I have the chance! There one right next to my work, I might go right now lol
ReplyDelete