I've worked at Costco for 18 years. From plant-based chicken nuggets to kimbap, here are 8 of the best vegetarian meals to get there.

The grain-and-celery salad with apple-cider vinaigrette can be found in Costco's deli. The ready-to-eat salad features chickpeas, quinoa, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, celery, onion, kale, and a cabbage-and-carrot blend.

It comes with an apple-cider vinaigrette, but you could also add your favorite dressing. The grain-and-celery salad costs $5 per pound, which comes out to just less than $15 for each container — which is almost 3 pounds.

Customers can satisfy their cravings for a cheesy dish with a two-pack of Milton's roasted-vegetable cauliflower-crust pizza.

This thin and crispy pizza is topped with savory roasted zucchini, bell peppers, onions, and a three-cheese blend.

At my store, Milton's cauliflower-crust pizza can be found in the frozen section for $14.

If you're looking for something hearty and tasty without meat, you might want to try the Don Lee Farms organic chipotle black-bean patties.

The juicy burgers contain beans, tomatoes, corn, and onions with smoky chipotle pepper.

They make an easy lunch or dinner option and take just five minutes to heat up in the air fryer. At my location, each package of Don Lee Farms black-bean patties is $14.

Kimbap, a bite-sized Korean food made with rice, vegetables, and seaweed, makes a light yet filling meal.

Though other stores in my area carry kimbap, I think Costco's large bag gives you more for your money. A bag weighing just over 3 pounds with six packs of kimbap is $19 at my Costco.

I think the House Foods organic firm tofu is great for people who are new to vegetarian meals because it's easy to incorporate into rice dishes or stir-fries.

This tofu is kosher, has no preservatives, and contains protein from soybeans. Each box includes four 16-ounce packages.

At my store, boxes of the House Foods organic tofu are located in the deli coolers and cost $7 each.

If you're craving noodles, look no further than the Ajinomoto vegetable yakisoba. These vegetarian Japanese-style stir-fried noodles come with crisp vegetables and a savory sauce.

The best part about this meal is that it only takes three minutes to heat in the microwave. Each box contains six 9-ounce bags of noodles, so it's easy to store in the fridge.

The heat-and-eat Ajinomoto yakisoba costs $14.50 at my Costco.

The Okami organic edamame makes a great side dish or snack. It's rich in protein and low in saturated fat.

This package contains whole, lightly salted edamame pods that are fully cooked and ready to eat.

At my Costco, a 2-pound package of the Okami edamame can be found in the deli coolers for $5.40.

I highly recommend picking up a bag of the Impossible plant-based chicken nuggets.

Each serving provides 13 grams of plant-based protein. This is a simple meal that can be popped into the air fryer or microwaved for a few minutes.

A 40-ounce bag of the Impossible chicken nuggets is $12 at my store.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.