Healthiest Food at Costco Food Court | Revealed by Experts
Costco food court is a delightful place where you get a lot of delicious food items, including iconic $1.50 hot dog and combo, Costco pizza and Costco cookie under a roof. Being a fast-food lover, it’s very tough to restrict yourself to avoid unhealthy and junk food items, especially when you are at your favorite food giant, Costco.
Unfortunately, despite being so affordable and flavorful, there is one common element in these famous items: they are not healthy. So, to get clarity, I asked four different registered dieticians about the healthiest food at Costco, what to eat and what to avoid.
Surprisingly, four gave the same answer, Rotisserie Chicken Salad, Turkey Swiss Sandwich, and Fruit Smoothies. But how to take it? Don’t worry. In this guide, I will also let you know the nutritional values and explain why these food items are the healthiest options. Let’s go;
Top 3 Healthiest Food at Costco
According to the registered dieticians, here are the top 3 Healthiest Food at Costco menu;
Costco Rotisserie Chicken Salad
As Dr. Lee, one of the expert dieticians, explained, the rotisserie chicken salad, priced at just $6.99, is rich in protein and complex carbs. She explained, “The chicken provides the protein while vegetables offer complex carbs”. She further explained that the chicken in the salad is not fried and comes with a decent amount of protein.
This rotisserie chicken salad is made from chicken breast, which contains only 710 calories, which makes it a healthy part of the Costco food court items. The chicken breast contains fewer calories than thighs and drumsticks and also provides more protein than them.
Protein is the must-have element for your body that enhances your energy level and plays an important role in the growth of your skin, muscle health, nails, bone health, immune system, metabolism functions, and so on.
Complex carbs are also known as “good carbs” that are very beneficial for your health.
These carbs are also rich in the latter’s fiber content. These fibers boost the slow digestion process and provide comfort to your stomach. The salad is made with parmesan and romaine cheese with a creamy Caesar dressing on the top.
Romaine lettuce is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, potassium, folate, and magnesium. Dr. Lee also warned, “Choose the dressing wisely as the dressing controls the caloric diversity”.
Below are the nutritional values of the rotisserie chicken salad;
Costco Turkey Swiss Sandwich
Turkey is one of the healthiest animal protein producers and a powerful source of producing white meat that contains less fat than red meat, making it the most ideal option for food lovers. That is another plus.
Turkey Swiss Sandwich, priced at $6.99, is made with oven-baked turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, sun-dried tomato spread, yellow mustard mayonnaise, and fresh dressings. The best thing about Costco is that it doesn’t reduce the portion size when it comes to turkey or cheese.
Dr. Amy Lee explained, “Turkey Swiss sandwich is decent because it’s neither overloaded with sauces nor fried.” Pro-tip by Dr. Lee: “If you eat this with the pieces of bread, you will reduce its carbs, which would be healthier and more beneficial”.
Below are the nutritional values of the Turkey Swiss Sandwich;
Costco Fruit Smoothie
A long visit to Costco could make you thirsty, and the only solution to calm down is to grab a smoothie! However, there are some concerns about the added sugars and artificial flavors. When you say “Smoothie”, and if you are not making it at home, you can’t imagine what the ingredients it may contain.
Costco’s fruit smoothie has four servings of fruit (strawberry, acai, blackberry, and mango), contains 230 calories and doesn’t contain any added sugar, artificial coloring, or flavors. Dr Lee explained, “While fruits are good, we should not contain more smoothies and be careful as the smoothies may contain sugars. I also want to share it with my friend because it’s not a meal; it’s a treat”.
Below are the nutritional values of the Fruit Smoothie;
Final Words
It is important to understand why these items are healthy and which ingredients may contain fat. Removing that particular ingredient will allow you to have super healthy food.
For example, removing Swiss sauces from the Turkey Swiss Sandwich and reducing Caesar dressing from the Rotisserie salad make both items an ideal option if you are measuring your calories. Just like removing the bun from the hog dog makes it gluten-free food items at Costco.
Keep in mind that these items can’t still replace your home prepared because you know very well what to include and what to not. So, whenever you visit Costco, just ask the staff about the ingredients and measure their nutritional values before ordering. Stay healthy!