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

A great way to start following the Mediterranean diet at home is to replace the butter you use when cooking with olive oil.

We use olive oil in almost everything we make, whether we're cooking eggs, creating a light salad dressing, or baking chicken.

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

I help our olive oil last longer by storing it in a smaller dispenser in the kitchen, which keeps us from pouring with a heavy hand.

We no longer eat potato chips or sweets when we're hungry. Instead, we use dried fruits, such as dried plums, to satisfy our snack cravings between meals.

On this shopping trip, I opted for the ones from Kirkland Signature Sunsweet.

After seeing research about wine drinkers in Blue Zones, areas with lots of centenarians, we try to use red wine in our cooking when we aren't just drinking it.

Being in California, I often opt for locally produced wine during weekly grocery runs. Still, I occasionally take home one of Costco's French or Italian wine offerings.

We do our best to follow 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 at Costco typically tastes fresher than bulbs from other commercially farmed brands.

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

Since we love the taste of citrus lemons, we usually 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.

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 pick up dried blueberries. They're rich in polyphenols, which may improve cognitive functioning.

Dried blueberries pair well with mixed nuts for snacking and are also great in yogurt or oatmeal.

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 by mashing them and adding onion, tomato, and garlic to make fresh guacamole.

To dip in it, we swap out fried tortilla chips for thin pita chips.

We never leave Costco without picking up organic grape tomatoes.

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

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

Although I've found making baked whole tilapia requires more advanced cooking skills, other fish, such as cod, can be much easier to prepare.

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

Our local Costco has 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.

We also use salmon in other meals, like breakfast. We'll pick up smoked salmon at Costco and pair it with eggs.

Since I work full-time, it can be difficult to cook every meal entirely from scratch. 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. 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, I make my own, using olive oil and lemon juice as the dressing. I like to pick up an organic spring mix from Costco to use as a base.

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, 2023, and most recently updated on January 6, 2025.