I have spent many years watching over my own family’s health and well-being while also promoting the message of good health to the community that surrounds me. With great diligence I have worked to research the local foods community and connect people within that community with local farmers and producers of all things good. In my opinion, it is not only admirable or desirable, but of vital importance to do so. However, at times many of us find ourselves unable, for a variety of reasons, to obtain all of our family’s food locally.
This has been the recent experience for my family as we have relocated to a new region. Our move has forced me to take a deeper look at the broader scope of resources available to most of us, the so-called “Big Box Club Stores” or BBCSs.
Here in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley where I now reside we have a variety of farm stands and herd-share programs at our disposal. For much of our family’s food, especially milk, I will not even consider any other source than a good, local raw dairy. I am also happy to purchase most of our fresh vegetables from a farm stand nearby. However, high-quality foods that we need and desire often come with a price tag which may make it unaffordable, or force us to drive a greater distance and pay higher prices than we can afford. And so enters the BBCSs.
I started frequenting BJ’s Wholesale Club in my former town a few years ago. I found several things that were of value to my family, but I still raised most of our own food from our small farmstead or purchased it from neighboring farms and local natural food stores. BJ’s, however, was eye-opening, which prompted me to explore Sam’s Club and later Costco.
I understand the natural disdain that many feel toward these stores. However I have come to view them as a real blessing, for many simply cannot afford and may not have access to high quality, organic, naturally raised, unprocessed foods. And so I have learned to purchase what I can from local farms, but also to enjoy the benefits that some of these other sources provide.
So for milk, eggs and many other foods, farms are my first choice. But here I will share the particular items that I obtain at the club stores for an affordable price and at good quality.
DAIRY
All three club stores offer organic butter and ultra-pasteurized milk (of course I do not recommend UP milk). As of this writing none of them provide full-fat, grass-fed yogurt. However I do purchase organic butter (for cooking and baking) as well as fine cheeses, both domestic and imported. KerryGold butter is available at Costco as is quite a good selection of European cheeses. My husband and I particularly enjoy the imported double cream French brie and domestic organic cheddar cheeses found there, as well as Spanish manchego and French comte, which is actually raw (and incredibly delicious!). I also purchase the organic cheddar slices that Costco offers. BJ’s has its own, non-organic but delicious brand of aged cheddar cheese, and Finlandia brand sliced cheeses. All three offer Kerry Gold Dubliner and Bally Shannon cheeses.
MEATS
Each of the stores carry lamb at good prices. BJ’s lamb is American at around six dollars a pound, and I seldom purchase it, not knowing how it is raised. However Sam’s Club carries New Zealand grass-fed leg of lamb at only five dollars a pound; Costco has lamb from Australia, which is presumably range-fed, at six dollars a pound.
BJ’s is my preferred source for bacon, where I can purchase Vermont Smoke & Cure, certified humane raised and handled bacon without added nitrates (it does contain celery powder, a source of nitrates of unknown quantity). The maple-brined, cob and maple-smoked twenty-ounce package currently sells for less than eleven dollars a pound, and the low-sodium apple cider-brined is about ten dollars a pound. I find this bacon very tasty and use it sparingly primarily as a flavoring and crunch in salads and in egg dishes, and I even add the fat to salad dressings and mayonnaise.
Chicken is one thing that regularly brings me to Costco, a company which has made a strong effort to help small farmers provide organically raised goods. My Costco sells whole, organic pasture-raised chicken for two dollars fifty a pound. The legs are a great value at two dollars a pound. They also offer this same chicken in thigh and boneless, skinless breast packs. I would rather buy the whole chicken, take the breasts if needed, and roast or otherwise cook the rest and then finish it all off with homemade stock.
Costco is the only of the three stores as of this writing that also offers organically raised ground beef, at five dollars a pound. I can usually purchase ground beef in large quantities at that price from an area farmer, so he is my usual and preferred source. You may be able to do the same with your local farms, but you may need to ask for a price break on quantity, as I did.
VEGETABLES AND FRUIT
Fresh from your own garden or a local farm stand is best, but often we must purchase from the store. I have found that BJ’s and Costco have more organic, fresh produce than does Sam’s Club. They all have organic spring mix, while BJ’s and Costco also carry organic romaine lettuce, carrots, and a few other items. BJ’s has an organic vegetable medley, broccoli florets, corn, peas and kale in the freezer section. Costco has a few choices in the frozen vegetable section, and Sam’s Club almost nothing. Frozen organic berries and cherries are available at BJ’s and Costco. Sam’s Club only carries organic frozen blueberries.
SEAFOOD
Again, BJ’s wins my loyalty here. They carry a seafood medley containing calamari, mussels, shrimp and scallops for only ten dollars for a one and one-half pound bag. This is one of my favorite reasons to head there, as I use this frequently for delicious, filling chowders and sautés. BJ’s and Costco both have frozen wild-caught flounder, salmon and cod at a reasonable price.
OTHER GROCERY PRODUCTS
There are many high-quality, organic and non-GMO products available at BJ’s, including organic apple cider vinegar at nine dollars per two-pack or three dollars per quart, organic coconut sap sugar, Way Better sweet potato corn chips, and several other snack items.
One of my favorite Costco finds? Their Kirkland brand of organic olive oil is smooth and delicious, and according to testing is one of the rare grocery store brands which is actually 100 percent unadulterated olive oil! At Costco, you will also find California Olive Ranch olive oil, which is one of my favorite, sustainable, off-the-shelf brands.
All three stores carry organic corn chips, coconut oil in large tubs, organic quinoa and brown rice, and organic peanut butter.
Costco also has Ecos brand laundry detergent (two hundred ten ounces for thirteen dollars regular price) as well as Seventh Generation.
VALUE FOR A TYPICAL FAMILY
As you can see, there are many items available which are likely staples in your own household, and many more still that I have not even mentioned here. My family spends from two hundred fifty to three hundred dollars per week (aside from the previously mentioned foods purchased locally). to feed at least eight people daily, with frequent guests. Perhaps you will find these stores valuable for your own family as well, and have enough money left over in your budget to purchase plenty of wonderful foods from your local farmers such as raw milk, grass-fed meats, raw cheeses, and more. Happy shopping!
This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, Fall 2016
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Very interesting article! One of the more difficult critiques that I hear from people about trying to feed a family on WAPF principles is the high cost of quality foods. In answer to that, I have always pointed out to people how (for example) the WAPF Shopping Guide includes Spam as an acceptable food. No one is crazy enough to really think of Spam as a health food, but economic realities must be faced in order to get some sort of animal fats into the diet. Your idea about shopping at the Big Box Stores is another fabulous way to work with those economic hardships.
I understand that people need to do what they need to do, but I would suggest favoring Costco over Sam’s Club, if possible. I’ve never even heard of BJ’s, but Wal-Mart / Sam’s Club is a hideous blight upon the earth. Those wonderful farmers who are producing foods for them are probably getting low-balled on the deal so that Sam’s can get a better profit margin. In contrast, Costco is actually quite a responsible company. Try googling “social responsibility report Costco” and you will be pleasantly surprised! A former Costco exec started the first 100% organic fast-food restaurant in the U.S.–The Organic Coup. These are people who deserve your support, when you have a chance to show preference in your Big Box shopping. My two cents, anyway!
Thank you for sharing your viewpoint Jim: I agree, Costco seems to be the best of all these companies, and I have no problem purchasing from them. And yes, I completely agree with you that good quality needs to be affordable to all. Sometimes that is possible from the small family farm, and sometimes it just isn’t. I do hope this turns around in the future, but don’t hold out a lot of optimism in that regard.
Aldi’s, not a Big Box store, sells 100% grass-fed organic ground beef for $5.49/lb. This is an excellent value and my go-to source for ground beef.
This is a great find! Also, organic butter (I always tell people to save their good, pastured raw butter for sourdough and vegetables, and cook with store-bought organic). I haven’t found anything else there, though. They do have “organic”, but it is mostly processed foods that my family does not eat and I can not recommend.
Besides the things you listed, our Cosco also carries, organic raw honey, organic maple syrup, and Daisy Sour Cream. It also carries organic sugar (my husband has to have sweet tea made with sugar), organic dried fruit like bags of dried blueberries, a great deal on raw nuts (although they are not organic). I know that products vary from state to state. The Portland, Oregon Cosco carrieds a great locally made organic catsup that is the best I have ever tasted, but they do not carry it here in Texas and I would have to order it from Amazon which is much more expensive, that buying it there. And I find new organic offerings at our store each time I go. It saves me lots of money.
Yes, you are right! Selections change from time to time, and different regions carry a few different things. Nearly every time I go into Costco I find a new item or two to grab and take home! My store now has organic maple syrup again, and the organic “raw” honey . I’m sure it’s not as raw as we might like, but it’s a far better option than the other.
I’d love to try that catsup, but look for my own recipe in a future article!
Thank you “motherhen” for this much appreciated info.
You’re welcome Bill!
This is an absolutely fabulous resource! Myself and many friends who often ask me how to budget for nourishing foods for their families, will greatly benefit! Thank you for your diligent research, hard work, and this great article!
You are welcome Miranda; I’m glad you found this helpful!
I’m a “newbie” in terms of starting the WAPF plan so this information is helpful, especially as it pertains to Coscto. I’d love to see an update…perhaps others can chime in. I have bought the wild blueberries and Kerrygold butter, as well as Kirkland coco oil. I haven’t really investigated the fresh/frozen beef, fish or chicken there yet. (I’ve been buying Don Lee farms chicken and grass fed burgers at Costco…I know…not so great! My boyfriend and I are on a tight budget so we’ve typically bought these.) We liked the Trident Wild Salmon burgers until we saw the types of oil they’re cooked in….too bad as they were tasty otherwise. The cheeses seem quite expensive but will check again, along with fruits and veggies. I love shrimp but given the toxicity, I don’t buy anymore and don’t care for mussels or scallops. I’m in the Charlotte, NC area so look forward to hearing from anyone who has updates on products, especially near me. I’d love to hear about healthy snacks/crackers too. Thanks again for this helpful info!