13 Of The Unhealthiest Costco Foods

Choices on choices: That's what you get when you shop at Costco. If your wallet's bursting at the seams and just begging for relief, you can easily drop upwards of $10,000 on a cart stacked to the brim with ridiculously expensive groceries. There's also plenty in stock for those days when you literally want to realize Champagne dreams on a soda budget — cue Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne, clocking in under $20 and still carrying that coveted "summers in Provence" undertow.

But not every Costco food item, no matter how reasonably priced, should end up in your cart. Some, like the Snapdragon Chicken Pad Thai, are simply a letdown. Others, while lush and generously portioned, are completely lacking in nutritional value and potentially harmful if consumed regularly. Wondering what these foods are and why you should steer clear of them on your next Costco run? Here's a rundown of the most unhealthy food items you'll stumble upon at Costco.

Nothing quite beats topping off that tiresome hike through those curiously unlabeled Costco aisles with a slice of food court pizza. At $2 a slice, it's practically free, if you squint just a tad. But like all great bargains, the tab always lands, and no pizza on the food court lineup comes with a heavier one than the Carne. This crowd-pleaser comes stacked with 5,360 calories. Sure, no one's polishing off a whole pizza on a random Tuesday... unless, of course, they're really motivated.

But even if you split it with four or five bystanders, you're still not out of the danger seat. A single slice alone packs 900 calories, about half a day's worth, which gives you a bit of wiggle room, but not much, considering that the average person can consume about three slices of pizza in one sitting. But even if you manage to evade the calorie load, there's still the sodium, which comes up to a whopping 2750 milligrams a slice; about 120% the daily allowance. Work this into your routine, and you've taken in enough sodium to develop hypertension, and possibly heart disease and stroke down the road.

One item on the Costco food court lineup that's worth withstanding those mile‑long food court line is the chicken bake. It's flaky on the outside, packs just the right amount of tang on the inside, and compact enough to chow on the go. It's essentially a chicken pot pie without the mess; that alone is pretty hard to beat. But happy taste buds and a clean shirt aside, you likely won't get away with eating Costco's chicken bakes for every meal completely unscathed.

At 840 calories, it's enough for a standalone meal. And sure, the portion size's massive enough that you might not need any add-ons even if you opt to split it between two meals (though you could try layering on a Caeser salad dressing if you need an extra kick). But then there's the sodium, which this calzone‑esque treat comes packing in spades; to the tune of about 1,370 milligrams, nearly half the recommended daily intake. Scientists have found that your risk of developing heart disease goes up by a staggering 6% per every gram of sodium past the 1500 milligram daily threshold... and no one's more likely to cross that threshold than someone packing 1,370 milligram of sodium into a single meal.

The Hot Dog & Soda Combo might have the Costco food‑court market cornered, but there are a few stragglers still putting up a fight; one being the Cheese Pizza. In its arsenal: A slightly chewy, focaccia‑esque crust topped off with a melty layer of mozzarella and aged Parmesan; enough to make you forget you've been wandering through the Costco maze duking it out with self‑control for what seemed like months.

But a generous cheese blanket isn't the only thing this crowd‑favorite is packing. It's also loaded with 4,540 calories, nearly three times the recommended daily intake. Excessive calorie intake can put you on the fast track for a lot of lifestyle‑related diseases, including diabetes, gallstones, osteoporosis, heart disease, and even cancer.

That said, with proper energy balance, you might just evade the risk; though you'll have to do a lot more than wander through a mega‑store for a couple of hours to balance out 4,540 calories. But even then, you'd still have to deal with the sodium content, which clocks in at about 10,440 milligrams; almost 10 times the daily allowance. Then there's the saturated fat, which stands at a staggering 14 grams per slice, enough to exceed the daily allowance by a mile, even if you just stick to two or three slices.

Costco hot dogs: The food court menu item so delicious even Julia Child is a fan. The mass appeal isn't just bluster, either. A quarter-pound hot dog and a soda for just $1.50? It's not the best bargain you'll score at the Costco food court, but it's way up there. And if you've ever found yourself wondering whether there's a catch taped at the back of such a great deal, wonder no more. Costco hot dogs are pretty calorie-dense. Just one can contain anywhere between 580 and 850 calories, depending on your choice of toppings. And that's before you take the 20-ounce soda into account, which tips the scales by another 200 calories, easily bringing your total to half your daily calorie allowance in a single sitting.

You won't walk away clean on the saturated fat front either. A single hot dog contains over half your daily saturated fat allowance. And while some people might get away with eating a high saturated fat diet thanks to genetics, that doesn't make it harmless. Saturated fats can slowly accumulate in your blood vessels, clogging them up, restricting blood flow, and raising your risk of stroke. Costco hot dogs are also heavily loaded with sodium, about 78% of the recommended daily intake to be exact, so if you opt to have one, you might have to consider hacks like eating low sodium foods like unsalted nuts or roasted root vegetables for the rest of the day to avoid crossing the threshold.

Let's face it, Kirkland Signature Muffins are really just pound cake feigning the daintiness of a muffin... and not very well, either. It's practically impossible to eat a single one in one sitting, which is probably a good thing because they're not doing you any favors health‑wise. Just one of these ½ pound desserts can pack anywhere between 300 and 700 calories, which completely flies in the face of the idea of them being a dessert item (how exactly is 700 calories not a standalone meal?).

There are a few safe bets, like the Pumpkin Streusel, packing a decent 340 calories and only likely to run you about a quarter of your daily saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol allowances, even if you down the whole thing in one go. You won't catch that kind of break if you opt for high‑flyers like the Double Chocolate, which comes loaded with a staggering 690 calories, or the blueberry, which clocks in at a more forgiving but no less intimidating 580 calories. The Double Chocolate is especially brutal on the sodium front, with a single muffin contributing about 55% to your daily sodium allowance.

Kirkland Signature Breakfast Sandwich: It's almost exactly like the Double-Smoked Bacon, Egg & Cheddar Croissant you'd get at Starbucks, but without the need to wait in line or stretch your budget to its breaking point. It's the breakfast option of dreams, especially if you don't have the wherewithal to whip up something fancier. But, like with everything, there's a downside to starting your day with a Kirkland Signature Breakfast Sandwich. Despite its modest 390-calorie count, a single sandwich packs 9 grams of saturated fat, nearly half the daily allowance. That alone is enough to give you pause, and that's before you get to the laundry list of additives, which includes curing agents like sodium erythorbate and sodium nitrite, and preservatives like calcium propionate.

Despite ongoing use in the food industry, meat-curing agents like sodium nitrite are far from harmless. Sure, cured meat lasts longer and is less likely to give you food-borne illness, but it's also potentially carcinogenic, with scientists tying curing agents like sodium nitrite to breast and prostate cancer. Calcium propionate isn't a safe bet, either. It might keep bread from molding up, but it can also increase the likelihood of neurodegenerative conditions.

Salad's a great way to keep your health goals in sight. It's chock full of calcium, protein, and monounsaturated fats; basically everything you need to keep up with your body's metabolic needs without calorie-loading. And as a side benefit, it's pretty great for boosting hydration on those busy weekdays when lugging a water bottle around just isn't feasible. If you prefer your salad homemade, be careful not to go in too heavy-handed with the dressing or the croutons, because then you'll essentially be taking in a gloppy calorie bomb with lots of veggies.

It'd make more sense to just pop over to Costco and grab yourself a Chicken Caesar Salad with dressing, which contains 508 calories. Just a single serving of this salad also contains nearly half your daily saturated fat and sodium allowance, and over half your cholesterol allowance. And sure, it's got decent volumes of vitamin D, potassium, calcium, and iron, but if you're really looking for a Caesar salad that'll help you hone in on essential minerals and vitamins, why not just skip the Costco run and make your own at home?

Costco's got a pretty great lineup of dessert options for those days when your palate's a lot less salad and a lot more patisserie inclined. And if you've got about a dozen friends, you can each grab a slice of Kirkland Signature Cheesecake; a dessert that's decadent both in size and taste.

But you'll want to stick to having this one every once in a while, because like many baked goods you'll find at Costco, it's seriously calorie-dense, clocking in at a staggering 440 calories per slice. You can also forget about keeping to your daily saturated fat threshold even if you just stick to a single slice. Each slice packs 19 grams of saturated fat, nearly your entire daily allowance.

There's not much relief on the sugar or cholesterol fronts, either. A single slice contains 24 grams of sugar — over half the recommended limit — and 125 milligrams of cholesterol, almost half the daily max. Like with sodium, having too much cholesterol in your diet — especially the kind you get from saturated fat — can lead to hypertension and possibly heart disease if left untreated. Too much sugar, on the other hand, can destabilize energy levels, creating a vicious cycle of fatigue. Scientists have also linked excessive sugar consumption to a host of diseases, including diabetes, depression, and cancer.

If you've got a sweet tooth, then you've probably spent your fair share of time in the Costco baked goods section just wrestling with indecision. There's the Cinnamon Pull-A-Part Rolls, which, true to name, pull apart just the way you want.

Then there's the butter croissants, freshly baked with rich buttery layers and a satisfyingly shatter-prone crust. Sure, Costco's been known to hike the price on these babies from time to time, but they're worth the indulgence... unless keeping your calorie count low is high on your list of priorities. Just one Kirkland Signature Butter Croissant packs 300 calories, putting you nearly a quarter of the way through your daily limit. It's also — as can be expected from something laminated within an inch of its life — pretty fat-heavy, clocking in at 11 grams of saturated fat; over half your daily allowance.

Gluten-free pizza crust is hard to get right. Even if you do manage to find a good base, you could still mess up the baking consistency and end up with something floppy, grainy, and dry. A few grocery store finds come close to perfection, one of which is the Kirkland Signature Supreme Cauliflower Crust Pizza, with a crispy, thin crust that does a pretty great job of not betraying its cauliflower origins.

Since it swaps out wheat for cauliflower, this option might seem like a healthier alternative compared to other members of the food court pizza line-up. But it's really not, at least not by much. Sure, it's not as calorie-heavy as the cheese or pepperoni pizzas, but it still packs quite a lot, clocking in at 310 calories for just a quarter of the whole pie.

It's also pretty heavy on sodium and saturated fat, delivering 900 milligrams and 8 grams, respectively; nearly half your daily limit on both counts. That's a lot of salt and fat for something trying to pass itself off as a health-forward alternative. Its only redeeming quality on the health front is that it's got pretty decent amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium, which — while not nearly enough to balance all the salt and fat — is pretty laudable for a pizza.

Let's face it: This economy isn't exactly amenable to getting your fix of classic American lemonade from that makeshift stand manned by your neighbor's Count charges-a-lot seven-year-old and his posse. Times are tough; a reality Costco seems to understand all too well. Otherwise, there wouldn't exist 192 ounces of organic lemonade going for just six bucks. And it's not just cheap for the sake of being terrible. It's actually pretty solid, packing just enough tartness so you don't forget you're drinking lemonade, but sweet enough to teeter on the edge of juice.

That balance, as it turns out, is due to a pretty heavy dosing of — you guessed it — sugar. Just 8 ounces of this stuff contains 32 grams of sugar; well past the recommended daily max for women, and nearly the full limit for men. Scientists have found that consuming too much added sugar can fast-track heart disease by increasing inflammation and raising blood pressure, so it's probably not a good idea to bulk up on something loaded with that much added sugar.

Kirkland Signature Organic Lemonade is also pretty calorie dense, clocking in at 130 calories per cup, which is a lot for a drink that should ideally set you back about 90 calories on the high side. Of course, 130 calories won't send you past your daily calorie allowance by much, but they could still tip the scales health wise. Calories from added sugar aren't nearly as filling as those you get from actual food, so your body is likely to keep demanding more food if all it's getting is sugary lemonade, which will gradually lead to weight gain.

Costco Morning Buns sell out quick for a reason. It's hard to sidestep a bun with a crispy exterior, tender interior, and a slight citrus zest that tastes like if a croissant and a doughnut had a baby. But though it might be a feat, you might want to look the other way if you come across them in the baked goods section.

Just one packs 370 calories, which isn't much if you're sticking to just one. But then, they're pretty tempting to use for sandwiches, especially if you perk them up in the air fryer for a few minutes. Depending on what kind of fillers and toppings you choose, just one bun could easily push you well past your daily calorie allowance. Even if you don't opt for the sandwich route, you're still taking in a lot of saturated fat with these buns: 10 grams per bun, to be exact, which is half your daily max. Not to mention the 23 grams of added sugar, nearly half your daily limit. Aside from messing with appetite control, consuming that much added sugar can directly contribute to weight gain, since excess sugar is converted to fat in the liver and shuttled off to body tissues for storage.

Costco does a lot of sandwiches well. Even the decidedly unglamorous Hot Turkey & Provolone Sandwich has gained near-cult status among Costco devotees; so much so that social media erupts into chaos anytime there's even a hint of it being pulled from the food court. One sandwich that probably won't inspire that kind of loyalty if and when it vanishes from shelves is the Chicken & Bacon. At $6.99, it already feels like a steep ask for what basically amounts to cold, dry ciabatta bread and under-seasoned chicken breast.

But there's an even more dire cost to not avoiding this particular sandwich. Just one contains a whopping 920 calories, nearly half your daily limit. It's also packed with salt, which tallies up to 2,490 milligrams, well past your daily limit. You'll also be getting on the high side of your cholesterol and saturated fat thresholds after eating one of these sandwiches. Just a single one contains 170 milligrams of cholesterol and 16 grams of saturated fat, both comfortably above half the daily limit. And for something that tastes so bland, it's surprisingly sweet, packing in a hefty 18 grams of sugar, well over the daily halfway mark.