Here is my budget-friendly 27 Costco Healthy Snacks List for real life with kids and work, listing pre-packaged snacks lower in sodium and with less added sugar.
Table of contents
Costco (known as Kirkland brand) is a great place to shop for a family who eats healthy. If you spend more than $5,500 a year there, it makes financial sense to pay $120 for executive membership and earn 2% cash back. So far, not only we have saved money on groceries, but cashback covers our membership and even makes us extra money. Win-win, if you ask me.
I do approach feeding my kids healthy the way I was raised in Ukraine – kids are not allowed to leave the table until their plates are empty. My kids, now 14 and 10, eat 99% everything. One eats better than the other but overall everyone eats the same food. Snacking is huge part of North American culture, I try my best to stuff their bellies with big real food meals but inevitably snacking happens, healthy and not so healthy. And it’s fine – balance and moderation.
What Are Healthy Snacks?
Here is my philosophy when it comes to snacks and how I choose Costco healthy snacks:
- Snacks do not replace meals. I strive to make each meal complete with protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats – for ideas, check out my collections of 55 healthy dinner ideas, 65 clean eating chicken recipes and 45 healthy breakfast ideas.
- Fruit and vegetables make the best snacks, so I use them as a base and then add on healthier packaged snacks.
- I strive to buy organic and/or non-GMO snacks whenever possible, however even these labels can be attached to high in sodium and added sugar packaged (processed foods).
- When choosing Costco healthy snacks, I look for – minimally processed, with the lowest amount of sodium and little or no added sugar (even quality one), low calorie snacks.
- Less waste and environmentally friendly – I would rather cut an apple or give a whole apple to kids that can chew than pay extra and create waste by buying packaged apple slices, fruit sauce cups and pouches.
- Finally, balance and moderation in everything in life is key, I believe. I do not go extra hard on myself if I buy kids white flour crackers or Tim Hortons cereal once in a while.
Keep in mind that Costco distribution varies coast to coast. Let’s dig in and don’t forget to leave a comment sharing your favorite Costco snack finds.
Looking for homemade snack ideas? Check out these 10 healthy banana snacks post and 65 healthy snack recipes.
Dried Fruit
Not all dried fruit is created equal. You want to buy organic dried fruit because it contains no sulphur dioxide (preservative) and many other additives, including added sugar. Sulfites make dried fruit bright in colour and appear larger, where as organic dried fruit looks more shriveled and not as pretty – natural and normal. There is a huge difference in taste!
Dried fruit contains naturally occurring sugar, fiber and all the nutrients fruit has to offer, not to be confused with high in added sugar snacks. This kind of sugar is good for you!
1. Dried Fruit Mix
2. Dried Apricots
3. Dried Pineapple
4. Dried Mango
5. Raisins
Nuts
When it comes to nuts, healthy nuts are considered nuts that are unroasted (raw), unsalted and not coated in sugar. However, many nuts taste better when roasted, and sometimes a bit of salt won’t hurt. I always say, if I ate homemade healthy meals and a few servings of fruit and vegetables, a bit of salted nuts won’t take me over recommended 2,000 mg of sodium per day limit. Common sense, moderation and balance. Healthy eating ain’t all or nothing game, then it’s a diet.
6. Raw Unsalted Cashews
7. Roasted and Salted Pistachios
8. Unsalted and Roasted Mixed Nuts
9. Raw Almonds, Pecans and Walnuts
10. Trail Mix
Crackers and Bites
While homemade crackers are great, they are not a reality for me, running a business working mom. They are a treat! And I find that whole grains and healthy bites can be tricky to find at the store. So, when it comes to store-bought crackers, I am being gentle on myself and try to choose the ones that fit a minimum 2 of these criterias:
- Whole grains or almond flour.
- Veggie based like cauliflower or sweet potato crackers.
- Preferably baked and not fried. If fried, look for non-GMO project verified which helps to avoid GMO canola oil.
- And reasonable amount of sodium and added sugar.
11. Whole Grain Triscuits
12. Sweet Potato Crackers
13. Aussie Bites
14. Clusters
15. Brown Rice Crackers
16. Kale Chips
17. Brown Rice Crackers
18. Almond Flour Crackers
Bars
When it comes to bars, no sugar added, pulsed and pressed nuts, seeds and dried fruit bars are the best. We alternate between plant-based protein bars, granola bars, fruit and nut bars because you get tired of eating same bars all the time.
Bottom line – bars are handy for on-the-go and we choose the best that are available, there is literally no perfect bar. However, chocolate covered nut bars are not on my healthy bars list but on my kids’ list for sure.
19. Kind Bars
20. Protein Bars
21. Granola Bars and Larabars
Savoury Snacks
22. Roasted Seaweed
Delicious crunchy replacement for crackers, and not that high in sodium. Kids love seaweed!!!
23. Wild Salmon Jerky
Full of protein, however enjoy in moderation due to sodium.
24. Hummus
Of, course homemade hummus or healthy spinach dip or healthy ranch dressing is the best but it is so nice to have condiments and dips waiting in the fridge as an addition to a healthy homemade meal. I think of it this way – if it makes us eat more veggies and brightens Instant Pot frozen chicken served with quinoa, then it’s 100% worth it to buy a pack of hummus.
You can buy hummus pre-packaged or portion your own (cheaper), and eat with vegetables.
25. String Cheese
26. Edamame
These come in pouches that you can quickly microwave in the office or “cook” with boiling hot water in 3 minutes. Fresh vegetables!
27. Protein Powder
I’m not going to argue that protein powder is real food, it’s rather a supplement for us. I drink it to replace a snack or as an addition to breakfast that consisted mainly of oatmeal with berries. My husband and son who work out drink it to help build the muscle.
Truth is if I don’t, I will eat almond flour muffins (my homemade isn’t that bad btw) or something else with added sugar. I can’t be possibly eating only fruits and vegetables for snacks. Organic plant-based protein powder helps me maintain weight and I often use it as a snack, simply mixed with water. Our absolute favourite (Alex loves it!) is Orgain chocolate fudge.
What are your favorite healthy Costco snacks that you buy?
I love this post. I would encourage you to let your kids tell you when they are full. Forcing them to eat does not help them understand their body’s signals.
Eastern Europeans don’t raise their kids asking their opinion on everything from age 3. I don’t believe in this approach although I tried it. Being a parent for 15 years I do know what I am doing with my kids diet with proven results as I am yet to meet Canadian kid that eats better than my kids, true story. Kids are smart, they whine and lie so they can eat fishy crackers, cheese strings and loads of sugar right after “I am full”. I am just ensuring my kids eat a recommended amount of each food group 3 times a day per any human and that is what I am making sure my kids eat and YES don’t leave the table, so they don’t eat unrecommended sugar and sodium junk later. If I start listening to one of my kids telling me when they are full it’s gonna be 2 bites of healthy dinner. I am a common sense grown up who knows better than my 10 year old at this point what their serving should look like. Yes, I do know, yes. We r talking common sense here, no day is same and obviously kids are not robots where parents shove food into their mouths. I grew up with “forced to eat” and my eating habits and appetite are healthier than of average North American person. And I wasn’t abused. 🙂 I have an amazing healthy 15 year old eater and a bit worse 10 year old one but I am proud of happy and healthy kids I am raising 100%. And yes, I do believe in telling them what to do because I do know better right now until they are mature enough. This is how we parent and it works for us and every culture parents differently and it’s fine. It truly is different expectations and cultures when it comes to food and mine is right for us, and yours is right for you.:)
Kudos to you Olena! Today’s parents don’t believe in a lot of the “old fashion” raising of children. And, I’m going to drop it at that!! Too many children today are diabetics because of the unhealthy sugar intake & diets allowed by parents.
Again, you do you… you’re doing an excellent job.
Unfortunately, sad truth. 🙁
Wish I’d heard this advice when my kids were younger. YES Thank you for sharing. Makes total sense. Americans are bombarded with ads for sugary and salty crap food marketed as healthy. This stuff is so available on every corner its ridiculous and it seems cheap at the time but is greatly expensive compared to just giving them fruits and veggies with no other foods!
Thanks for the heads up on the salmon jerky! I didn’t know they had that!
Which protein powder do you usually buy at Costco? I’m looking for a decent protein powder. Thanks! 😉
Orgain chocolate fudge – the one shown in last image. Haven’t tried peanut butter one but passing by couple said it was OK and better if you add PB haha. I haven’t found any better than Orgain chocolate fudge, without ordering online, going to specialty stores or paying way more, which I have no time for.
Hi Olena,
I love these Costco round up posts you do, I’m also in Canada, but further east in Ottawa and I find your Costco seems to have way more Organic options than mine. I am hoping my Costco will start stocking the variety yours seems to! I’ve never commented before but been reading for years. Thanks for all the inspiration and wonderful recipes, I have made several of your recipes and they have all been hits with my kids! 🙂
Hi Leigh. You are very welcome.:) First of all, distribution varies from coast to coast. Secondly, I live by the US border and this snack list in particular is from the US Costco. My Vancouver Costco isn’t as good either in terms of these snacks. My Costco shopping list though is mostly from my local Costco. Keep checking back, Costco is getting better in Canada, but I know not as good as the US one (and still so much obesity with such availability of healthy food – mind blowing lack of education and awareness + laziness).
What other Costco posts would you like to see?