7 Costco Foods Experts Say Could Be Wrecking Your Body
Costco carries a huge variety of name-brand and Kirkland Signature foods, drinks, snacks, and desserts, many of them healthy—and many of them decidedly not so. Unless you’re essentially living on ultraprocessed foods, many people can enjoy these things every now and then without causing themselves too much harm, but too much could take its toll on your healthy and energy. So which items should shoppers be wary about? Here are seven of the most unhealthy foods you can get at Costco.
Kirkland Signature 12″ Cheesecake
The Kirkland Signature 12″ Cheesecake contains 6,720 calories and 432 g of sugar in total, and 420 calories per serving. You would have to cut this cake into 16 slices for the recommended serving size from Costco, which means unless you freeze it or immediately share it, you could eat far more than you intended to. Best kept for special occasions!
Kirkland Signature Butter Croissants
The Kirkland Signature Butter Croissants are a fan-favorite item for good reason—each pack contains 12 delicious croissants and it’s hard to have just one. The problem is just one croissant is 300 calories and bereft of nutrition—it’s ultraprocessed, high in refined carbs, and (especially the almond variety) just not good for you.
Kirkland Signature Hot Dogs
Getting a $1.50 hot dog and soda combination from Costco is a tradition for members, but the Kirkland Signature Beef Hot Dogs sold in stores are packed with unhealthy ingredients and additives, including nitrites and nitrates.
Kirkland Precooked Bacon
This one is a little disappointing because precooked bacon can be so convenient on busy days, but the Kirkland Signature Fully-Cooked Bacon is not a great choice thanks to preservatives and additives.”I threw out a bag of Kirkland pre-cooked bacon that I froze because of off-taste thinking it was my freezer. Bought another at Costco and its worse tasting than the first,” one Redditor said.
Kirkland Supreme Cauliflower Pizza
Cauliflower products are marketed as the “better for you” option, which is certainly not always the case. The Kirkland Supreme Cauliflower Pizza contains 900 mg of sodium, which should be kept in mind when enjoying this alternative pizza choice. It’s also not a low-carb option.
Foster Farms Jumbo Chicken Corn Dogs
Foster Farms Jumbo Chicken Corn Dogs ($17.29) are one of the most ultraprocessed products available from the warehouse chain, and packed with sodium and sugar. “As a beef-loving American, I gave up on the chicken filled corn dogs. It just ain’t right. If you are going to make chicken sausage, it needs to go into a gumbo. Chicken wasn’t designed for hot dogs,” one shopper said.
Kirkland Signature Chicken Bakes
The Kirkland Signature Chicken Bakes ($15.49) are high-calorie, high-sodium, and—perhaps the worst offense—simply not worth the calories for the taste. “The food court ones are way better in my opinion. These are okay but not that good,” one member said. “Omg. Sodium is worse than ramen. That’s over a days worth of both for me,” another commented.
