Cheapest Costco prepared meal costs shockingly little per serving: 'Can't beat the price'
Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese from Costco ranks as the cheapest prepared deli meal per serving — while rotisserie chicken Asian wraps top the price list.
Costco shoppers aiming to stretch their dollars may want to take a closer look at the club's prepared meals.
A new report from the food site Tasting Table estimated which Kirkland Signature deli favorites cost the most and least per serving. The outlet estimated the cost per serving using Denver-area prices, estimated package weights and the serving sizes listed on nutrition labels.
Based on those estimates, Costco's Kirkland Signature Mac and Cheese offered the lowest estimated cost per serving, the outlet found — while the Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken Asian Wrap with Dressing ranked as the most expensive among the meals it analyzed.
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A tray of the mac and cheese costs about $4.53 per pound in the Denver area and weighs an estimated 3.76 pounds — for a total of roughly $17 per tray, or about $1.42 per serving.
The nutrition label lists about 12 servings per container.
On the other end of the spectrum, the wraps sell for about $7.93 per pound, with an estimated package weight of 2.38 pounds — which works out to about $4.72 per serving.
Each package contains four wraps, which the publication counted as four servings.
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The analysis was based on one regional market and estimated package weights, which can vary because Costco's prepared deli meals are sold by weight.
Prices and availability may also differ by warehouse.
Tasting Table did not specify whether it evaluated every Kirkland Signature prepared meal or if it identified all of the products included in its comparison.
It also noted that nutrition-label serving sizes may not reflect how much customers actually eat in a single sitting.
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In a Reddit community dedicated to mac and cheese, users debated the Kirkland Signature offering.
Despite being among the cheapest ready-made options, according to Tasting Table, one user said, "Never found these to be worth the cost."
Another person, however, called the mac and cheese "better than 90% of the ready-made out there," while others suggested adding breadcrumbs, bacon or extra seasoning.
In a Reddit forum dedicated to Costco, users were also split over the wraps.
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Some raved over the dressing used on them and their convenience, while others criticized them as "super bland" and said they weren't impressed.
Toshie Lucas, a Texas-based content creator who posts online as @costcotv, said she wasn't surprised by the results.
"The mac and cheese is so delicious and our kids love it," Lucas told Fox News Digital. "You really can't beat the price for how much you get."
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Of the wraps, Lucas said, "They're good to grab for an easy lunch ... but that's pretty expensive for a wrap, in my opinion."
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Lucas added that shoppers should weigh factors beyond price, including leftover potential, convenience and whether their family — especially kids — will actually eat the meal.
"Sometimes paying a little more is worth it when you need something quick for the family," she noted.
Fox News Digital reached out to Costco for comment.