16 Best Costco Food Items To Bring To The Beach

Now that summer has rolled around, you're likely packing your beach bag and loading the car to venture to the beach as a way to cool off. The crashing waves, the sand in your toes, and the heat of the sun are a welcome distraction from everyday life, work, and chores. But what should you eat if you're spending a full day by the coast without having to make a bunch of food from scratch? That's where our beloved Costco comes in.

The wholesaler is a must-visit destination for parties and gatherings due to its convenience and wide selection of bulk items. We selected a range of eats you can purchase at Costco that will fare well at the beach. The following items will travel nicely and require little to no prep; however, you may need a cooler or cutlery for a handful of products, but you're probably already bringing these along with you anyway. Stay cool and stay full all summer long with these beach-friendly foods from Costco.

Trail mix is the perfect calorie-dense option, ideal for occasions when a full meal just isn't feasible. It can keep you satiated after spending a few hours under the beating sun or as you wade in the water, but you can always eat it with other foods, too. Costco has a few trail mix options, but the Kirkland Signature Trail Mix Snack Packs are your best bet because they are individually packed. Imagine little sandy child fingers digging their hands in a large 4-pound bag, leaving sand for the next person to ingest. Delicious and gritty! 

With the 28-pack, you can open one, shake some into your hand, and then enjoy. The blend of sweet and salty peanuts, cashews, almonds, raisins, M&Ms, and peanut M&Ms is a satisfying mix of flavors and textures. If you're concerned about the chocolate pieces melting, place the packets inside your cooler toward the top.

Chips are an absolute staple at the beach, but we suggest the Calbee Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snacks if you prefer something slightly different. It still has the satisfying crunch of a potato chip, but a unique flavor profile — earthy with a hint of salt. We love these, and toddlers seem to like them, too, because they're easy to grip for small hands. 

The peas are surprisingly light, so you get a lot of product in the 20-ounce bag. This size is ideal to bring to a summer gathering at the beach if you're hanging around with multiple people. It also works well to add to a lunch plate if you're grilling up burgers or hot dogs, or to serve alongside a fruit or veggie platter. We also like this sugar-free Costco snack because it has 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein per serving, making this "chip" a fantastic, well-balanced option to serve your crew.

If you're trying to establish what kind of sweet treat to bring to the beach, we suggest That's it Mini Fruit Bars. This comes in a pack of 24 with three options: strawberry, mango, and blueberry. Each flavor is a mix of apples and the specific fruit — that's it. There's no added sugars or other ingredients, so it's basically like bringing fruit to the beach, except these are easy to handle, and you don't have to prep or rinse them off since they come in individual packaging.

These are sweet and chewy, much like a fruit leather. Kids and adults will appreciate the small bars, and the flavors are approachable yet different enough that they can appeal to various tastes. They're pretty little, so you can still have room for any other beach desserts you may have brought, like your family's favorite cookies.

Bringing chocolate to a scorching beach day may seem like a recipe for disaster — a melted, gooey, inedible mess that drips onto your fingers and bathing suit. What are you supposed to do exactly? Lick it off the packaging? That's why we specifically picked the Chuao Chocolatier Mini Chocolate Bars, because they come in a resealable bag. Close the bag and place it in the top portion of your cooler, and it won't melt. Then people can grab a flavor or two at a time.

As another layer of protection, they're individually packed, so you don't have to worry about ice or sand seeping into the packaging. This pack comes with 24 individually wrapped bars with flavors like honeycomb, firecracker, and potato chip. Upgrade your s'mores by using one of these mini bars in place of a classic milk chocolate bar. If you can't find this specific chocolate pack, seek out a similarly packaged chocolate or candy.

The warmth of the sun and sand may feel overwhelming after a while, so you might want to get a cooling Caesar salad kit from the prepared food fridge area of Costco. Keep it in the cooler and then shake everything together directly in the container when you're ready to eat. Just bring a few forks, but you'll probably already have that for a beach day. Serve on individual plates or just eat it out of the container if you're okay with sharing. 

This is a fantastic option to eat some greens while you're at the beach without having to wash and prepare anything yourself. It's an easy way to feed your family, and it's a familiar favorite without too many ingredients. It comes with romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, crunchy garlic cheese croutons, shredded Parmesan, and lemon wedges. It's priced by weight, allowing you to have a bit of wiggle room if you want to pick a larger or smaller container.

Young kids and toddlers need a fun snack while at the beach, and they will love the Amara Yogurt Smoothie Melts. These come in a mixed red berries flavor, carrot raspberry, or a mango carrot flavor — just note that these are three different options in separate boxes, so you will have to pick the one you want to get.

The serving sizes are different, as well, so this may be another deciding factor on which one you want to get. But whichever way you go, there is enough for any kids and tots tagging along on your beach adventure. These are lightweight and melt in the mouth. They're dairy-free, gluten-free, and organic, making them a scrumptious option for various dietary needs. Nobody will feel excluded.

A day at the beach wouldn't be complete without a veggie tray. You will want a convenient option to balance out the chips, cookies, and hot dogs, and a pre-made tray is the way to go. If you keep it on the top portion of the cooler, the veggies can stay cool and crisp, giving you that unbeatable snap as you bite into them.  

Costco's vegetable tray comes with 4 pounds of veg. The pack may vary at your local Costco, but veggies could include broccoli, celery, snap peas, mini peppers, carrot pieces, or cauliflower. It also comes with a highly necessary ranch dip to dunk your veggies in. This is fantastic to keep on deck to eat throughout the day — a little nibble here and there. You'd be surprised what kids will eat, too, so just have it there as an option. The ranch dip doesn't hurt either.

We haven't mentioned many desserts because a lot of options simply won't hold up well in the heat. But these E&C's Heavenly Hunks Organic Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookies are chunky, sturdy, and dense — they're more like an energy bite than a traditional cookie, but they're a delight no matter what. As a bonus, they're gluten-free and vegan to appeal to more people at your party. If you're vegan or gluten-free (or both), you've probably been to many gatherings where the only thing you could eat was raw veggies or chips. This is a scrumptious option that means more people can enjoy it. 

The only thing to note is that you need to refrigerate after opening. Simply place the bag on the top portion of your cooler, so it's still hitting the ice but not submerged, and don't forget to seal it.

Sustain yourself and your family during your beach excursion with some protein. Comfort Cuisine Cape Cod Chicken Salad comes in a 40-ounce tub to feed several people. Just keep it stored in your cooler to ensure it stays cold. Bring a loaf of sliced bread to make sandwiches or use it as a dip for chips or veggies (also included in this list). This is a delicious blend of sweet and savory thanks to the white meat chicken breast, tart and sweet cranberries, crunchy pecans and poppy seeds, and a bit of honey. 

Find the chicken salad container in the fridge section at Costco near other packaged foods, like hummus and guacamole — those are also great to bring to the beach. We love a cool and crisp chicken salad because it gives you sustenance and protein in a way that veggies or salad simply can't achieve. Plus, it's convenient and ready-to-eat, so you don't have to make pecan cranberry chicken salad from scratch.

Costco offers a variety of meat and cheese snacks, allowing you to find an option that specifically appeals to your tastes or needs. Whichever you pick, though, keep them in the cooler. We like the idea of the individually sealed Busseto California Snackin' Bite Size Salami and Provolone Cheese because you can open a pack, eat it, and then place the rest in the cooler. 

We've also tried the King Cheese Spirella Rolled Minis, which are either prosciutto or sopressata rolled around creamy mozzarella. These come in three packs, so these may be better if you're going to open a pack and finish it right away — like placing a couple on each person's plate. The meat and cheese trays give you a bit of protein, fat, calories, and everything you want to nourish yourself for a hot beach day.

From dried mangos to blueberries, Costco has a variety of dried fruits to purchase. Some are sweetened while others aren't, which means that you can find a fruit and sweetness level to suit your needs. The fruit brings its sugary goodness (whether natural and/or added) to curb your sweet tooth, but the various options offer their unique textures, too, whether that's a chewy, gooey dried cherry or a firm, leathery dried mango. 

Dried fruit is a simple way to include a different type of treat in the mix during your beach day, particularly if you already have more classic desserts like brownies or Rice Krispies treats. Of course, Costco's fruits come in large packs, so that's something to consider. You could grab a couple of options if you have a larger crew or just stick to one family favorite.

We have yet another scrumptious option specifically for little ones. The Once Upon a Farm Organic Immunity Blends come in two flavors: apple, cherry, and elderberry, and then mango, banana, and spirulina. You'll get a total of 12 packs, which are convenient to keep on hand for kids and toddlers. All you need to do is twist open the pack, and then they can squeeze the blend out. Although they are designed for youngsters, anyone can have them. 

Alternatively, you could get the Kirkland Signature Organic Fruit and Vegetable Pouches, which gives you double the amount of squeeze packs for a considerably cheaper price. These are more akin to a flavored applesauce, which may be alluring for kids, too. The Once Upon a Farm pouches require refrigeration, while the Kirkland ones do not.

Costco's roasted chicken and Swiss rollers are such a staple for any outdoor occasion, whether it's a barbecue, picnic, or hot beach day. The rolls are prepped and ready for guests to consume. They're small and easy to hold onto, yet they contain filling ingredients like sliced deli chicken, Swiss cheese, cranberry cream cheese (which brings a light, fruity creaminess into the mix), lettuce, and tomato, all rolled into a piece of thin lavash. These taste good and are a wonderful beach option to eliminate the need to spend additional time preparing sandwiches. 

Just keep the tray on the top part of the cooler so it has contact with ice to keep it cool, but it's not submerged. Each pack has 12 rolls, so you can buy one package or multiple if you know how many people are coming to your sandy festivity. It's priced by weight, so theoretically you can find the heaviest one to ensure that there's a bit more filling. These are located in the refrigerated area near other prepped foods and salads, close to the rotisserie chicken display.

The peanut butter pretzels are a highly ranked salty Costco snack that you should keep in the pantry, or in this case, under your beach umbrella. We love them because they're a familiar blend of peanut butter and pretzel, which offers a crisp exterior with large flecks of salt and a smooth, nutty interior. The container is humongous, so everyone can eat to their heart's content, and you'll still probably have some to take home. 

It comes in a resealable container with a lid, which means that you can shake a few out or pour a pile onto a plate for people to dig into. If you're already bringing a huge load of food items, save space by placing some of the nuggets into a sealable baggie instead. You can nosh on a few, then head right back into the water without any sticky residue that may happen from items like Cheetos or salt and vinegar potato chips.

If you want a pre-made sandwich in something other than a rolled-up form, then you'll want to grab the Kirkland Signature Chicken Sandwich, which comes on thin, sprouted-grain flatbread. The sandwich is loaded with sliced chicken, cheddar and provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and tangy, creamy Dijon mayonnaise. While some elements are similar to the rollers (chicken, lettuce, tomato), it's different enough that you could get both. 

The bread and the Dijon mayo have a different taste and texture from the ultra-thin lavash and the cranberry cream cheese. When you're just trying to spend the day with friends or keep an eye on the kids, you don't want to take forever to make sandwiches ahead of time — or worse yet, bring everything with you to attempt making them at the beach. These solve that problem so you can simply savor the moment (and the food).

You've got to bring tortilla chips to a beach bash. It goes with nearly everything, even if you simply want to eat a few on the side of your burger or sandwich. You can dip tortilla chips in anything from hummus to salsa to chicken salad. Rather than getting an enormous tortilla chip bag, the Siete Grain Free Variety Tortilla Chips have individual portions with different flavors, ideal for those who want choices. It comes with sea salt, lime, or nacho chips. 

Siete chips are also on the thinner side, so they're great if you want something lighter. If you do prefer something more classic, then the Kirkland Signature Tortilla Strips are a top pick based on size (3 pounds) and price. This fan-favorite warehouse has no shortage of dips to pair with your crispy tortilla pieces, either. Costco is definitely a one-stop shop for all of your beach snacking needs.