4 Foods a Doctor Says to Skip at Costco for Better Health

Shopping at Costco can be a great way to save money while stocking up on household essentials. However, not everything that comes with a bargain price tag is necessarily good for your health. Dr. Tarek Pacha, a urologist and surgeon, recently shared insights on Instagram about certain foods from Costco that he advises against purchasing. These items may be convenient, but they could have hidden health risks that outweigh the savings. Here’s a closer look at four foods from Costco that Dr. Pacha suggests leaving off your shopping list.

Rotisserie Chicken

Costco’s rotisserie chicken is a popular choice for its convenience and flavor, but its ingredient label raises several red flags. Dr. Pacha questions the need for “modified food starch, which is a hidden source of gluten, carrageenan, which is a known gut disruptor, and extra sugar.” The chicken also contains sodium phosphate, which can harm your kidneys and heart.

Moreover, these chickens are kept warm under hot lamps in plastic packaging, which Dr. Pacha warns “will leech microplastics into our body, causing hormone disruption and inflammation.” For a healthier option, consider purchasing raw, pasture-raised chicken.

Nestle’s Coffee Mate Powdered Creamers

Though they might enhance your morning coffee, Nestle’s Coffee Mate powdered creamers are laden with unhealthy ingredients. Dr. Pacha describes them as “a diabetes bomb sprinkled with heart disease.” These creamers are filled with cheap sugars, unhealthy fats, and seed oils.

“Ditching them [seed oils] is the single best thing you can do for your health,” he advises. A GoodRx dietician also points out that “most coffee creamers don’t actually contain any cream at all,” adding to the list of artificial flavors and chemical additives.

Bottled Salad Dressings

Convenience often leads us to grab bottled salad dressings, but Dr. Pacha recommends making your own. Using Olive Garden Italian Dressing as an example, he notes that “99 percent of dressings found throughout any [grocery] store” contain inflammatory seed oils.

“Although it may appear to be ‘Italian dressing,’ and one might think it’s olive oil, the actual second ingredient is soybean oil,” he explains. These oils are stored in our cells and can contribute to “obesity, heart disease, metabolic dysfunction, dementia, and many more chronic illnesses.”

Kirkland’s Signature Protein Bars

Protein bars can be a convenient snack, but not all are created equal. Dr. Pacha highlights Kirkland’s Signature Protein Bar as an example of what to avoid. They are made with “cheap GMO corn fiber and sugar substitutes, like Stevia and Erythritol, which are known gut disruptors.”

He cautions that “most protein bars are marketed to appear healthy, but they’re really not,” and depending on their ingredients, they can be “an inflammation bomb.” It’s important to scrutinize the ingredient list before considering these as a healthy option.

When shopping at Costco, it’s easy to be lured by the promise of savings, but it’s crucial to look beyond the price tag. Dr. Pacha’s insights remind us that some convenient foods might come with hidden health risks. By being mindful of ingredients and opting for healthier alternatives, you can make choices that benefit both your wallet and your well-being.

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