My husband and I follow the Mediterranean diet and shop at Costco. Here are 12 things I always buy.

• My husband and I do our best to follow the Mediterranean diet on a budget, so we shop at Costco.

• We've found Costco is a good spot for Mediterranean-diet staples such as dried fruit and olive oil.

• When shopping there, we buy a lot of bulk fresh produce, including lemons and avocados.

My husband and I started following the Mediterranean diet years ago to keep healthy.

So far, we've enjoyed it — and dietitians and doctors even recently named the Mediterranean diet the healthiest way to eat for the eighth year in a row.

Those following the Mediterranean diet limit processed foods and red meat while focusing on seafood, healthy fats, and fresh produce.

While trying to follow it, we mostly buy groceries at Costco to save money. We love the wholesale chain's meat and produce sections and the many other deals it offers.

Here's what we buy at Costco while following the Mediterranean diet.

We use a ton of olive oil, which comes in large containers at Costco.

A great way to start following the Mediterranean diet at home is to replace the butter you use when cooking with olive oil.

We use olive oil in almost everything we make, whether we're cooking eggs, creating a light salad dressing, or baking chicken.

Although Costco sells various types, I usually prefer the Kirkland 100% Italian extra-virgin olive oil.

I help our olive oil last longer by storing it in a smaller dispenser in the kitchen, which keeps us from pouring with a heavy hand.

We snack on a lot of dried fruit.

We no longer eat potato chips or sweets when we're hungry. Instead, we use dried fruits, such as dried plums, to satisfy our snack cravings between meals.

On this shopping trip, I opted for the ones from Kirkland Signature Sunsweet.

Many folks in Blue Zones drink red wine, so we often pick some up.

After seeing research about wine drinkers in Blue Zones, areas with lots of centenarians, we try to use red wine in our cooking when we aren't just drinking it.

Being in California, I often opt for locally produced wine during weekly grocery runs. Still, I occasionally take home one of Costco's French or Italian wine offerings.

Garlic makes everything taste better.

We do our best to follow a diet high in garlic, which is said to be great for the immune system. We dice garlic when cooking fish or chicken in olive oil, and it's a great flavor enhancer for pasta and soup.

In my opinion, the Christopher Ranch garlic at Costco typically tastes fresher than bulbs from other commercially farmed brands.

We always keep plenty of lemons on hand.

We're lucky to have a lemon tree in our backyard, but it produces Meyer Lemons, which are a bit sweeter with more of a mandarin taste.

Since we love the taste of citrus lemons, we usually buy them in bulk from Costco.

I don't have brand loyalty for lemons at Costco — I just get what's in stock. If organic lemons are available, I'll buy those.

Blueberries are a great ingredient rich in polyphenol.

Fresh blueberries from Costco are a great addition to my typical breakfast of low-fat Greek yogurt. However, the bulk size isn't always the best option when I'm only shopping for two.

Instead, I sometimes pick up dried blueberries. They're rich in polyphenols, which may improve cognitive functioning.

Dried blueberries pair well with mixed nuts for snacking and are also great in yogurt or oatmeal.

Avocados are especially nice in meals that don't have meat or carbs.

The Mediterranean diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, and avocados seem to be the most adaptable to various recipes.

A Mediterranean-style way to eat them is by mashing them and adding onion, tomato, and garlic to make fresh guacamole.

To dip in it, we swap out fried tortilla chips for thin pita chips.

Tomatoes are a go-to for every dinner.

We never leave Costco without picking up organic grape tomatoes.

They're great for a snack — especially when paired with fresh mozzarella and basil — or as a side dish or tossed in salads.

Fish is a Mediterranean staple, and we especially love fresh tilapia.

Fresh fish is the staple of a Mediterranean-inspired diet, so I always check out Costco's seafood section. Often, we find fresh tilapia.

Although I've found making baked whole tilapia requires more advanced cooking skills, other fish, such as cod, can be much easier to prepare.

For beginner cooks, fresh tuna steaks can also be a great place to start.

Salmon is great for dinner — or breakfast.

Our local Costco has salmon in both the meat aisle and in the prepared-foods section, where a version already seasoned with garlic butter is ready to be put in the oven.

Since I prefer to avoid butter as often as possible, I typically prepare salmon myself. A pan-seared salmon dinner only requires a few ingredients, many of which are often part of the Mediterranean diet, including lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

We also use salmon in other meals, like breakfast. We'll pick up smoked salmon at Costco and pair it with eggs.

The Kirkland Signature prepackaged quinoa is a fantastic side that requires little prep.

Since I work full-time, it can be difficult to cook every meal entirely from scratch. On busy days, I reach for Costco's prepared foods.

The chain's rotisserie chicken might be a fan favorite, but I love its delicious quinoa salad, which is a great light side for dinner or lunch.

I'm not sure if it's a seasonal or limited-edition item, but I always keep an eye out for it. One container is large enough to last us a few meals.

We skip premade salads and get a spring mix instead.

In my experience, premade salads with "Mediterranean" in the title often have dressing ingredients that aren't up to snuff for me.

Instead, I make my own, using olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing. I like to pick up an organic spring mix from Costco to use as a base.

By chopping up some vegetables — carrots, cucumber, or whatever else I like — I can quickly make my ideal salad with the freshest available ingredients.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on October 24, 2023, and most recently updated on January 6, 2025.

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