6 Canned Foods You Should Always Buy At Costco And 6 You Should Avoid

If you're headed to Costco, you're ready to buy in bulk. And what better to buy in bulk than canned goods? Canned goods have a long shelf life, are usually very affordable when compared to fresh versions of the same foods, and are extremely versatile. There are so many ways to utilize canned food; the options are endless. You can put canned fruit to use in a myriad of ways, from smoothies to desserts. Canned veggies can turn into a casserole or salad toppings. If you're making burgers, head to the pantry first — canned ingredients can level up a basic burger into something spectacular. Or, grab a can of soup or chili and enjoy the ease of dinner prep when your dinner comes from a can.

If cost and convenience aren't compelling enough reasons to keep your pantry stocked with your favorite canned goods, consider this: A study from Michigan State University concluded that canned food is very safe, and when it comes to produce, it is often less expensive than buying it fresh and can even have more vitamins and minerals than its fresh counterparts. But as you're perusing the aisles of Costco, looking for great deals and discovering all the fun finds you didn't know you needed, don't let the siren song of low prices in the canned food section sway you. There are some canned foods at Costco that you won't want to leave behind, and others you can safely leave on the shelves. Prices may vary.

Costco's home brand, Kirkland Signature, is always a popular choice among customers, and the Kirkland Signature organic tomato paste is no exception. This organic tomato paste has a high nutritional value, great flavor, and an affordable price point. While some might argue that fresh is always best, canned tomatoes tend to be rich in flavor and are ideal for making soups and sauces. Tomato paste, which is different than tomato sauce, is a concentrated tomato product that brings bold flavor to your favorite recipes, while not adding a lot of extra moisture.

The Kirkland Signature tomato paste is Kosher, organic, and made with just two ingredients — tomatoes and citric acid (citric acid is a preservative that originates in lemon juice and is widely regarded as safe). The tomato paste comes in a case of 12 and will set you back just $10.99, which is a little over a dollar per can. In this day and age, that's a steal. Not only is it affordable, but customers love it, too. One Costco customer left it a 5-star review, saying, "Perfect! Organic, thick, not much else to say except that this is made from only cooked tomatoes, no salt or sugars added."

Refried beans are a beloved staple for people around the world. With a one-of-a-kind savory flavor and a creamy texture, they can be eaten alone or served as a side to many of your favorite dishes. But if you're looking for canned refried beans, you can safely leave the Rosarita Organic Refried Beans at Costco. While they do have some strong selling points, such as being organic and vegan-certified, customer feedback suggests they don't quite taste right due to the coconut oil that is used to make them.

The beans have an overall rating of just 3.8 stars, with a 1-star reviewer saying, "The coconut oil in this organic option ruins the flavor." Refried beans are commonly made with lard, so coconut oil is a departure from tradition and may not be appealing to those looking for an authentic refried bean experience. These beans are also high in sodium, with 550 milligrams per serving (for some perspective, the FDA suggests no more than 2,300mg of sodium per day), meaning just one serving of these beans is almost a quarter of your daily recommended intake.

Sardines haven't always been a popular item in the American diet, but many parts of the world enjoy sardines regularly, and these little fish pack a real punch in the nutrient department. If you're a seafood lover looking for a savory protein to add to your diet, don't skip the Season boneless skinless sardines in olive oil. A ½cup serving of sardines has a bountiful 22 grams of protein, zero carbs or sugar, and 200 calories. Sardines are good for your brain, heart, and muscles. They are also lower in mercury than other types of fish, which is something to consider if you eat a lot of seafood.

Costco's sardine choice has a nearly 5-star rating with over 2,800 reviews. Customers appreciate the flavor, consistency, and quality of the sardines, with one reviewer saying, "The flavor is a tad smoky, never too salty, and the cut and tenderness of the sardines is consistent from can to another."

There are lots of ways to use sardines. If you're not sure where to start, try eating them plain, or adding them to a salad. You can also use them to make tacos and sushi, or even mash them up and turn them into a tuna-inspired sardine salad.

For years, we've been hearing about the health benefits of tuna. And tuna does have some compelling attributes — it's got a pleasant, mild taste, it's loaded with protein, and it can be used in a multitude of ways. However, tuna also has a dark side. This fish can be high in mercury, and you should skip the Kirkland Signature albacore solid white tuna in favor of fish with fewer issues.

Mercury is dangerous and should be avoided entirely by pregnant people. However, mercury is also be dangerous for children and healthy, non-pregnant adults, and overconsumption can lead to loss of brain cells, anxiety, and heart disease, among other things. Certain types of tuna have more mercury than others, and it's particularly prevalent in albacore. One 3-ounce serving of this popular fish can have up to 29.75 micrograms of mercury. For some people, that is more mercury in one serving of fish than is recommended for an entire week.

So before you stock up on a case of Kirkland Signature albacore to make your favorite tuna salad recipe, consider some alternatives. Opt instead for a lower-mercury tuna, such as light tuna, or bypass the tuna entirely for another protein source. Chicken salad, anyone?

Diced tomatoes should be a pantry staple in every home cook's kitchen. Use your favorite canned tomatoes for sauces, salsas, and soups. And when it comes to diced tomato options, you can't beat Costco's Kirkland Signature organic diced tomatoes, with its low price and rave reviews.

This fan favorite (it currently has 4.8 stars on Costco's website) was recognized by one reviewer as being the best on the market. They went on to say, "They do not contain an overabundance of liquid. The tomatoes are delicious and balanced just right with a little salt. These are the only diced tomatoes I will buy."

The tomatoes have only a handful of ingredients: tomatoes, tomato juice, citric acid, sea salt, and calcium chloride. Calcium chloride is a salt-like preservative that helps the tomatoes maintain firmness. It provides a salty flavor without adding sodium. Reach for these diced tomatoes next time you want to make a homemade marinara sauce or your favorite tomato-based soup recipe.

Spam is legendary. This little blue can of ham is a pop culture phenomenon that transcends generations. But while it might be savory, inexpensive, and a popular element in certain dishes around the country, it's also highly processed and loaded with fat and sodium. One 2-ounce serving of Spam has 16 grams of fat and 790 milligrams of sodium. That's 25% of your daily recommended fat intake and 33% of your daily recommended sodium intake, all served up in a tiny little portion. And while it does come in at just 180 calories per serving, it's a bit lacking in protein (that 2-ounce serving only brings 7 grams of protein to the table).

Costco's Spam is convenient and cheap (one box comes with eight 12-ounce cans and costs $26.99, which is about $3.37 per can and is less expensive than buying it at Walmart), but rather than bringing home eight cans of Spam, opt instead for another canned meat, or consider heading to the Costco meat department and grabbing a ham instead. If you must have your Spam fix, maybe choose the low-sodium option, instead.

With all the information we have now about the dangers of consuming mercury, consumers have started looking for alternative options when it comes to protein sources from the sea. Costco delivers with its Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon, a convenient canned fish that receives high marks from customers who are angling to satisfy their seafood cravings while avoiding the dangers of mercury overconsumption.

Wild salmon is the salmon of choice for educated consumers who have started to move away from farmed salmon. Along with posing some environmental concerns, famed salmon is nutritionally inferior, having more fat and less calcium than the more mineral-rich, wild-caught salmon.

Currently, the salmon has a 4.8-star rating on Costco's website with over 1,300 reviews. A Costco reviewer says, "This is our favorite wild canned salmon, always delicious pure fish. Quality salmon that makes wonderful salmon patties at a great price!" Another reviewer confirms its quality and shares some ways to use it, saying, "I use it primarily to make salmon croquettes, but it's great for salads and salmon burgers too." Put your canned salmon to work as a salad topping, casserole, or as a replacement for tuna in any dish.

There are many things you can do with Vienna sausage, and even if you're not a regular purchaser, you've probably come across them plenty of times at parties and gatherings. They can be eaten out of the can as a snack or cooked up in a soup. They are commonly used as an ingredient in savory appetizers for parties and gatherings. But there are much better options for your health, and you're best off leaving the 18-can case of Vienna sausages at Costco.

Vienna sausages resemble little hot dogs, but they're stored in a can and covered in broth (they also have a softer texture than your average hot dog). Vienna sausages are made with heavily processed meat (the sausages are made primarily with mechanically separated chicken, but also contain beef and pork). While they do have some protein (9 grams per serving), the sausages have 16 grams of fat and 820 milligrams of sodium.

Costco reviewers lament the poor packaging materials, with many taking to Costco's website to share how their cans were dented or even broken when they opened the box. Another reviewer shared their disappointment in the product itself, saying, "I had expected small individual firm sausages that would make nice appetizers. Instead a can of mushy gross things that reminded me of dog or baby food."

When you think of Costco chicken, canned chicken breast probably isn't what comes to mind. More likely, you're thinking of that bargain-priced rotisserie chicken the store is so famous for. But Costco does chicken in more ways than one, and the Kirkland Signature chicken breast is a popular buy that marries versatility and nutrition into one convenient can.

One Costco reviewer summed it up best by saying, "There is never anything but tender, flaky white breast meat chunks in wonderful tasting chicken broth in each can." Customers love the product for its flavor and usability (hence the 6,400 reviews and an overall rating of 4.7 stars), but the nutritional aspect is the real star of the show. The extra lean chicken breast is only 60 calories, with a reasonable 270 milligrams of sodium and a hefty 13 grams of protein per serving.

Canned chicken is versatile and a useful ingredient to keep stocked in your pantry. Put it to good use as a salad topping or a casserole ingredient. You can also use it for some amazing homemade chicken salad recipes, add it to nachos for a protein boost, or add it to your favorite soup recipe.

If you're a fan of chili (and who isn't?), you may be familiar with the popular Wolf Brand canned chili. This Texas staple is a handy way to serve up comfort food from a can. Many people like to eat it as-is, but others will take it a step further and customize their chili by adding their own unique chili ingredients. But while the taste of this canned chili might be great, the brand is high in fat and sodium. Instead, make your own chili, or reach for a can with more nutritious nutrition label.

One cup of chili (and are you really going to eat just 1 cup?) has 17 grams of fat and 1,010 milligrams of sodium, which is significantly more than any other item on this list. That's almost half of your daily sodium allowance, which might be manageable if chili weren't often served with other high-sodium foods (chips and hot dogs, we are looking at you).

A creamy, delicious dairy alternative, coconut milk has been having a moment for awhile now. Costco has heeded the call by offering its customers Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk, a much-loved product that is dairy-free, organic, and non-GMO. Coconut milk, along with tasting great, comes with serious health benefits — it can help reduce stomach ulcers and inflammation in the body as well as fight viruses.

Coconut milk is the meat of the coconut, blended with water to create a creamy, milky substance that can be used for soups (like a delicious Thai coconut chicken soup), sauces, smoothies, and desserts. It is also a popular substitute for coffee creamer. Costco customers love the Thai Kitchen brand in particular, citing its rich, creamy texture and sweet flavor. One customer said, "I haven't found a better coconut milk than this one, and organic, too! Great consistency, flavor, and doesn't seem to separate like others."

Canned soup is a convenient go-to option for office lunches or quick and easy family dinners (you can even turn a can of soup into a pasta sauce), and chicken noodle soup is always a top choice when picking out a can of soup. While we love Campbell's and its many soup options, it is probably best to avoid the Campbell's Simply Chicken Noodle soup that Costco sells in favor of better options from the brand.

Canned soup is an easy way to get dinner on the table or whip up a quick lunch, but canned soup can have surprising hidden ingredients. With that said, there's a lot to like about Campbell's simply chicken noodle soup (like 19 grams of protein and no added sugars). However, the sodium hits hard with 680 milligrams per serving, which is almost ⅓ of the daily recommended value. While this comfort food might appeal to your tastebuds, there are more nutritious options. Campbell's sells many varieties of its soups, so if you are craving chicken noodle, maybe reach for a lower-sodium version of this soup, instead.

We looked at price (in one Texas zip code), ingredients, and reviews to come up with this list of which canned products to buy from Costco and which to leave behind.