Bulk buying

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lightcvt
lightcvt Posts: 279 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there!

My friend is taking me on a trip to costco and I was just looking for suggestions of what to grab!

I already plan on getting a big bag of:
Brow rice
Black beans
Lentils
Chickpeas (do these come dried? I'm not sure I've ever seen them dried...)
Cans of diced tomatoes
Maybe nuts?
Maybe dried fruits?

I'm more looking for suggestions of things to stock my pantry rather than produce. I'm relatively new to whole-food eating -- I was pretty much on an all-processed diet until recently. :(

Are there things you've found aren't necessarily cheaper buying at costco in bulk? (My sister said she gets paper towels cheaper elsewhere...)

I am a vegetarian if that affects your suggestions.

Replies

  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    Yes, chickpeas come dried not sure what Costco is like where you are, but here we have pretty limited selection (one to two brands of most things, and only basic stuff: no chickpeas) so I'm not sure how much you will find.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited February 2016
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    It's just you?
    I buy my brown rice in smaller bags on purpose at walmart.
    Why? To make sure it does not last in my pantry for more than a couple of months.
    Some things are so CHEAP, it's not worthwhile buying in bulk.

    I have had a bag of lentils for 6 months now, and regretting it.
    I can only eat so much of the stuff.
    A giant bag of quinoa is still sitting around about to expire.
    Do you really want cans of stuff still sitting in your pantry 6 months later?
    * Their toilet paper is awesome.
    Nuts, especially almonds, taste different after a month of open bag.
    (Can you eat an entire bag in a month?)
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    Things I get from costco:
    Protien powder
    Almonds (I disagree about their taste changing....)
    Cashews
    Steel cut oats
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I've never seen chickpeas (dried or canned) at Costco. Or lentils, except the cooked-in-a-bag variety, which is kind of silly considering how cheap and easy they are to cook.

    The rice and beans bags are pretty huge. Cheap but huge. If you live alone you'd have to really eat them often to get through them. I can't even fit the white rice bag in my pantry. The brown rice bag is smaller than the white rice. But it does have a shorter shelf life. Actually I think the only black beans are canned. There are bagged pintos, and canned.

    Put nuts in airtight canisters or zip the bags or put them in the freezer to help shelf life. I don't have a problem with the almonds.
  • Kristinemomof3
    Kristinemomof3 Posts: 636 Member
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    I buy dried chickpeas from www.azurestandard.com actually I buy quite a bit from them, but I have a family and it's cheaper. I have a vacuum sealer and seal things in jars or I freeze stuff. You can search for a drop in your area. I buy GF oats, rice flour and potato starch, tapioca starch regularly from them.
  • ZRx4
    ZRx4 Posts: 158 Member
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    Pacific chicken stock. Much better deal at Costco.
    Peanut butter/ almond butter
    Organic raisins- they last a long time- well mine don't!
    Coconut water is good if it's on sale

    Hope these help!
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    Frozen vegetables can be a good deal. I like the whole green beans.

    If you eat fish, I think the frozen fish fillets can be a good deal too.

    If you drink a lot of coffee, coffee is a good deal.

    Pure honey and real maple syrup are good deals, but only if you think you can use them up. Although, I don't think either go bad if stored properly.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    I'd suggest getting things you know you will be continuously eating.

    Things I get at Costco:
    Ground turkey (comes in 4 packs, so easy to freeze)
    Chicken (same as above, only 6 packs I think)
    Fish (again, I freeze it)
    Nuts
    Steel cut oats
    Fiber one bars
    Yogurt (we eat a lot of it, always runs out before it expires)
  • whirlygigs16
    whirlygigs16 Posts: 6 Member
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    I just buy non-food products.. Toilet paper, garbage bags, laundry detergent, etc. Even as a family of four, we don't go through most things fast enough to warrant bulk purchasing.

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