I shop at Costco for snacks and ingredients to help me meal prep so I don’t eat out while I’m at work. Rachel Brooks

2025-11-06T15:48:01Z

• I work in an office five days a week, and I like to pack my own meals and snacks to save money.
• I shop at Costco for frozen fruits, like cherries, blueberries, and mangoes, to use in smoothies.
• Some of my favorite snacks are the Kirkland Signature chewy granola bars and Wonderful pistachios.

Earlier this year, I transitioned from a fully remote role to one that requires me to be in the office five days a week.

When I worked remotely, it was easy to pop into the kitchen and whip up a sandwich or salad, but now that I’m commuting, I have less time and need to be more intentional about prepping meals the night before.

I love shopping at Costco — both in-person and through online delivery — for easy breakfast ingredients, nutrient-rich snacks, and tasty, transportable lunches.

Here are some of my go-to items that ease the workday meal-prep process and help me avoid eating out.

I love shopping at Costco for smoothie staples, like frozen fruit.

I like to buy bags of frozen cherries, blueberries, or mangoes for my morning smoothies. Rachel Brooks

As someone who’s often on the go in the mornings, I like to enjoy a homemade smoothie for breakfast while walking to the bus stop for my commute.

Although my smoothie mix of the day varies, I’ve found that Costco is a great place for the essentials, offering a variety of frozen fruits, milks, and additional ingredients like chia seeds, oats, and dates.

I typically get a large bag of frozen fruit, such as organic cherries, blueberries, or mangoes, and mix in what I have on hand to make a fruit-forward breakfast.

It’s helpful to have several quarts of So Delicious organic unsweetened coconut milk on hand.

There are six 1-quart containers of So Delicious organic unsweetened coconut milk per box. Rachel Brooks

I think coconut milk is great for smoothies, soups, and a variety of kitchen concoctions.

I’ve found myself reaching for it to make overnight oats or chia seed pudding, and my partner likes to have it on hand for coffee when we’re out of whole milk.

Plus, I like that I can store the unopened quarts on the shelf, rather than use fridge space.

Kirkland Signature’s chewy protein bars are a classic snack.

I like the Kirkland Signature peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chip chewy protein bars. Rachel Brooks

As someone who doesn’t eat a lot of meat, I’ve been working on increasing my protein intake.

I grew up on Quaker chewy granola bars, and the Kirkland Signature protein bars remind me of those from my childhood, providing 10 grams of protein per serving.

I often keep one or two in my backpack for a quick breakfast or as a snack to tide me over until dinner during my evening commute.

I think these organic Aussie bites taste homemade.

These organic Aussie bites contain ingredients like rolled oats, dried apricots, coconut, and quinoa. Rachel Brooks

I enjoy Aussie bites for their simple ingredients, taste, and ease. They are nutrient-rich, bite-sized mixes of rolled oats, dried apricots, flax seeds, honey, quinoa, and other ingredients.

However, if you’re planning on transporting them, I recommend being careful so they don’t get smushed and crumble.

Buying a bulk pack of Kirkland Signature coconut water makes delicious hydration more affordable.

Each box of Kirkland Signature organic coconut water contains nine 1-liter bottles. Rachel Brooks

One of my former workplaces stocked its fridges with coconut water, leading me to fall in love with the beverage.

In my experience, buying these beverages one at a time elsewhere can be pricey, so I like that Costco’s bulk option makes the occasional coconut water a bit more affordable.

A can of Kirkland Signature albacore solid white tuna packs 43 grams of protein.

I use the Kirkland Signature albacore solid white tuna in some of my lunches. Rachel Brooks

My partner sometimes jokes about the convenience of my Costco tuna stockpile, as it’s perfect for making quick and easy tuna melts or tuna salad sandwiches.

I like to buy the Kirkland Signature albacore solid white tuna, which has a whopping 43 grams of protein per can.

I think pine nuts enhance my everyday salads.

One bag of Kirkland Signature organic pine nuts weighs 1.5 pounds. Rachel Brooks

I love a robust salad and am a big fan of mixing my own ingredients, like tomatoes, carrots, nuts, and seeds, into a salad-mix kit when I’m in a time crunch.

In particular, I feel like pine nuts elevate any salad I’m eating. One bag lasts me a long time, and I like that I can save money by making my own recipes instead of spending $15 to $20 at a trendy salad spot.

In my opinion, Costco has a great, versatile array of dried fruits.

I recently enjoyed trying the Nutty and Fruity organic dragon fruit. Rachel Brooks

Another ingredient I like to add to my salads is dried fruit, but I think it tastes great when mixed into yogurt or eaten on its own, too.

I especially like organic sun-dried figs, and recently was delighted by a bag of Nutty and Fruity organic dragon fruit.

I also keep a bag of dried mango in my desk for extra snacking.

Wonderful pistachios are, well, wonderful.

The variety pack of Wonderful pistachios includes flavors like sea salt and vinegar, chili roasted, and roasted and salted. Rachel Brooks

I love these pre-portioned pistachio packs. Each one is a nice snacking size at 0.75 ounces and 120 to 130 calories, depending on the flavor.

My favorite is the classic roasted and salted, though the sea salt and vinegar is a close second.

I think they make for a tasty afternoon brain boost.

Trail mix is perfect for when I want a little of everything.

I like that the Kirkland Signature trail mix isn’t too sweet. Rachel Brooks

I’m not usually into trail mix, but I’ve become a fan of the Kirkland Signature version at Costco.

The combination of peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews, and M&Ms doesn’t feel too sweet, and is a nice afternoon pick-me-up snack with a smidge of chocolate.

I think the Kirkland Signature peanut-butter pretzels are great for snacking.

Each jar of Kirkland Signature peanut-butter pretzels contains 56 servings. Rachel Brooks

A giant container of peanut-butter pretzels isn’t so much a meal prep staple as it is a beloved treat.

The 55-ounce container is great for portioning the pretzels into daily snacks or sharing them with a group.

Unlike chips or popcorn, I find myself feeling satisfied after just a few of these nuggets.

Costco stocks a variety of ingredients to make delicious rice bowls.

I like to buy Bibigo cooked sticky white rice packs to heat up in the office. Rachel Brooks

I like to make different dishes with tofu, including rice bowls.

Bibigo’s cooked sticky white-rice packs are easy to microwave for an in-office lunch. Costco also offers a good selection of other ingredients to mix in, including Korean carrot salad, Spice World chili-onion crunch, and Napa cabbage kimchi.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

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