The Dr. Gundry Podcast - EP 382: The Worst "Healthy" Items to Buy at Costco Release Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Steven Gundry and his co-host embark on a virtual “aisle-by-aisle” audit of Costco, aiming to separate truly healthy foods from cleverly marketed “health halo” items that may damage your gut, metabolism, and overall wellness. Listeners are equipped with practical guidelines to identify red-flag ingredients, make smarter shopping swaps, and discover Dr. Gundry-approved Costco finds—ranging from pantry staples to proteins, snacks, and produce. The conversation is informative, consumer-savvy, and occasionally dispels supermarket myths with humor and candor.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Understanding the "Health Halo" Trap

[02:41]

• “Not everything wearing a healthy, organic or protein packed label is actually doing your body any favors. Some of these so-called healthy items, they’re absolute gut bombs in disguise.”
  —Dr. Gundry (01:05)
• The misleading nature of “health” branding; always read ingredient labels.

2. Top Offenders: Healthy-Looking Foods to Avoid at Costco

[03:00–15:41]

a. Bagged Salad Kits

• Greens themselves = fine, but dressings/toppings = oils, sugar, gluten, lectins.
• “Most bagged lettuces salads are not that great either. Most of these have been treated to avoid going bad quickly. And you don’t want things like fresh lettuce that don’t go bad.”
  —Co-host (02:58)
• Swap: Buy organic arugula/spring mix, make your own dressing with olive oil and vinegar, top with avocado, olives, wild salmon, nuts.

b. Dried Fruits

• High in concentrated fructose, often with extra sugar.
• “A handful is a sugar bomb. It’s concentrated fructose… and it also feeds bad bacteria in your gut.”
  —Co-host (04:54)
• Swap: Fresh, seasonal berries or freeze-dried/frozen berries without added sugar.

c. Store-Bought Hummus

• Chickpeas (unless pressure cooked) are lectin-rich; most contain cheap seed oils.
• Swap: Guacamole or home-made, pressure-cooked chickpea hummus.

d. Protein Powders

• Commonly contain A1 cow whey, soy/pea isolates, gums, sweeteners.
• “Whey from A1 cattle can aggravate sensitive guts… be careful with soy or pea proteins. These are lectin dense.”
  —Co-host (07:02)
• Swap: No Costco recommendation; consider hemp protein.

e. Protein & Granola Bars

• Marketing hype: really “candy bars with great sounding words that sound healthy.”
• Red flags: oats, oat syrup, rice syrup, soy crisps, date paste, long ingredient lists.

f. Rotisserie Chicken

• Preseasoned with starches, enhancers, gums, antibiotics; birds fed inflammatory diets.
• Swap: Buy whole chicken (preferably pasture-raised) and roast at home.

g. Yogurt/Dairy

• Terms like “Greek,” “high-protein,” or “keto” often mask A1 cow's milk, gums, and sugars.
• “If you see a flavored cup of yogurt, that means it’s dessert, not yogurt.”
  —Co-host (10:42)
• Swap: Goat/sheep yogurt (plain), goat/sheep cheeses, Italian-imported options.

h. Industrial Animal/Fish Proteins

• Feedlot meats, farmed salmon = high omega-6, artificial additives.
• Beware misleading “grass-fed” claims unless also “grass-finished.”
• “Pasture raised chickens and eggs and wild caught seafood like sardines, mackerel, sockeye salmon, bison…” are preferred.

i. Plant-Based Milks and Meats

• Oat & almond milks: Often loaded with emulsifiers, seed oils, and sugar. Oat milk especially problematic for sensitive individuals.
• Plant meats: Ultra-processed; usually soy/wheat isolates, seed oils, glyphosate.
• Swap: Unsweetened coconut milk, whole mushrooms (portobello as a “steak”).

j. Snack Foods

• Veggie chips, straws, popcorn, fruit snacks—marketing, not nutrition.
• “Veggie is a color, not a nutrient. So run away from these snacks.” —Co-host (14:53)

3. Guidelines for Smart Costco Shopping

[18:58, 22:00, 38:10]

• The “Five Nos”:
  • No added sugar
  • No grains
  • No seed oils
  • No A1 dairy
  • No lectins (unless pressure-cooked, peeled/seeds removed)
• Prioritize short, real-ingredient lists.
• "If you can't read it or picture it growing, just leave it on the shelf."
• Build meals with real protein, polyphenol-rich fats, and low-lectin plants.

4. Costco Picks That Get Dr. Gundry’s Approval

a. Fish & Seafood
[23:45]

• Wild Alaskan salmon (fresh/frozen/canned)—avoid “organic” farmed.
• Canned sardines (preferably in water or olive oil).
• Canned tuna from small tuna (often labeled mercury-free).

b. Cheese & Italian Meats

• Goat, sheep, buffalo cheeses (look for “from Italy/Spain”).
• Italian prosciutto, fermented charcuterie (read origin labels).
• Parmesan Reggiano from Italy (not just Italian-sounding names).

c. Non-meat Proteins/Nuts

• Hemp hearts, pistachios (in-shell for portion control), walnuts, macadamia nuts (roasted for freshness).
• Caution: Peanuts, cashew butter (mold, lectin/inflammation risk), almond butter (prefer peeled).

d. Oils

• Cold pressed olive oil from glass bottles labeled “Toscana” or Spanish equivalent. Avoid plastic bottles; oil goes rancid quickly.
• Untoasted sesame oil (in glass).

e. Produce & Miscellaneous

• Organic berries, pomegranates, golden kiwis, avocados, guacamole (no tomato).
• Pesto with extra virgin olive oil (check label; supply varies).
• Fresh mushrooms (shiitake, crimini, exotic).
• Whole lettuce heads with roots, organic seasonal fruit.
• Artichoke hearts, pine nuts, Marcona almonds.
• Vinegars (balsamic, apple cider, red wine).
• Fun tip: “Dr. Gundry’s fake Coke” = San Pellegrino + balsamic vinegar.

f. Snacks in Moderation

• Siete chips, Terra root veggie chips: safe in moderation, not for mindless munching.
• Unreal dark chocolate coconut bars, Primal Kitchen Caesar dressing & avocado mayo.

5. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “Oats are made for fattening horses. Oats are glyphosate bombs.”
  —Co-host (14:28)
• “Popcorn is a lectin food. It’s mostly starch plus seed oils.”
  —Co-host (15:07)
• “You don’t need a smaller cart, you need a smarter label.”
  —Co-host (22:13)
• “If you see gluten free oats or gluten free oat milk, do not believe it.”
  —Co-host (12:59)
• “The ingredient list matters much more than the marketing.”
  —Co-host (18:52)
• "Moderation is key—use chips as a delivery device for avocado, not as a snack." —Dr. Gundry (Approx. 46:40)

6. Practical Shopping Recommendations

• Read labels meticulously—marketing terms are misleading.
• Go “fresh, whole, seasonal” as much as possible.
• Buy in-shell nuts to eat more mindfully.
• Lean on olive oil, vinegars, herbs/spices, all widely available and high turnover for freshness.
• Watch for seasonal fruit and avoid year-round snacking on imported berries.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------| | 01:01 | Introduction to Costco “healthy” item traps | | 02:50 | Health Halo Trap: Bagged salads | | 04:54 | Dried fruit – why it’s a sugar bomb | | 06:34 | Hummus, protein powders, and their pitfalls | | 08:20 | Protein bars and granola bars exposed | | 11:10 | Rotisserie chicken, yogurt/dairy warnings | | 13:50 | Industrial proteins, plant-based foods | | 14:53 | Snack food “health” marketing debunked | | 18:58 | Smart shopping survival rules (“Five Nos”) | | 23:45 | Dr. Gundry’s favorite proteins, nuts, oils | | 38:10 | The best in produce & pantry at Costco | | 45:00 | Snacks to look for (in moderation) |

Overall Tone

The episode is conversational and occasionally tongue-in-cheek, but focused on science-backed, actionable advice. Dr. Gundry and his co-host maintain an encouraging and educational tone, fighting “health halo” marketing with clarity and empowering knowledge.

For Listeners Looking to Optimize Costco Trips

• Don’t trust the front label; analyze ingredients.
• “Build meals around real protein, polyphenol-rich fats and low lectin plants.” (22:30)
• Use Dr. Gundry’s “Five Nos” as your cheat sheet for selecting foods.
• Focus on seasonal and minimally-processed items for best gut and metabolic health.

Key Takeaway:
You CAN shop healthy at a warehouse club—but only with a discerning eye and willingness to skip so-called “healthy” processed food. The power is in your ingredient choices—not the marketing.