If you make frequent trips to Costco, you probably also shop for yourfood staplesthere. The membership warehouse club has an impressive produce section that you would want to take advantage of, especially when looking for bulk pricing, convenience and nutritional benefits.
The produce sectionhas an array of salad kits, allowing customers to choose their favorite veggie blend with a complementary salad dressing to make their hassle-free meal or snack in minutes. Eating salads is also a great way to increase your fiber intake and get a slew of nutrients to support good health. More importantly, nutrient-dense and plant-based foods like salads could help ward off chronic inflammation that could be making you feel sluggish, disturbing your sleep, affecting your gut health, impairing your immune system and more.
We spoke with two registered dietitians, and here is what they have to say about what to look for in an anti-inflammatory salad kit and which is the best one to toss into your shopping cart at your next Costco run.
Costco: Getty Images. Salad: Jamie Vespa.
What to Look For in an Anti-Inflammatory Salad Kit
Offers Some Color
Amanda Sauceda, M.S., RDN, a registered dietitian and owner of Gut Health Nutritionist, recommends choosing a salad kit with different colors, such as one with romaine lettuce and red cabbage. Some salad kits also offer herbs and seeds like onions and chia seeds that have anti-inflammatory properties and add an extra layer of hue to the greens. Sauceda further explains, “Different-colored foods will have a variety of antioxidants that can help fight inflammation.”
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Provides 2 to 3 Grams of Fiber
TheAmerican Society for Nutritionstates that over 90% of Americans don’t eat enough fiber, despite it being an essential nutrient for promoting satiety, maintaining regularity, stabilizing blood sugar levels and managing cholesterol, to name a few. Additionally, research, including a 2022 study published inJAMA Network Open, has suggested that a fiber-rich diet can help reduce inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein.
While your daily fiber needs will vary depending on your age and sex, the2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americansrecommends adults consume 25 to 34 grams of fiber per day. As a reference, this would work out to be about 8 to 9 grams per meal for females and 9 to 10 grams for males.
Liz McMahon, M.P.H., RDN, LDN, a Philadelphia-based dietitian and owner of Liz McMahon Nutrition, notes that choosing a salad kit that offers at least 2 to 3 grams per serving of fiber is a good starting point. She says, “Most salad kits are mainly lettuce, which is a lot of volume but not necessarily super fiber dense.”
McMahon recommends making the salad close to 5 grams fiber per serving would be ideal. Given that not all salad kits offer 5 grams, you can always add fiber-containing foods like corn, tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, nuts and seeds to up the fiber of your salad.
Has No More Than 8 Grams of Added Sugar
Added sugars cancontribute to inflammation, leading to the development of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. TheAmerican Heart Associationrecommends a daily limit of no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) or 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) for women and men, respectively.
Since store-bought salad dressingscan be a source of hidden added sugars, and you could be consuming added sugars from other sources, Sauceda recommends choosing a salad kit that offers no more than 2 teaspoons or 8 grams of added sugar per serving, which is about one-fifth to one-third of your daily added sugar consumption.
The Best Anti-Inflammatory Salad Kit at Costco
For the reasons outlined above, our top pick of the best anti-inflammatory salad kit at Costco isTaylor Farms' Green Goddess Chopped Salad Kit, sold as a value pack of two kits.
Why It’s So Great
Source of Fiber
This salad kit comes with an array of veggies—green leaf lettuce, red and savoy cabbage, broccoli, carrot and green onion, offering 2 grams of fiber per 1-cup serving.
Includes Anti-Inflammatory Vegetables
Specifically, the salad kit comes with veggies that may have anti-inflammatory benefits:
Low in Added Sugars
The Taylor Farms Green Goddess Chopped Salad Kit is also low in added sugars. It only contains 1 gram of added sugar per serving, with 2 grams of total sugar per serving.
Keep in mind that this salad kit may not always be in stock in your local Costco warehouse. Check the Taylor Farms website to learn where to buy it. And if you’re feeling adventurous about making it from scratch, try ourGreen Goddess Salad.
The Bottom Line
Next time you are at Costco, head to the produce section to look for the Taylor Farms Green Goddess Chopped Salad Kit and toss a pack or two into your cart. Salad kits like this one add convenience to meal prep, fill you up and offer you anti-inflammatory nutrients. Enjoy the salad as a snack or with extra veggies and protein to create a complete and satisfying meal.
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