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Five Costco Proteins for Easy Meals 

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This post contains 5 pre-cooked proteins from Costco to make easy meals! They are all quick, delicious, and nutritionist-approved! 

It is so important to have quick and easy meal options to help you get dinner on the table with little effort! This post contains a list of five of my favorite healthy protein options that are already pre-cooked so you do not need to spend a lot of time or effort in the kitchen. I always have at least one of these protein options in my fridge every week.

The best part is that all of these proteins are found at Costco, so they are cost-effective and come with a big portion. All of the proteins come in a pack of two, making them a great option for a large family or to split up and get two different meals out of them. Each meal is easy, delicious, and healthy! 

You can find all of the proteins in the same area. At my Costco, they are the prepared food section that is right next to the raw meat section. It is the same general area where you can find the rotisserie chickens and other items such as sausages or pre-made packaged meals.

I live in Oregon, so the list is comprised of what I can find at my local Costco. Sometimes inventory can vary by region so you may not be able to find all of the items at your Costco. 

Not a Costco member? No big deal! All of these brands can also be found at your local grocery store! 

Kevins Natural Foods

Kevins Paleo Meals

Kevin Natural Foods is one of my favorite proteins from Costco! They have a variety of options, and most Costco’s will have multiple flavors. I honestly haven’t had one that I do not like. I love that you just throw it in a pan to eat it up, and then bam! Dinner is done! 

The ingredients are really great! They are all paleo which makes them dairy-free and gluten-free and for sweeteners, they use natural sweeteners such as coconut sugar. 

Ingredients for Kevins
To Serve:

Add rice to a bowl and then top with the chicken (or beef) and the sauce. Serve with a veggie on the side! 

Tips: 
  1. Cook your rice with chicken broth instead of water and a tablespoon of butter for extra nutrients and flavor. 
  2. Serve with your favorite veggie. I love to have Crispy Air Fried Broccoli for an easy option. 
Rice with chicken sauce and broccoli
Other ideas to get from Costco: 

Other items to get from Costco that goes well with this meal are the bag of pre-cut organic broccoli (or you can get the organic frozen broccoli), or single-serve rice packets to heat and serve!

Amylu Chicken Crumbles

Package of Chicken Crumbles from Costco

Sesame ginger chicken crumbles by Amylu Foods have been my newest obsession. They have the feeling of P.F. Chang’s lettuce wraps because of the sesame ginger flavor. They take minutes to make and the sauce that it comes with is delicious! Ingredients include soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground chicken. Pro tip: Chili Crunch is delicious on top of the crumbles! 

Ingredients for Chicken Crumbles
To Serve:
  1. You can serve this as a lettuce wrap just by simply using your favorite type of lettuce leaves. Add the chicken crumbles to the lettuce and then top with the sauce. You can add some avocado for healthy fat or rice crackers for some crunch. 
  2. Another way to use the crumbles is to make a salad and then add the crumbles on top. I like to use lettuce, bell peppers, onions, and carrots and then top with the crumbles. The sauce it comes with makes a really great dressing so just drizzle it on top. For crunch, you can take rice crackers and crumble them with your hands, and add them on top of the salad. 
  3. Add to chicken wraps. It doesn’t have to stop at lettuce! Use your favorite type of wrap and add the chicken crumbles and your favorite filling such as rice, veggies, or rice noodles. 
Lettuce cups with chicken crumbles
Other ideas to get from Costco: 

While you’re at Costco you can also grab the lettuce that you’ll need for the wraps, or mixed greens for the salad. 

Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin 

Package of sliced beef from Costco

This Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin is so delicious and so versatile! It cooks up really quickly in a pan (be careful not to cook too long or it will get well done). You can also use it the next morning for breakfast and make some steak and eggs! 

Ingredient list for steak strips
To serve: 
  1. My favorite way to serve is with a salad. (especially for minimal cooking and cleanup!) You can add to any type of salad you like! A favorite combo for a steak salad is mixed greens, red onions, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, walnuts (or pecans), avocado and balsamic vinaigrette. Or, the steak also goes beautifully with spinach, strawberries, feta, and balsamic vinaigrette. 
  2. You can make an easy meal by roasting some sweet potatoes and your favorite veggies such as green beans, broccoli, or zucchini to serve with the steak. 
  3. You can also serve the steak as an easy protein with any of your favorite meals!
Steak salad
Other ideas to get from Costco: 

If you are making the salad to go with the steak I love to get the Greek-style Feta (the type that comes in the brine), sun-dried tomatoes, and mixed greens. 

Del Real Foods Carnitas 

package of carnitas from costco

I love the carnitas because they are so versatile! They also are great to eat with eggs in the morning, either with an egg and veggie scramble or in a breakfast taco. 

This one does have some additives that I don’t love, however, it is still a great option to get a quick meal on the table. It is far better than eating fast food or some of the other options out there! It is not “perfect” but it is definitely “better”! When it comes to healthy eating, the goal isn’t perfection. As a nutritionist, I care more about you getting nutrient-dense foods and making it convenient and fit into your lifestyle! 

ingredients for carnitas
To serve: 
  1. Make carnitas tacos! Top with onions, cilantro, salsa, guacamole, and your favorite hot sauce! (Make sure to check out my recipe for super easy guacamole!) 
  2. The carnitas also go great on a taco-inspired salad, or in a taco bowl with rice and beans!
  3. Use the carnitas for super easy enchiladas! They will come together quickly since the meat is already cooked. Or, for easy meal prep, you can roll the carnitas into the tortillas and place them in a 9×13 pan, and then store them in the fridge. When you are ready to bake, add the enchilada sauce and cheese on top and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. 
  4. You can also use the carnitas for BBQ pulled pork. Just simply add your favorite BBQ sauce. 
Other ideas to get from Costco: 

If you want a gluten-free and paleo option, Siete Almond Flour Tortillas are a great price at Costco! 

Aidells Teriyaki and Pineapple Meatballs 

Package of Chicken Meatballs from Costco

The flavor of these Teriyaki and Pineapple Meatballs is so yummy! Aidelles makes other great flavors of meatballs and chicken sausages, and many of them you can find at Costco. I love that they are nitrate/nitrate-free and generally have simple ingredients. 

The Teriyaki and Pineapple meatballs do have added sugar in them, but any teriyaki sauce typically does. This is another example of an option that isn’t “perfect” but it’s a much better option! 

Ingredients for meatballs
To serve: 

For an easy meal, I will cook up the meatballs and a side of rice. Then I will take a bag of “Stir-Fry Vegetables” from the grocery store and sauté them. I love this mix because they are precut and contain a mix of veggies, typically broccoli, carrots, and snow peas. To season the veggies I will add garlic powder, ginger, and coconut aminos (or soy sauce). 

Other ideas to get from Costco: 

For an even quicker meal, you could use rice packets from Costco that you just need to pop in the microwave! You could also use any type of frozen veggie to sauté. 

More resources for healthy eating

If you want to learn more about eating healthy and how to cut out processed foods grab a copy of Holistic Girlies Guide to Clean Eating. Or if you would like to work with a Nutritionist on how to eat healthy food with a sustainable approach to nutrition (not another crash diet!!), book a free 15-minute consult!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here. I only share products that I use and love. 

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8 Comments

  1. This is a great post Jessica! Thank you for all the pictures and meal ideas. Every Costco trip, I pick up at least one “easy healthy meal” to have on hand. I haven’t tried all of these so I will put them on my list!

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