My husband and I follow the Mediterranean diet and shop at Costco. Here are 12 things I always buy.

From making eggs to baking chicken to creating a healthy salad dressing, we use olive oil in almost everything we make.

Costco sells various types, but I usually prefer the Kirkland 100% Italian extra-virgin olive oil.

A great way to start following the Mediterranean diet in your home is by replacing the butter you cook things in with olive oil.

My secret for helping the olive oil last longer is refilling an oil dispenser in the kitchen, which keeps us from pouring with a heavy hand.

After seeing research about wine drinkers in Blue Zones, areas with lots of centenarians, we often use red wine in our cooking — or for sipping.

Being in California, I often opt for locally produced wine to lessen carbon emissions during weekly grocery runs. Though I do occasionally take home one of Costco’s French or Italian wine offerings.

We no longer eat potato chips or sweets when we’re hungry. Instead, dried fruits, such as dried plums, have become a great way to satisfy our snack cravings between meals.

On this shopping trip, I opted for the Sunsweet brand.

We eat a diet high in garlic, which is said to be great for the immune system. We dice garlic when cooking fish or chicken in olive oil, and it’s a great flavor enhancer for pasta and soup.

In my opinion, the Christopher Ranch garlic is typically fresher than bulbs from other commercially farmed brands.

Fresh blueberries from Costco are a great addition to my typical breakfast of low-fat Greek yogurt. However, the bulk size isn’t always the best option when I’m only shopping for two.

Instead, I sometimes opt for dried blueberries. They’re rich in polyphenols, which may improve cognitive functioning.

Dried blueberries pair well with mixed nuts for snacking. They’re also great in yogurt or oatmeal.

Though we’re lucky to have a lemon tree in our backyard, it produces Meyer Lemons, which are a bit sweeter with more of a mandarin taste.

Since we love the taste of citrus lemons, we often buy them in bulk from Costco.

I don’t have brand loyalty for lemons at Costco — I just get what’s in stock. If organic lemons are available, I’ll buy those.

Though I often purchase tomatoes on the vine, we never leave Costco without picking up organic grape tomatoes.

They’re great for a snack — especially when paired with fresh mozzarella and basil — as a seasoned side dish, or tossed in salads.

The Mediterranean diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, and avocados seem to be the most adaptable to various recipes.

A Mediterranean-style way to eat them is mashing them and adding onion, tomato, and garlic to turn them into fresh guacamole. For dipping, we trade out fried tortilla chips for thin pita chips.

Fresh fish is the staple of a Mediterranean-inspired diet, so I always check out Costco’s seafood section. Often, fresh tilapia is available.

Though baked whole tilapia requires more advanced cooking skills, other fish, such as cod, can be much easier.

For beginner cooks, fresh tuna steaks can also be a great place to start.

Our local Costco features salmon in both the meat aisle and in the prepared-foods section, where a version already seasoned with garlic butter is ready to be put in the oven.

Since I prefer to avoid butter as often as possible, I typically prepare salmon myself. A pan-seared salmon dinner only requires a few ingredients, many of which are often part of the Mediterranean diet, including lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Salmon also makes an appearance in other meals. For breakfast, we occasionally eat eggs with smoked salmon we find at our local Costco.

Since I work full-time, cooking every meal entirely from scratch can be difficult. On busy days, I reach for Costco’s prepared foods.

The chain’s rotisserie chicken might be a fan favorite, but I love its delicious quinoa salad, which is a great light side for dinner or lunch.

I’m not sure if it’s a seasonal or limited-edition item, but I always keep an eye out for it just in case.

One container is large enough to last us a few meals.

In my experience, premade salads with “Mediterranean” in the title often have dressing ingredients that aren’t up to snuff for me.

Instead of choosing a premade salad, I make my own, using olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing.

By chopping up some vegetables — carrots, cucumber, or whatever else I like — I can quickly make my ideal salad with the freshest available ingredients.

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This story was originally published on October 24, 2024 and most recently updated on October 29, 2024.