Down the Jersey Shore where I live, there is one influencer everyone follows for restaurant recommendations—Meg Longo, better known by her Instagram handle @megthings_. She travels all over the state, visiting the newest spots and highlighting the standouts on their menus, from ice cream sundaes to juicy steaks to pasta. But behind the scenes, Longo has also been on a six-month weight-loss journey to make sure she's the healthiest version of herself. She's now down 50 pounds, and part of how she achieved this goal was by eating these 20 high-protein foods from Costco.
RELATED: Adding 2 Key Things to Your Diet Can Help You Lose Nearly 13% of Body Weight, Study Shows.
Here's how Longo began her weight-loss journey.
Hackensack Meridian Health is a network of healthcare providers in New Jersey. Longo stumbled upon their six-week women's newsletter, which provides "expert insight and advice on exercise, mental health, nutrition, preventative screenings, skincare, and sleep."
This got her started on her weight-loss journey, but she says her number-one tip is to start small with "little changes that you can make every single day that lead to the big picture."
"When you think about that big picture, it gets so overwhelming," she says.
One small change she made was to start putting her fork down between bites. Practicing mindful eating helped her sense when her body was actually full.
She also started shopping the perimeter of the grocery store. "This has helped so much with getting whole foods, fruits, and veggies," she shares.
20 high-protein foods from Costco for weight loss
Of course, we all need to put together a quick meal once in a while, and for those occasions, Longo recently shared her 20 favorite high-protein foods from Costco that helped keep her "stay focused, full, and happy" on her health journey.
1. Mush Overnight Oats
Costco
"Kicking it off with the most important meal of the day, breakfast," Longo begins. "These Mush overnight oats are a great, easy breakfast option."
Each cup only has 5 or 6 grams of protein, but there's no added sugar and a decent amount of fiber.
2. Kirkland Sous Vide Egg Bites
Costco
"I love these egg bites, they have 17 grams of protein," says Longo. They're also considered a dupe for Starbucks' egg bites.
3. Kodiak Flapjack and Waffle Mix
Costco
All you have to do is add water to this flapjack and waffle mix, and each serving has 14 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
4. Chobani Less-Sugar Yogurt
Costco
"Yogurt's also a great option [for breakfast], and this has 12 grams of protein and less sugar," says Longo.
5. Jones Dairy Farm Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage
Jones Dairy Farm
"These breakfast sausages, they're like three for [90 calories]," she notes. And each serving has 10 grams of protein.
6. Clovis Farms Organic Super Smoothie Mix
Costco
"If you're new to making smoothies, I couldn't recommend this kit enough," Longo shares. "It helps me so much in a pinch."
It has blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, kale, spinach, and banana.
7. Dave's Killer Bread
Costco
Most nutritionists and dietitians will recommend Dave's Killer Bread when it comes to the best sliced bread brands.
The organic bread is "free from anything artificial, and it does not contain any sugar substitutes," registered dietitianLauren Manaker RDN, LD, CLEC, CPT, told Eat This, Not That! "It also is made with a wide variety of nutrient-dense ingredients, like organic oat fiber and organic millet."
Longo loves how it's full of fiber and protein.
8. Good Foods Avocado Mash
Good Foods
And she loves to use this organic pre-mashed avocado to make avocado toast with Dave's Killer Bread.
9. TruBar Protein Bars
Costco
"Protein bars are always a great option on the go," says Longo, and she's a fan of these from TruBar. Each one has 12 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber.
10. Built Puff Protein Bars
Built
She's also a fan of these protein bars, which she calls "insane," and adds, "They are my new favorite thing."
In addition to tasting great, one bar packs 17 grams of protein and 20 percent of your daily iron requirement.
11. FairLife Protein Shakes
Costco
"I also love these FairLife protein shakes," she shares. "They're creamy and delicious."
Each bottle has 30 grams of protein and is packed with vitamins D, A, and B12, calcium, potassium, iron, iodine, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium.
12. Amylu Sesame Chicken Crumbles
Amylu
Amylu is another brand that the pros recommend, and Costco sells a rotating lineup of its products.
"For lunch and dinner, these chicken crumbles make amazing lettuce wraps," suggests Longo. They'd also be great with noodles or in a stir-fry.
13. Amylu Caramelized Onion & Aged White Cheddar Chicken Burgers
Amylu
"These burgers are perfect to heat up for lunch or dinner or over a salad," she notes. One burger has 18 grams of protein.
14. Kevin's Korean BBQ-Style Beef
Kevin's
"I also love this Kevin's brand," Longo notes. "This is an easy, high-protein meal." Plus, it's fully cooked, so you just have to heat it up.
15. Kevin's Honey Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry
Kevin's
Longo says this chicken option from Kevin's is "SO good."
16. Fresh Additions Steak Bites
Fresh Additions
"I love making steak quesadillas with these steak bites," Longo shares.
17. Mission Carb-Balance Tortillas
Costco
And to wrap up those quesadillas, Longo uses these carb-balance tortillas from the popular brand Mission.
18. Just Bare Chicken Chunks
Costco
"These are my favorite nuggets on this planet," Longo raves. "They're like Chik-fil-A dupe nuggets; you have to try them."
"They also make spicy tenders, but I really love the nuggets," she adds.
19. Kirkland Hardboiled Eggs
Costco
"These eggs are ready to go to make egg salad or just for a snack," she says.
20. Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna
Costco
Finally, Longo shares, "I love making tuna salad." Just one can has a whopping 33 grams of protein and 1,500mg of Omega-3s.
