The Better Choice: Decoding Everyday Products for a Healthier Life

The Better Choice
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What is really inside the products you use every day? The Better Choice investigates the biggest household brands in America, from cleaning products and personal care to kitchen essentials and everyday products found at Walmart, Target, Costco, and your local grocery store. We look beyond the packaging to investigate ingredients, product quality, marketing claims, value, transparency, and what you are actually getting for your money. Some products earn our recommendation. Others belong back on the shelf. Disclaimer: Content is based on publicly available information, product labels, manufacturer disclosures, research, and independent commentary for educational and informational purposes. Product ingredients and formulas may change over time, so always check the current label before purchasing or using a product. Rankings and recommendations reflect our evaluation criteria and should not be interpreted as medical advice or as a claim that a product is unsafe for every consumer.

  1. 23h ago

    10 Discontinued Costco Foods Fans Want Back & 5 Replacements to Trade

    Which discontinued Costco foods do members want back? Explore 10 beloved food court and bakery favorites shoppers miss, plus 5 newer replacements we’d gladly trade for the originals. We compare the original items with what Costco sells today, looking at price, portion size, and quality. Discover what changed when favorites returned—and which replacements offer a different experience. #Costco #discontinuedCostcofoods #Costcofoodcourt #Costcobakery #Costcofanfavorites #Costcofoodreplacements #Costcofoodprices #portionsizes #foodquality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    10 Discontinued Costco Foods Fans Want Back & 5 Replacements to Trade

  2. 1d ago

    12 Costco Sodas Compared: 5 Worth Buying and 7 to Skip

    Which Costco sodas are worth buying? We compare 12 options using price per can, customer and reviewer feedback, and whether those bulk packs are likely to get finished. A 35-pack of Coca-Cola costs $22.69—about 65 cents per can—while Pepsi and Dr Pepper offer 36 cans for $20.42. But bulk buying does not always mean better value: supermarket soda promotions can make smaller purchases more affordable. Seven to skip: Coke Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Classic, the Poppi variety pack, Olipop Minis, the full-size Olipop variety pack at regular price, and Mexican Coca-Cola in glass bottles. Five worth buying: the Zevia 30-pack, the Canada Dry Ginger Ale variety pack, Sprite, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper. Compare Costco soda prices and bulk-pack value before stocking up. Prices vary by warehouse and change often; the prices discussed reflect recent Costco and Costco Same-Day listings. #Costcosodas #Costcosodaprices #bestsodasatCostco #pricepercan #bulksodavalue #supermarketsodadeals #Coca-Cola #CokeZeroSugar #DietCoke #Pepsi #DrPepper #Sprite #Zevia #CanadaDryGingerAle #Poppi #Olipop #MexicanCoca-Cola #CostcoSame-Day Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 Costco Sodas Compared: 5 Worth Buying and 7 to Skip

  3. 2d ago

    13 Costco Foods Worth Buying for Quality and Value (And 4 to Avoid)

    Which Costco foods deserve a spot in your cart? Discover 13 picks worth buying and 4 to avoid, evaluated on price, quality, and customer and reviewer feedback. Standout finds include real Parmigiano Reggiano aged more than two years for around $15 a pound and Australian lamb chops recently promoted at around $8 a pound. Explore deals in aisles shoppers often overlook—and avoid bulk buys that could leave you with weeks of regret. 13 Costco foods worth buying: Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed New Zealand Butter Kirkland Signature Sea Salt Popcorn Kirkland Signature Organic Unbleached All-Purpose Flour Kirkland Signature Grass-Fed Beef Patties Safe Catch Ahi Wild Yellowfin Tuna Kirkland Signature Wild Blueberries Kirkland Signature Extra-Virgin Olive Oil One Degree Organic Sprouted Rolled Oats Kirkland Signature Organic Greek Yogurt Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter Kirkland Signature Organic Pure Maple Syrup Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano Australian lamb loin chops 4 Costco foods to avoid: Kirkland Signature Fully Cooked Bacon Food court Chicken Bake Kirkland Signature Artisan Crust Pepperoni Pizza Kirkland Signature Brisket Burnt Ends Prices vary by warehouse and change often. Prices cited reflect recent Costco warehouse or Same-Day listings. #Costcofoods #bestCostcobuys #Costcofoodstoavoid #Costcogrocerydeals #KirklandSignature #bulkgroceryshopping #ParmigianoReggiano #Australianlambloinchops #grass-fedbutter #grass-fedbeefpatties #SafeCatchtuna #wildblueberries #extra-virginoliveoil #OneDegreesproutedoats #organicGreekyogurt #organicpeanutbutter #puremaplesyrup #CostcoChickenBake #Costcopepperonipizza #brisketburntends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    13 Costco Foods Worth Buying for Quality and Value (And 4 to Avoid)

  4. 5d ago

    12 Costco Sausages Compared: 5 Worth Buying and 7 to Skip

    Which Costco sausages are worth buying in bulk? We compare 12 options using current prices, independent taste tests and customer feedback to identify five top picks and seven to skip. Kirkland Signature Beef Hot Dogs cost about 56 cents each and won The Washington Post's blind taste test of 15 all-beef hot dogs. Meanwhile, some sausages in the same meat case cost more than $12 per pound. With packs of 12, 14 or 16 sausages—and sometimes more than 50 breakfast links—choosing well matters. 7 sausages to skip: Kiolbassa Organic Beef Hickory Smoked Sausage Aidells Spicy Mango with Jalapeno Amylu Paleo Andouille Amylu Chicken Breakfast Links Sabatino's Paleo Organic Basil and Cracked Black Pepper Teton Waters Ranch Grass-Fed Beef Polish Sausage Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks 5 sausages worth buying: Aidells Chicken and Apple Kirkland Signature Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper Chicken Sausage Kirkland Signature Mild Italian Sausage Kirkland Signature Original Bratwurst Kirkland Signature Beef Hot Dogs Prices vary by warehouse and change often. Prices discussed reflect recent Costco warehouse or Same-Day listings. #Costcosausages #bestCostcosausages #Costcosausagereviews #KirklandSignature #Costcobeefhotdogs #chickensausage #Italiansausage #bratwurst #breakfastlinks #Aidells #Amylu #Kiolbassa #Sabatino's #TetonWatersRanch #Costcoprices #bulkbuying #hotdogtastetest Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    12 Costco Sausages Compared: 5 Worth Buying and 7 to Skip

  5. 6d ago

    October 2026: 15 Best Costco Deals to Buy (and 5 Products to Avoid)

    Which Costco deals are worth buying in October 2026? Explore 15 ranked picks, including a $300 discount on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1, plus five products to skip for now. In some cases, the exact same item costs less elsewhere. The Costco shopping list includes Kleenex Trusted Care in a ten-box pack at about $1.60 per box, Classico Organic Pasta Sauce, Scrub Mommy, Liquid I.V., Sukhi's Butter Chicken, Campbell's Simply Chicken Noodle Soup at $7.99 and Lysol Advanced Toilet Bowl Cleaner at $7.49. Other featured buys include the Philips Sonicare two-pack, Hershey's full-size Halloween candy, Govee permanent outdoor lights, the Tramontina mixing bowl set, the Bissell Little Green, the Dyson Gen5Detect Extra and the Samsung HW-Q60CF soundbar. The five products to avoid buying at Costco right now: the Fanttik mini chainsaw, Our Place Wonder Oven Pro, a Panasonic midsize microwave, Yale Assure Lock 2 Touch and Swiffer Hair Magnet refills. The October Member-Only Savings run through October 18. Prices and inventory vary by warehouse, so check your local shelf tag before buying. #Costco #October2026Costcodeals #CostcoMember-OnlySavings #Costcoshoppingguide #productstoavoidatCostco #pricecomparisons #LenovoIdeaPad52-in-1 #KleenexTrustedCare #ClassicoOrganicPastaSauce #ScrubMommy #LiquidI.V. #Sukhi'sButterChicken #Campbell'sSimplyChickenNoodleSoup #LysolAdvancedToiletBowlCleaner #PhilipsSonicare #Hershey'sHalloweencandy #Goveepermanentoutdoorlights #Tramontinamixingbowlset #BissellLittleGreen #DysonGen5DetectExtra #SamsungHW-Q60CF #Fanttikminichainsaw #OurPlaceWonderOvenPro #Panasonicmicrowave #YaleAssureLock2Touch #SwifferHairMagnetrefills Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    October 2026: 15 Best Costco Deals to Buy (and 5 Products to Avoid)

  6. Oct 21

    10 Costco Frozen Pizzas Reviewed: 4 Worth Buying and 4 to Skip

    Which Costco frozen pizzas are worth buying? We compare 10 options, including two Kirkland pizzas priced at $14.99 for four: one topped a 17-pizza taste test, while the other finished last. Buying pizza in bulk makes a disappointing pick harder to forget. We reviewed published taste tests from The Kitchn, Chowhound, Serious Eats, Sporked and Consumer Reports, checked warehouse prices, and read an FDA recall notice tied to one of the brands. Four to skip: Sabatasso's Pizza Singles; Pep's Drafthaus Prohibition Special; Roncadin Sopressata, Bacon and Mushroom; and Kirkland Signature Pepperoni, including the new Artisan Crust. Two that divided testers: Sabatasso's Gluten-Free Four Cheese and Milton's Roasted Vegetable Cauliflower Crust. Four worth buying: Kirkland Signature Cheese, Roncadin Mushroom and Truffle, Kirkland Signature Supreme Cauliflower Crust, and Motor City Pizza Co. Double Pepperoni. Compare taste-test results, crust options and reported prices before stocking your freezer. Prices vary by warehouse and week; all prices cited come from named outlets or tracked warehouse listings. #Costcofrozenpizza #bestCostcofrozenpizzas #frozenpizzatastetest #KirklandSignaturepizza #KirklandSignatureCheese #KirklandSignaturePepperoni #ArtisanCrust #Sabatasso'sPizzaSingles #Sabatasso'sGluten-FreeFourCheese #Pep'sDrafthausProhibitionSpecial #RoncadinSopressata,BaconandMushroom #RoncadinMushroomandTruffle #Milton'sRoastedVegetableCauliflowerCrust #KirklandSignatureSupremeCauliflowerCrust #MotorCityPizzaCo.DoublePepperoni #gluten-freepizza #cauliflowercrustpizza #Costcopizzaprices #FDArecallnotice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    10 Costco Frozen Pizzas Reviewed: 4 Worth Buying and 4 to Skip

  7. Oct 20

    Episode 13: Must-Have Costco Deals to Snap Up Now

    Explore incredible Costco savings with our curated list of 13 must-have deals! From household essentials to tech gadgets, don't miss these bargains before October 18, 2026. Discover where the unit price holds up as we compare products, like Kleenex Trusted Care, Scrub Mommy sponges, and Nature Valley protein bars, to Walmart. We also feature Campbell's Simply Chicken Noodle Soup, Sukhi's Butter Chicken, Celsius, Liquid I.V., Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, the Bissell Little Green, Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights, the Midea espresso machine, Lenovo IdeaPad 5 2-in-1 with a $300 discount, and delicious full-size Hershey's bars at 67 cents each. Keep in mind, prices vary by location and may change during the sale. All prices are sourced from the October savings book or warehouse prices as of October 3, 2026. #Costcodeals #savings #October2026 #unitprice #discounts #Hershey'sbars #LenovoIdeaPad #Mideaespressomachine #Goveelights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Episode 13: Must-Have Costco Deals to Snap Up Now

  8. Oct 19

    Avoid These 13 American Milk Brands; Only 6 Are Truly Authentic

    Discover the truth behind American milk brands and learn which ones are authentic. Milk cartons with red barns and cheerful cows can be misleading. Often, a single processor controls numerous brands, and major retailers may own the bottling facilities. Even prominent organic brands have undergone changes unnoticed by many consumers. We trace milk back from store shelves to processing plants, cooperatives, and farms, examining 13 milk brands and categories closely. These include Target Good and Gather, Aldi Friendly Farms, Walmart Great Value, Member's Mark, Kirkland Signature Organic, DairyPure, regional Dairy Farmers of America brands, Lactaid, Maple Hill, Horizon Organic, Fairlife, raw milk, and unbranded private-label gallons. Only six brands offer a distinct difference: Prairie Farms, Organic Valley, Clover Sonoma, Kalona SuperNatural, Straus Family Creamery, and your local cream-top dairy. Our findings are based on product labels, USDA organic regulations, CDC outbreak data, court settlements, and reports on farm contract losses. While ordinary pasteurized milk is not deemed unsafe, settlements do not imply wrongdoing, which is clarified where applicable. #Americanmilkbrands #authenticmilk #organicmilk #milkprocessing #PrairieFarms #OrganicValley #CloverSonoma #KalonaSuperNatural #StrausFamilyCreamery #cream-topdairy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Avoid These 13 American Milk Brands; Only 6 Are Truly Authentic
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About

What is really inside the products you use every day? The Better Choice investigates the biggest household brands in America, from cleaning products and personal care to kitchen essentials and everyday products found at Walmart, Target, Costco, and your local grocery store. We look beyond the packaging to investigate ingredients, product quality, marketing claims, value, transparency, and what you are actually getting for your money. Some products earn our recommendation. Others belong back on the shelf. Disclaimer: Content is based on publicly available information, product labels, manufacturer disclosures, research, and independent commentary for educational and informational purposes. Product ingredients and formulas may change over time, so always check the current label before purchasing or using a product. Rankings and recommendations reflect our evaluation criteria and should not be interpreted as medical advice or as a claim that a product is unsafe for every consumer.

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