My husband and i just started going to Costco

[Bethanie]

What do you all purchase there?
Do you find a lot of organic product there and other organic items?
B.

[SiennaInLondon]

Is that an American thing? Because it sounds familiar.

[Bethanie]

:) It's a warehouse store where one buys in bulk.
It's great if you have a large family but even if you don't if you share with someone it's worth it.
B.

[SmilingRawDancer]

I find SOME organic things there. Like lettuce, spinach, sometimes fruit...but for the most-part, no.
I buy organic when I can, but for now non-organic raw is wayyy better than not raw at all.

[SiennaInLondon]

But is it in America? I am based in England so I am wondering if it is the thing I am thinking of. I can't imagine that bulk buying is good for the freshness of things unless you have loads of people to consume it.

[SmilingRawDancer]

I think it's only America.
www.costco.com

[SiennaInLondon]

Oh right thanks. Still my parents and I usually just buy day in day out. But my family is small.

[aenea]

Yah can't remember think it's an East thing? I know it's not a midwest thing. we have SAMS

[SiennaInLondon]

Poor Bethanie. All she wanted was some advice and she is now having to give a geography lesson :)

[SmilingRawDancer]

I have Sams too! It was a big debate on which one to get membership to hahah

[salsababy]

I just got a membership to Costco a couple of weeks ago. I do go through a organic home delivery service but I eat a lot and have to supplement a bit with non-organic. At Costco I get banana's and avacados (non-organic), organic salad mix, dates, sometimes oranges and grapefuit, watermelon, mixed sweet peppers, pineapple. They have a good deal on baby grape tomatoes if you don't mind they are not organic.

I try to buy organic as much as possible. I don't mind as much buying non-organic on the things that are low in pesticides such as bananas and avacados. I go based on the book Diet for a Small Planet. They have a list based on high to low pesticide ratings.

[GreenJB5]

I went to costco last week and saw RAW nuts. Much cheaper than Wholes Food Market

[Apasaraw]

Raw almonds at Costco here...we are in almond farm areas though.

Like smilingkyle, I find organic leaves and weeds there, occasionally fruit but not often...they do carry frozen organic fruit though. Comes and goes...

[muse]

But is it in America?
No, tragically, Costco is in the UK. Wish it wasn't so!

http://www.costco.co.uk/

Only 18 or so locations (but like IKEA, they plan to expand beyond all reasonable measure)

[girlsmiley]

Yes, I shop Costco too ... I get my almonds, walnuts, pecans, and pine nuts there along with whatever produce I'm in the mood for. If I have a choice I choose organic ... otherwise I just fill my cart up!

I also get organic EVOO there too and the last time I was there they had a shaker or organic seasoning.

I haven't been to SAMs in years so I don't know what their selection of organic is ... Costco has other organic stuff that I sometimes pick up for my son ... 3 different kinds of cereal, juices, maple syrup ...

[Zella Juice]

I think the almonds are the only ones that say Raw...i am assuming the pecans and walnuts are not raw..cause they dont say. You think?

[granolamama]

We shop at Costco too, but I personally am a bit skeptical because their produce lasts WAYYY too long.

[juliebove]

I rarely shop there. I am not a member. Used to get some of my supplements online through them until they stopped carrying some of them. Will occasionally go there with my parents who are members but don't see much of interest to me. You have to buy everything in such large quantities.

[rawpriestess]

I buy alot of things at Costco

walnuts
pecans
pine nuts
almonds
dates
figs
raisins
dried apricots
crazins
greens
limes
lemons
peaches
oranges
tomatoes
peppers
pineapple
pears
garlic
onions
corn
apples
melons
plums
grapes
kiwi
bananas
lettuce
mangos
mushrooms
carrots
cilantro
raspberries (when mine aren't ripe)
strawberries (when mine aren't ripe)
and pretty much anything I want to eat

it's always fresh and tasty, and is excellent quality.

I buy organic when they have it.

I did check on the nuts a while back, and in the US they are raw, in Canada they are not raw, something to do with the laws.

anyway, you can call or email them and they will give you any information you want.

They do have lots of organic stuff

they don't always have the same things, so you have to buy what they have available, when it is available.

[JGex]

I think the almonds are the only ones that say Raw...i am assuming the pecans and walnuts are not raw..cause they dont say. You think?

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question.....

Can someone explain how pecans and walnuts can NOT be raw? Growing up we had a pecan grove. When we shelled them, they went through a large roller that crushed them and then we just picked the meat out. There was no heat involved.

Are they processed differently for mass packaging?

[JGex]

And, GirlSmiley, what the heck is EVOO? I've seen you mention it several times, and I can't figure it out!!!

[lodestar]

Extra Virgin Olive Oil---evoo :)

[aubrey]

The Costco out here has organic:

EVOO
Spinach
Romaine
Salad Mixes
Broccoli
Mixed Dried Fruits
Various in-season fruits

They also have:
Avocados
Dates
Nuts
various fruits and veggies

Equipment:
Juicers
mandolines
blenders
food processors
slicers
and other excellent raw food "tools"

I love going to Costco! I even bought a bag of frozen, sugar free organic pineapple there this past weekend. They have so much to choose from!

[aubrey]

And, GirlSmiley, what the heck is EVOO? I've seen you mention it several times, and I can't figure it out!!!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil :D (You mean You don't watch Rachel Ray??? LOL!)

[2inlovewithraw]

Yah can't remember think it's an East thing? I know it's not a midwest thing. we have SAMS
KC has both. It depends on how large of a city you live in. Sam's Club is more popular in the mid-west because Sam Walton founded it - and he also started Wal-Mart. I know Wal-Mart HQ is in Arkansas, not sure where Sam's Club or Costco is out of. I know that Costco is on the West Coast too.

[luna99]

I'm thinking of maybe starting to shop at sams club here (very similar to costco)... but I dunno.. cause I know sams is connected to walmart and I never shop there and am not a big fan of it ....

wouldn't it be better for the local economy to shop at a local co-op?

It's really hard sometimes to figure out what to do.. go with sams or costco and get better prices (maybe) .... or go to a local co-op.. which we have but I don't think they have raw nuts ....

or I could shop for the nuts at sams club and get the produce at the co-op and end up making three or four trips to different stores if I include the health food store that carries things I need. aaah.

maybe I'll just move to a farm and grow everything myself. ;)

[JGex]

Extra Virgin Olive Oil---evoo :)

Ahhhhh!!!

DUH!!

[JGex]

Extra Virgin Olive Oil :D (You mean You don't watch Rachel Ray??? LOL!)

Rachel who? lol... I know who she is, but we haven't had a TV hooked up in our house for over 5 years. :o

[Zella Juice]

JGex...Yeah...I figured the walnuts and pecans wouldn't be roasted. But I keep hearing about how some companies steam nuts to kill the bugs or bacteria in them. So I figured I would ask to see if anyone knew what the deal was with the costco ones...since they don't say raw on them. But I am gonna go with RawPriestess on this one and go ahead and get them there cause it's such a deal and I am poor. Thanks for doing your research Priestess and sharing with us. Much appreciated.

[aubrey]

I have lived in Denver, Kansas City, San Antonio, and Hawaii. I have seen and been to Costco's in Hawaii (there is one in Honolulu on O'ahu), San Antonio (there are two) and there are a few around town in the KC metro area.

[aubrey]

Rachel who? lol... I know who she is, but we haven't had a TV hooked up in our house for over 5 years. :o

That's awesome. I really don't like TV all that much. Now movies I can get into. But I totally dig the fact that you don't have a TV hooked up.

[thevoyager]

please support costco instead of sams club as costco employees are unionized

[rawpesto]

please support costco instead of sams club as costco employees are unionized

good point!!