The #1 Snack to Buy at Costco for Lower Cholesterol, According to a Dietitian

Many of us already know that Costco is the place to go for the best sheet cake in town, the best selection of affordable imported cheeses and a deeply discounted slice of freshly baked pizza. Less well known is that Costco also houses an impressive selection of snacks that could help support your efforts to lower your cholesterol. It’s an issue so many Americans face—nearly 25 million U.S. adults have elevated blood cholesterol levels. Knowing that our beloved warehouse club offers snacks that may help lower this heart-health marker is welcome news for many.

An Apple and Nut Butter

Our top pick for a Costco snack is an Envy apple with a serving of Kirkland Signature Mixed Nut Butter with Seeds. While it may be a stretch to claim that eating an apple a day truly keeps the doctor away, there does appear to be some truth that noshing apples regularly could lower blood cholesterol levels.

A review study found that polyphenol-rich foods can help improve cholesterol and reduce oxidative stress in people with high cholesterol. Apples were one of the foods specifically linked to a significant drop in total cholesterol. They’re a natural source of soluble fiber and plant compounds that may contribute to these benefits, especially if you eat the skin, which contains more nutrients and fiber than the flesh. Apples also provide cholesterol-supporting nutrients like niacin and vitamin C.

Envy apples are always available at Costco, and because their flesh stays white longer, you can pre-cut them without worrying about browning. They have a balanced sweetness and satisfying crunch that pairs well with many dips and additions—like a tablespoon of Kirkland Signature Mixed Nut Butter with Seeds, which adds more key nutrients to this snack. This nut butter is packed with healthy fats, plant-based protein, and micronutrients that support healthy cholesterol. Plus, research suggests nuts are among the best foods for reducing LDL and total cholesterol.

Tips for Cholesterol-Friendly Snacks

Enjoying potato chips or ice cream once in a while is perfectly fine, but for better cholesterol, it helps to choose snacks higher in fiber and lower in saturated fat and added sugars most of the time. To help you pick snacks that are appropriate for cholesterol-lowering, here are some criteria to consider before you toss that snack into your grocery cart.

Soluble Fiber

Health and nutrition experts recommend that women get at least 25 grams of fiber a day and men aim for 28 grams, though exact needs can vary slightly by age. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest, yet it plays many important roles in health. There are two types of fiber—soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber keeps you regular by adding bulk to your stool and passing through your system unchanged. Soluble fiber works differently—it forms a gel in your gut that slows digestion and helps remove some cholesterol. It may also help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar, and support heart health.

Plant Protein

Including a snack with some plant-based protein (as opposed to protein from animal sources) may help support better blood cholesterol levels. Research suggests that, compared with animal protein, eating plant protein may help improve lipid profiles in people with high cholesterol. Plant-based proteins are often good sources of fiber, which may be the reason why this relationship is observed. Consider replacing some of the carbs in your diet with plant protein rather than animal protein, as this change may help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol and improve your overall cholesterol balance. Sources of plant-based proteins include nuts, seeds, soy, beans and whole grains.

Beneficial Fats

Not all fats are created equal when you are trying to lower your cholesterol. Consuming large quantities of saturated fat, like the kind in fried foods and red meat, can result in elevated LDL cholesterol in your body. The American Heart Association recommends reducing saturated fat to less than 6% of total daily calories. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s about 11 to 13 grams of saturated fat. To give you a reference, a one-ounce slice of cheddar cheese has about 5 grams of saturated fat. One slice of bologna has about 6 grams.

On the other hand, focusing on unsaturated fats, like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat—found in foods like avocado and nuts—can have the opposite effect, helping lower blood cholesterol when you replace saturated fats with these better choices.

Our Expert Take

This snack combines fiber-rich fruit with protein- and healthy fat–packed nut butter to support healthy cholesterol.  Next time you’re at Costco, grab a case of Envy apples (typically sold in a 4-pound box) and a jar of Kirkland Signature Mixed Nut Butter for a perfectly balanced snack that’s portable, nourishing and utterly satisfying.