4 healthy Costco lunches you can make for under $7 a serving

Who needs takeout when lunch is this easy, tasty and budget-friendly?

Reviewed by Dietitian Mandy Enright, M.S., RDN, RYT

Key Points

• Skip takeout and assemble lunches with items found at Costco for less cost and higher nutrition.
• Grain packets, rotisserie chicken, ready-made salads and frozen meals can create quick lunches.
• A formula of protein, fiber, colorful produce and healthy fats makes it easy to assemble lunch.

Your busy morning got away from you. Before you know it, it’s 3 p.m. and you’ve skipped lunch—again. While the mid-day meal may not get as much attention as breakfast and dinner, it’s just as important. Eating a healthy, balanced lunch helps keep your energy stable throughout the afternoon, and skipping it can have negative effects, such as higher post-dinner blood sugars and mood disruptions.  Researchers have also found that those who regularly eat lunch tend to have higher-quality diets overall than those who skip it more than 3 times per week.

To save time, money and energy when it comes to preparing and eating a nourishing lunch every day, just head to your nearest Costco. The warehouse is full of easy-to-make, budget-friendly lunches that make it practical to stick to a healthy lunch habit. Dietitians recommend these lunches you can assemble with items found at Costco when you need a nourishing lunch fast, all for under $7 per serving. 

Prices are estimates and can vary based on location. 

Quinoa & Brown Rice with Sheet Pan Vegetables and Chicken Bites

Assembly-only meals like this one make it easy to prepare a balanced, filling lunch at home, or meal prep a few servings on the weekend to just heat and eat at work. This combination costs just $5.48 per serving and is loaded with fiber, protein and a big serving of vegetables. 

Seeds of Change Organic Quinoa & Brown Rice with Garlic & Lentils are a perfectly portioned starchy base with 10 grams of fiber and 12 grams of plant-based protein. “Heat it in the microwave or skillet right from its BPA-free pouch; it’s ready in as little as 90 seconds, making it perfect for busy days,” says Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD.  

For a complete lunch, top the quinoa and rice with a cup of Tattooed Chef Sheet Pan Vegetables, prepped on a sheet pan (or my favorite method, the air fryer), and Fresh Additions Chicken Bites. The whole meal takes 20 minutes to make and has 13 grams of fiber and 36 grams of protein to power you through until dinnertime.

Thai-Style Basil Beef with Millet & Brown Rice Ramen and Stir-Fry Vegetable Blend

When you’re fighting the urge to order takeout, you can count on Costco to bring you the same flavors at a fraction of the cost. One package of Kevin’s Natural Foods Thai-Style Basil Beef has six servings you can make once and reheat for lunches throughout the week. The beef cooks in a flavorful sauce in just 5 minutes on the stove and can be tossed with Lotus Foods Organic Millet & Brown Rice Ramen and Kirkland Signature Stir-Fry Vegetable Blend for a gluten-free lunch with 26 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, all for just $4.60 per serving.

While the Thai-Style Beef Basil is a bit higher in sodium, at 29% of the recommended daily value (DV), it’s much lower than takeout, and combined with the rice noodles and vegetables, you also get 23% DV of potassium, which helps balance the effects of too much sodium. And if you prefer a different protein, swap it for a similar Costco find, like Kevin’s Natural Foods Hawaiian Style Chicken.

Rotisserie Chicken over Grain & Celery Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken is always a fan favorite. Whitney Stuart, M.S., RDN, CDECS says that the rotisserie chicken available at Costco is “one of the most protein-dense prepared foods you can buy; roughly 140 calories and 18-19 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving.” But you can’t make a meal out of a rotisserie chicken all on its own. (I mean, you could, but we’re aiming for balance here). 

For the easiest, most delicious way to turn the infamous Costco rotisserie chicken into a meal, combine it with a serving of Kirkland Signature Grain & Celery Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. This ready-to-eat salad features chickpeas, quinoa, bulgur, cranberries, almonds and a blend of carrots, cabbage, onion, celery and kale. Together, this 2-ingredient meal takes minutes to prepare, costs just $2.65 per serving, and has around 23 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving.

Granola with Greek Yogurt and Berries

If you don’t have access to a kitchen or microwave, a simple yogurt parfait can be a filling, satisfying lunch that keeps you full and energized through the afternoon. Start with a base of Chobani 20G Protein Low-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt for a protein- and probiotic-rich base, then add fiber-rich toppings like NuTrail Blueberry Cinnamon Nut Granola and fresh blueberries. 

“The NuTrail Blueberry Cinnamon Nut Granola is made with real blueberries and cinnamon, along with nuts & seeds for a sweet, crunchy texture that delivers, while also being certified gluten-free and free from any added sugars,” says Manaker. Toss half a cup of fresh blueberries on top for good measure, and you have a parfait with 24 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber for just $3.05.

Tips for Creating a Healthy Lunch

Whether you try out these budget-friendly Costco lunch ideas, or create your own, here’s what to focus on for the healthiest mid-day meal: 

• Follow a formula: Instead of relying on complicated recipes, use a repeatable blueprint to create a balanced, healthy lunch with whatever you have available. “A simple formula is to include a source of protein, a high-fiber carbohydrate, at least one fruit or vegetable and a source of healthy fat,” says Jamie Lee McIntyre, M.S., RDN. 
• Prep what you can ahead of time: McIntyre recommends prepping components instead of entire meals to save time and stay flexible, “washing fruit, chopping vegetables, portioning snacks and having cooked proteins ready to go, so you can mix and match throughout the week.” 
• Portion and freeze dinner leftovers: If putting together a healthy lunch feels daunting, but you’ve mastered healthy dinners, let your leftovers do double duty. Freeze portions of soups, stews and casseroles you’ve made for dinner so you always have a healthy lunch ready to thaw, heat and eat, even when you’re short on time or need to hit the grocery store. 

Our Expert Take

Costco makes it easy to stock up on ingredients and ready-to-eat meals for a budget-friendly, healthy lunch that comes together quickly. Whether you work from home, bring your meals to the office or need something to pack and eat on the go, one of these four healthy lunches has you covered. To stop skipping lunch or resorting to takeout, prep what you can ahead of time and freeze dinner leftovers for last-minute options. When in doubt, you can assemble a healthy lunch by combining protein, high-fiber carbohydrates, fruit or vegetables (or both) and healthy fats. All of these will result in a lunch significantly more nourishing and cheaper than take-out. 

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