Have you heard the claim that Costco sells more organic produce than Whole Foods? According to the Huffington Post, it’s true!

But this doesn’t mean that Costco has more organic options for the consumer than Whole Foods. This article at takepart explains that Costco’s percentage of organic to non-organic food is likely much lower than Whole Foods’.

The claim stems from the fact that Costco is projected to sell just over $4 billion in organic products this year in comparison to Whole Foods who is projected to sell $3.6 billion in organic products this year.

And while you may not like Costco because it’s big box, because it’s not local, or because the term “organic” can sometimes not mean much, I still think it’s encouraging that people are choosing to buy more organic, sustainable products and large food retailers are responding to that demand.

Even though Costco sells a lot of food products that are very processed and unhealthy, they also sell many organic and real food products that I like to stock up on. They have lots of great fresh produce, but today I want to focus on the non-perishable food items that I like. These products will last a long time, so they’re great for food storage and they’re less expensive to buy in bulk. Here are some of my favorites: 

Nuts: I like nuts for snacking on, adding to salads, and mixing with grains.

Seeds: I add chia seeds to smoothies and granola.

Raisins & Dates: I eat these for snacks or add them to baked goods as natural sweeteners.

Natural Sweeteners: I use maple syrup, honey, and applesauce as natural sweeteners. This raw honey is local to Utah, so it may not be in your Costco. But that’s one thing I like about Costco—they do carry some local products.

Peanut & Almond Butter: All of these peanut butter options are way better than your standard labels like Jif and Skippy. These brands have no hydrogenated oil and no added sugar. Yes, the oil will separate, so you’ll have to stir them—a small inconvenience for the tradeoff of no hydrogenated oils!

Oil: I use avocado oil for homemade mayo and salad dressings, olive oil for low-heat cooking, and coconut oil for baking.

Spices: This cinnamon is so good. Have you tried it? What other spices do you buy at Costco?

Canned Tomatoes: If I ever get around to growing tomatoes, I’m gonna eat them fresh. So I love all these organic canned tomatoes at Costco and use them for red sauce bases and soups.

Canned Beans: I use these canned kidney beans and black beans in chili and soups.

Rice: Buying jasmine and basmati rice can be expensive, but it’s cheaper in these large quantities. And I love this short grain brown rice. Rice stores forever and these big bags last me all year.

Quinoa: Having quinoa on hand as a quick side is so nice and Costco’s quinoa is less expensive than other places I shop.

These are just some of the real food non-perishable products I like at Costco. Am I missing some really great food storage Costco products? I would love to hear about some of your favorites!