I’m not going to lie, it has been hard to keep up with the blog the last two years. Mainly because it feels frivolous to be writing about healthy meals or life hacks while there is so much craziness going around in the world. However, after reflecting a lot on this, I think the craziness around us is exactly why it is important to stick with the things that bring us joy, even if they don’t seem that important. And few things bring me more joy than a Costco run!
Without further ado, I bring you my top 5 Costco finds from my first run of 2026!
- Nescafe Gold – instant espresso. You have heard of instant coffee but what about instant espresso? This coffee is not only delicious but it was just under $15! If you ever buy instant coffee, you know that is a great price. I don’t use our fancy espresso machine during the week and making French press coffee every morning is a bit much for me, so I like using instant coffee on my way to work. This new find will help me mix up my morning work beverages!
2. Cutecumbers. The name alone is worth the buy! Seriously! More importantly, my 9 year-old daughter (who is now the most helpful person to come to Costco with me and can push her own cart) requested these snack-sized cucumbers. We usually buy mini-cucumbers at the grocery store and one pack of 5 or 6 cost between $2.50 and $3, depending on the week. This bag has way more and was under $6. Best part is that they are lasting a while without going bad and my daughter is eating more of them because they are so cute (as the name promised).
3. Millet and Brown rice ramen noodles. These puppies have 8 grams of protein per ramen cake! Serving says it is half of one but they are small and my kids eat one each. My son says they taste like angel hair noodles and loves them. I have not tried to cook them any other way than what the instructions say, which is in boiling water and then draining them before serving. I may try to make some type of ramen noodle soup in the future and see if the kids like them even more. A 12-pack is around $10, so less than $1 per serving. They are not quite as cheap as the traditional ramen noodle packs I usually get (you know the ones!) but these noodles have no sodium! That alone is amazing and when you add the protein amount, that is a win since my children would love to eat noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
4. Brothers All Natural freeze-dried strawberry fruit crisps. 5 grams of sugar per serving and no added sugars, not the worst I have seen! Easy to carry and no leaking in my kids’ backpack as often occurs when I try to pack most types of berries. It is a good way to sneak some vitamin C and replace a pack of Goldfish from snack time. I also call this a win in my book.
5. Greenfield Natural Meat & Co. lunch kits. This one was definitely not on my shopping list. Like a good Costco shopper, my daughter was dead set on hitting all the free sample stations. I was very pleased since I figured it would encourage her to try new foods, which it did…but I didn’t think it would be a Lunchable look-alike! I probably fell for all the right words on the packaging but they last a long time in the fridge and they are great when you are in a bind for packing lunch. It has less fat and sodium than the traditonal Lunchables (I looked it up, so you don’t have to!). Another bonus is that my daughter hasn’t really liked deli meat other than salami until now, so I am hoping this leads to wanting normal turkey and cheese sandwiches in the near future.
There you have it! My top 5 finds of my last Costco trip. I had never bought any of these before and I hope they have them next time I go. Not included in the list were delicious soup dumplings since they are not healthy or cheap but they were so worth it!
As always, drop your favorite Costco finds in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog!
Wishing everyone a blank slate for 2026 to fill with whatever makes you happy.