8 Of The Best Costco Snacks You Haven't Tried

It's back-to-school season and that means lots and lots of back-t0-school snacks. While kids are enjoying their tiny packets of fruit snacks and individual pudding cups, those of us no longer in school are just eating our sad desk salads wishing for the days of old when our parents would sneak treats into our lunch boxes. But just because we're adults doesn't mean we can't enjoy snack packs of our own. And thanks to our Costco memberships, we can load up on these individually wrapped treats, which are basically the adult versions of whatever's in students' backpacks.

So what makes these "adult" snacks? Some of the flavors are a little more adventurous for our refined palates, and some of the ingredients are slightly healthier to better suit our increasingly sensitive digestive systems. But they all add an exciting element to your bagged lunch.

Bobo's Oat Bites can be a great mid-morning snack on those days when you can't wait to dig into your lunch. Alternatively, consider it the lighter replacement for a Little Debbie dessert cake. The bites come in apple and strawberry flavors and you can load up on them in packs of 24 at a time—that's almost a whole month of lunches.

We all knew that one kid in high school who was snacking on jerky in class nonstop. Let that kid inspire you: keep a pack of Golden Island Pork Snacks at your desk to feed your nervous nibbling. At Costco you can grab a 12-pack of the Korean Barbecue flavor to add a savory punch to your snack drawer.

You're busy and important, you don't have the time to dip your pretzels into peanut butter like you did when you were a kid. That's why Quinn went ahead and put the peanut butter inside its pretzels. If peanut butter's not your thing, these snacks also come filled with plant-based cheese and maple almond butter, all available in eight-packs. These are a great option for anyone with dietary restrictions, because all the snacks are gluten-free.

It's the hot sauce enthusiast's dilemma: you'd love to put Tapatio on everything you eat, but must avoid the potential of getting your keyboard saucy. For the heat-seeking snacker, a pack of Tapatio Mixed Nuts is the safer way to add a kick to your lunch. Think of this as a spicy upgrade to the Chex Mix snack packs of your cafeteria days.

Seaweed can be a hard sell for a kid if they've never tried it; to the veggie-averse, the color might evoke steamed greens and present an immediate ick factor. But once you snack, you'll never go back. If the numerous seaweed-centric mukbang videos on TikTok are any indication, Ocean's Halo Organic Seaweed Snack is just darn fun to eat. It's a perfect light bite to go with any meal and comes in 24-packs of sea salt and chili lime flavors at Costco.

These two-ingredient fruit bars are like one giant fruit snack, a compact and satisfying swap for whole or sliced fruit that feeds a sweet tooth. This is a great option for your desk drawer, purse, or lunch bag, and it's a snack you can easily slip into your kid's lunch box as well—a real utility player in your pantry.

The Sea Temple Snacks Almond & Cashew Anchovies are not for the faint of heart—full fish, faces and all, are visible through the clear plastic wrapping. But if you decide you're still in after taking a glance, then prepare for an umami bomb that's unlike any lunch room snack you've had before. These gluten-free bites come in packs of 20.

No matter how old you are, it's only right that you end every bagged lunch experience with a sweet treat. Costco's individually wrapped packs of Pocky Sticks are not only a perfect bite to cap off a meal but are compact and easy to slip into any lunch bag. With the Costco variety pack you can try chocolate, strawberry, and cookies and cream; whichever flavor you like the least can easily be pawned off on your children.