Finally! Organic oatmeal at Costco

January 25, 2008 · 5 Comments

After months of having to buying small boxes of organic oatmeal from Whole Foods and other grocery stores, Costco is finally carrying it. I’ve been slowly transitioning my family into organic foods as much as I think is reasonable. That means switching out as many foods my kids eat on a daily basis with healthier substitutes, which in my household means no trans fats, no artificial flavors or colors, and no high fructose corn syrup. The last one has been the hardest because much to my surprise, it shows up in a lot of foods you wouldn’t normally think would have it–like bread, for instance.

Reasonable to me also covers price, which is why I do a happy dance in the aisle when I find Costco has a new organic product. I’ve had the most success in their refrigerated section; while the prepared food products don’t necessarily have “Organic” on their labels, if you look at the ingredients, most follow my criteria. In the non-perishables section, I found Costco’s Kirkland brand of organic peanut butter (it comes two to a package), which I don’t like. Like many organic peanut butters, the oil settles at the top and you have to stir it to get it to look like the peanut butter I’ve grown up with (I miss you, Jif). So the search continues for a good-tasting, no-stir peanut butter.

But the organic instant oatmeal search is over. Yes, I could get the plain oatmeal you have to cook, but with three kids to feed breakfast and get ready for school in the morning, instant is the way to go for me. Costco now carries their own Kirkland brand of organic oatmeal, which is in a box that’s about the same size as the regular Quaker oatmeal box they carry. The organic version has 45 packets in five flavors. My kids eat a packet every breakfast on school days, so we go through a lot of it. Thank you Costco!!!

p.s. And thank you to the anonymous person who corrected me on the brand, it is Kirkland and not Quaker organic oatmeal.

Categories: organic

5 responses so far ↓

  • Anonymous // January 28, 2008 at 6:15 pm

    Correction - I think you meant that it’s a Kirkland (Costco) brand organic oatmeal, not Quaker oatmeal.

  • Deseret // March 14, 2008 at 12:11 pm

    Here’s a tip you’ll appreciate regarding oil-on-the-top natural peanut butter. Just store the container upside down, either in your pantry or refrigerator. This mixes the oil throughout, so you don’t have to stir through the sloppy mess at the top. I do this before I even open the jar. After opened, keep in refrig. upside down. If stored at room temperature, I put a folded paper towel underneath the jar.

  • supernovamom // March 14, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    Thanks for the tip, Deseret, I’m going to have to try it!

  • 1allergymom // May 6, 2008 at 8:59 pm

    Thanks, I’ll check this out. I’ll have to be sure there’s no dairy or other allergens we are avoiding, but sounds great. Costco has been carrying more and more organic - yippee! Also - have you heard of the Feingold Diet? It educates you on how to avoid artificial flavorings, colors and preservatives…several families in our Loudoun group are following this with great success. http://www.feingold.org

  • supernovamom // May 7, 2008 at 6:00 pm

    Hi 1allergymom,
    I have heard of the Feingold Diet and do a modified version, which has really worked well for my two boys, particularly the 6-year-old. More than the artificial stuff, though, I’ve found that high fructose corn syrup seems to fuel a lot of the behavior issues. But I still try to opt for the natural and organic versions for processed foods (toaster pastries, cereals, snacks, etc.) just to minimize the junk that’s going into their bodies!

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