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Months after Costco began allowing customers to swap the soda in its iconic $1.50 hot dog combo for bottled water, shoppers are still debating what constitutes the best value at the warehouse club’s food court.
A recent Reddit discussion about Costco’s food court pricing began with a shopper questioning the logic of buying a soda alone for 79 cents when another 71 cents would get customers a hot dog, too.
The conversation soon flipped the question around, with customers wanting the hot dog but not necessarily the soda.
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“I want the hot dog,” one commenter wrote. “The soda is a byproduct.”
Another commenter mentioned sometimes buying multiple hot dogs but only wanting one drink, adding, “Good thing now you can get the bottled water instead of the soda.”
Costco earlier this year began offering shoppers at participating locations the option to substitute a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water for the 20-ounce fountain drink that traditionally accompanies its $1.50 hot dog combo. The soda option, which includes free refills, remains available.
The choice raises a question for customers trying to balance nutrition with the value of Costco’s famously inexpensive meal: How much healthier is the combo if shoppers choose water?
Lauren Manaker, a registered dietitian based in Charleston, South Carolina, told Fox News Digital that switching to water can cut a meaningful amount of sugar from the meal, although the swap alone does not necessarily make the Costco staple healthy.
“I don’t know if it makes a world of a difference because a hot dog is not what I would consider to be the healthiest choice out there,” Manaker said.
“I will say that it can offer significant savings in terms of sugar intake. So, if that’s a concern for people, that can be a positive change.”
For the occasional Costco food court customer, however, Manaker said the choice between the two beverages is unlikely to be particularly consequential.
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“Whether you choose water or soda, I don’t think it’s going to have a profound impact on your overall health,” she said.
There is also the question of value. A fountain soda with free refills may appear to offer more for the same $1.50 price, but Manaker noted that bottled water has its own appeal.
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“I don’t love the taste of the tap water and bottled water can be pricey,” she said.
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Either way, Costco’s price tag remains untouched: hot dog, drink and all, is still $1.50.
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