The Unhealthiest Foods You Can Order At A Costco Food Court

Ah, Costco. It's not just home to massive bargains. It's also a mecca for food court aficionados. Where else can you get a hot dog and soda combo for $1.50? (Forever, according to the company's CFO during an interview for CNBC.) 

Yet like so many other iconic chain restaurant mainstays (looking at you, Big Mac), many Costco food court favorites win in taste but lose on nutritional value. And even though it might hurt to hear, you deserve to know what the unhealthiest choices on the Costco menu are.

Who better to help shine a spotlight on the nutrient-deficient items lurking behind the Costco food counter than a functional and integrative registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching like Tami Best? After Best agreed to give Health Digest readers the inside scoop, we asked her to identify five of the unhealthiest Costco food court options. She quickly was able to name two beverages, a bestselling everyday combo, a go-to staple, and a tried-and-true side. Plus, she included a few suggestions for finding healthier meal and snacking picks for diehard Costco loyalists.

Smoothies are good for you, right? Well, maybe if you whip them up at home in a high-powered smoothie blender using wholesome ingredients. At the Costco food court, you have to be careful. Their fruit smoothies may sound healthy, but they don't live up to their at-home counterparts.

Tami Best admits that at first blush, a Costco fruit smoothie appear to be a reasonable choice because of its modest 240 calories. However, she adds a shocking fact that will have you rethinking that smoothie: "It packs in a whopping 50 grams of sugar!" That's almost double the American Heart Association's (AHA) daily sugar recommendation of 36 grams for males and exactly double the suggestion of 25 grams for females.

Yet the smoothie isn't the worst sugary treat you could purchase at Costco. "Another fruit option gets the same failing grade — fruit punch," she explains. How sugary can a drink of fruit punch be? Pretty sugary. According to Best, "This option has 100 grams of sugar per serving and nearly twice the calories of the fruit smoothie." 

Consequently, Best suggests bypassing these beverages to avoid an increased risk of sugar-linked conditions like metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. And those aren't the only reasons to cut back on sugar: WebMD notes that excessive sugar consumption can also lead to problems with your mood, your joints, and your teeth.

At this point, you may be convinced to order a bottle of water. But what kind of food won't send your body into distress? If you're eyeing up the Costco cheeseburger combo meal, Best wants you to understand exactly what you're putting into your system in terms of calories, fat, and sodium.

Says Tami Best, "This meal clocks in over 1,700 calories, which for some is adequate calories for the entire day. It also has an alarming 21 grams of saturated fat (76 grams total fat!) This, combined with having over 2,000 milligrams of sodium, could be a catastrophic meal from a cardiovascular standpoint."

Again, a bit of perspective is needed in order to see the importance of those numbers. The AHA recommends eating just 13 grams of saturated fat daily if you're following a 2,000-calorie diet. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautions against eating more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. In other words, you'll probably want to choose something else if you're trying to decrease your likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.

It's safe to say that the Costco food court pizza has a loyal following. Nonetheless, the cheesy, saucy pizza has made it to Tami Best's personal "Costco's unhealthiest" list. She specifically focuses on the carne pizza because it delivers 19 grams of saturated fat, 900 calories, and 2,753 milligrams of sodium. Yikes. Like the other Costco offerings Best names, those numbers aren't exactly what the doctor ordered.

This might make you a little unhappy, but resist turning to French fries to drown your sorrow. Costco's fries might have started as nutritious potatoes, but after swimming in oil and being showered in salt, they're hardly fitness fare. "From a macronutrient balance standpoint, this high calorie option falls short," advises Best. (Side note: You can use an air fryer to make oil-free or low-oil substitutes that you can feel better about eating.)

What's the concerning nutritional aspect of Costco's French fries? Says Best, "Most of the calories are coming from fat — 63% to be exact. It is recommended that total fat calories come in around 30% of the total calories for most people. This menu item is also low in protein, with only 3% of the calories coming from protein. Generally, we want about 20% of our total calories to come from protein."

Before you assume that your carefree days of visiting the Costco food court are over, think again. You can still look for better-for-you finds on your next Costco shopping trip. Just keep three of Tami Best's strategies for healthier eating in mind.

First, look for whole food options. These are foods that are closest to their natural state. Try to bypass anything that's been fried, though. For example, a grilled chicken breast will tend to be better for you than a fried one. (Reality check: The Chicken Bake doesn't share any of the nutritional value of a single piece of baked, skinless chicken. According to Fast Food Nutrition, it contains 770 calories, 10 grams of saturated fat, and 81 grams of carbohydrates.)

Next, consider eating something with vegetables and fiber like Costco's Beef and Bean Chili. Best admits that it has some redeeming qualities, such as its 34 grams of high-quality protein and 17 grams of dietary fiber. "These nutrients fill you up so you aren't looking for something else to eat an hour later," she notes.

Finally, skip all the caloric beverages. Forgo the diet drinks, too, as they're filled with chemical artificial sweeteners. If you need something a little fizzy, request plain soda water. Then, go ahead and nab those deals.