This is the third and final post in our ALDI 101 series. But I have to be honest — I kind of don’t want this series to end!
I have been having so much fun reading your comments over email, tweets, Facebook, Instagram, and in the comment section below about Aldi! From those of you who have been longtime fans and have shared your great tips and favorite items, to those of you who may have never set foot in an Aldi but are considering giving it a try, it has been so cool to hear about each person’s unique experience with the store. I have to admit that a reader totally made my day when she shared that she ventured into an Aldi for the first time this week, and loved it. That is so cool!!!! :-)
Well after our first two posts — Why I Shop At Aldi and How To Shop At Aldi — today is the post that gets down to specifics on what to buy at Aldi. I feel like I should probably give a huge disclaimer that this post is based 100% on personal opinion. I have all of my own quirks and preferences, and as you will see below, there is a large section of the store (cereals, many non-organic meats, pet food, makeup, etc.) that I have not tried because those areas do not fall in my normal grocery shopping. And I’m sure there are plenty of items where our opinions may just simply differ! The pina colada popsicles that I adore just may not be your thing.
So please feel free to take this post with a a big grain of Aldi’s sea salt. ;) My hope is to offer a few starting points, and then hopefully you can try some new items and form your own opinions. To organize this post, I have included a few brief thoughts about each section of the store, and then a brief “to buy” and “not to buy” list of specifics. As always, I would love to have you share your thoughts on what you like to buy in the comments below.
This concludes our Aldi series! Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and I look forward to resuming regular recipe posting with you tomorrow!
Pantry Items
The pantry items are where I recommend people start at Aldi. Almost everything I’ve ever tried in this section is high-quality and consistently way cheaper than anyplace else. Granted, again, there is only one of most items to choose from. So you do not get the option of white whole wheat flour, unbleached or barley flour — there is usually bleached all-purpose flour, and that’s it. But this is an awesome section to stock your pantry, and even try a few of their specialty pantry items in the process.
What To Buy:
- baking essentials (flour, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, basic spices, condensed milk, etc.)
- real vanilla extract
- chocolate chips (semi-sweet, butterscotch,
- nuts for baking (pecan halves, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
- garlic vinagrette (with the garlic floating on the bottom!)
- Fit & Active light balsamic vinaigrette
- natural peanut butter
- clover honey
- breadcrumbs
- whole wheat pasta
- potato gnocchi
- strawberry light & crispy cereal bars
- granola
- oatmeal (any kind — there are lots of options!)
- rice
- dried beans
What Not To Buy:
The only iffy pantry item I have tried at Aldi is their chili powder, but I’m a bit of a spice snob. I think that you get what you pay for anytime you buy $1 spices at a grocery store. I’m also not a big cereal connoisseur, but I do know that their version of Cheerio’s does not taste exactly like the original. Just like at any grocery store, many of the cereals or granola bars are made with extra sugar, so be sure to check out the labels if you’re going for healthy.
Snacks and Sweets
There is actually a really wide variety of snacks and sweets to choose from at Aldi! I don’t usually let myself buy potato chips at the grocery store, but when most all of their chips are under $2, I have to admit that I have now sampled quite a few. And they are pretty much awesome. :)
What To Buy:
- dry-roasted almonds
- waffle bowls
- tortilla chips (restaurant-style, blue and multigrain varieties)
- sweet potato chips
- kettle chips (sea salt & vinegar and jalapeno are my favs)
- moser roth chili chocolate bars
- anise pizzelle cookies
- Haribo cola candy
- chocolate-covered coffee beans
What Not To Buy:
I don’t have any no-buys in this section. I will just mention that occasionally the lower prices equal lower serving sizes in some products. Again, to use chips as an example, often their bags are only about half full. So plan accordingly. (Or just use it as an excuse for portion control!) ;)
Dairy & Refrigerated Items
This is one category where it is “to each his own”. The majority of Aldi’s dairy products are not organic, although more and more organic options (and alternatives like almond milk!) are starting to pop up. The refrigerated section also seems to have a lot of variety and turnover, so while there may be marscapone and brie some months, they might not be there year-round. Still, my cart is always filled with lots of items from this section each time I go! And I always stock up on butter each time I’m there. It tastes great, and it is always so cheap!
What To Buy:
- BUTTER!
- fresh mozzarella balls
- hummus (roasted red pepper, garlic and cayenne are my three favorites)
- fresh salsas (I love the medium)
- marscapone
- soft cheeses (gorgonzola, blue, goat and feta are usually available)
- cream cheese (regular and reduced-fat)
- greek yogurt (often they have the Fage brand, and I also like their black cherry)
- original organic soymilk
- natural almond milk
- skim milk, 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, heavy cream (none are organic, but they are pretty good!)
- eggs
- cinnamon rolls
What Not To Buy:
Obviously if you are looking for organic, anything that is not marked as such is a no. I also think that many of their block cheeses are ok, but probably about worth what you pay for.
Produce
Ok, people, this has become my favorite section of Aldi! Trust me — there is some amazing produce to be found here at some of the best prices I’ve found. But here’s the deal…
You must be smart about choosing your produce. Just like at the normal grocery store, not every piece of produce is going to be perfectly ripe or at its peak season each time you visit. Case in point — Aldi can have incredible deals on avocadoes. (They are $0.19 each this week!) But if the avocado is wilted, or hard as a rock, it’s probably not a good day to buy it. The same goes for if you see any produce that looks super over- or under-ripe. If it looks iffy, you should probably wait until your next trip. Or you may need to eat it immediately, or wait a week for it to ripen if need be. But most of the time, I am completely impressed with their selection of ripe, affordable, delicious produce.
Most of their produce is also not organic, so just a heads-up if that is an important factor to you. Also many of their produce items (onions, zucchini, oranges, apples, kiwi, etc.) come in bags or in bulk. So there is not always the option to buy a single of some items.
Still, I always load up my cart with Aldi produce, so here are some of my favs!
What To Buy:
- pineapple
- lemons/limes
- baby carrots
- celery
- mushrooms
- green onions
- sweet mini peppers
- specialty lettuce
- berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries)
- zucchini and yellow squash
- kiwi
- pears
- mangoes
What Not To Buy:
Again, anything that looks iffy. I find that their roma tomatoes typically are not very ripe or flavorful. And I would also offer a special note on the bananas — they are awesome, but often they are over- or under-ripe, so you need to eat them in the proper timeframe.
Refrigerated Meats
As I said above, I prefer to buy most of my meat organic, so I haven’t tried tons of Aldi’s refrigerated meat options. But they have some killer deals on meats, especially in their weekly fresh meat special buys! Be sure to always check for those specials when they are published each Wednesday, as they tend to disappear quickly! A lot of the meat at Aldi is also seasonal, so be sure around the holidays to check out their hams and turkeys. They are amazing!
What To Buy:
- turkey bacon
- ground turkey
- thick peppered bacon
- spiral-cut ham
- turkeys
What Not To Buy:
Just a heads up that their cheapest bacon is really thin and not very lean. I would “splurge” and go for one of the thicker cuts, since that is practically the same price as the inexpensive bacon at the regular grocery store!
Canned/Jarred Goods
Thus far, I have had 100% positive experiences with the canned and jarred section at Aldi. They have a great selection of your basic canned fruits and veggies, and lots of canned sauces and such to choose from. And the prices are fantastic! Once again, I would caution to read the labels. Their canned peaches have a ton of sugar, as the generic canned peaches do at most stores. And some of their sauces and soups contain more processed ingredients than I prefer, as is common in many jarred sauces. But still, don’t be scared of any of the canned produce from Aldi — it’s awesome!
What To Buy:
- canned veggies
- canned fruits
- canned beans
- jarred marinara sauce
What Not To Buy:
Anything that you might be iffy about being overly-processed. (Look for some Gimme Some Oven recipes for easy alternatives to make soups homemade!) And again, keep an eye on the sugar content with canned fruits.
Frozen Foods
To be honest, this is a section that I don’t know a ton about. I usually stick with pretty straight “ingredients” in the frozen food section — frozen fruit, fish, veggies, etc. So if any of you have insights on more of the prepared frozen foods, would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
What To Buy:
- jumbo shrimp
- tilapia
- fruit popsicles (pina colada, lime and strawberry)
- moose tracks ice cream
- frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, mixed berries, etc.)
- edamame
- asparagus
What Not To Buy:
Any of their frozen shrimp that are not “jumbo” are tiny. I have also not been super impressed with their frozen salmon. Like most salmon in that price range in any grocery stores, it seems a little lacking in flavor. Also a heads-up that most of the frozen meats are not organic.
Beverages
Gah, I wish I had more experience here! I promise you guys I’m not a super health nut, but I also pretty much stick to water, tea, juices and coffee in life. So I have hardly any experience here when it comes to beverages. But my friends tell me that most of their options (like the Aldi brand of Crystal Light, teas and flavored sparkling waters) are pretty much identical to the originals. Here are a few that I have tried.
What To Buy:
- sparkling juice (I love all of them!)
- refrigerated 100% orange juice (go for the nicer of the two options for better flavor)
- Naked juice (when in stock)
- flavored sparkling water drinks
- iced tea
What Not To Buy:
I am definitely a big of a snob when it comes to my coffee. So I shy away from any of the bulk or super inexpensive coffee options, but I am sure they are comparable to their counterparts in the regular grocery store. I was also unimpressed by the cheap refrigerated orange juice — seemed to concentrate-y for me.
Alcoholic Drinks
First of all, it’s important to point out that wine and liquors are not available in all Aldi’s. I live in KC, and our Kansas stores are not allowed to carry alcoholic beverages, but most of the Missouri locations do. So this will depend on your state.
A reminder to all who are iffy about the cheap wine at Aldi — this store is owned by the same company that is the home of 2-buck-chuck, Trader Joe’s! So before you immediately write off the drink section, I would recommend you try a bottle or two. In my experience, you get what you pay for and a little bit more. The $3 wines taste maybe like a normal $5 wine. The Bailey’s knockoff isn’t precisely like Bailey’s, but it’s darn close and a great deal for a fraction of the price. But my favorite of all time is available seasonally, and I wish it was offered yearround — Aldi’s sangria! Oh man. I never knew that I would like sangria from a bottle, but this stuff is crazy good. And you get an enormous bottle for like $4. If you see it, you must try it.
What To Buy:
- SANGRIA! (seasonal)
- wines in the $5-10 range
- Bailey’s
What Not To Buy:
I think you get what you pay for with the super inexpensive budget wines — they are definitely hit and miss.
Household Items
For some reason, I held out on this section of Aldi for years, and now I have no idea why. They have some terrific household products at amazing discounts! Especially since I typically get annoyed at having to spend money on these things anyway, it’s awesome to have a more affordable option at Aldi. Two areas that I have not tried are their pet section and the makeup. Would love to have you chime in if you have experience with either of these!
What To Buy:
- disinfectant wipes
- plastic freezer and sandwich bags
- trash bags (they are thin, but they do the job)
- Crest toothpaste
- women’s razors
- pain relievers (ibuprofin, etc.)
- ultra soft & strong toilet paper
- paper towels and napkins
What Not To Buy:
You totally get what you pay for with the super cheap ($1 for 4 rolls) toilet paper. It is super thin and not very soft. But their thick TP is awesome!
My Top 10 Favorite Items At Aldi:
10. edamame
9. roasted red pepper hummus
8. fresh mozzarella balls
7. sangria
6. sea salt pita chips
5. pina colada popsicles
4. artichoke hearts
3. almond milk
2. butter
1. pineapple
Other ALDI 101 Articles:
I have shopped at Aldi since they opened here….at least 20 years ago in Indiana! Their quality has greatly improved over the years, and their gourmet offerings have increased.
I spent $100-$200 a week at Aldi, usually 3-4 times/week (we live only 2 minutes away, and shop with a menu every 3-4 days with three teenagers and hosting friends twice a week). I LOVE THIS STORE!
I’ll share something interesting I learned about Aldi and then what I DO NOT buy (Short list) an DO BUY & why :-) . Really, I’m a rabid Aldi fan!
First: interesting bit. The chicken and pork are Tyson. They come in Tyson boxes, the manager told me. The sodas are Pepsi..they come in Pepsi crates. Just relabeled. The ketchup used to be Brooks, which was produced locally.I think it’s Heinz now. Every single product they sell–except special buys or Europe-based labels—are simply major brand names re-packaged and distributed by Aldi. Check your label..it will list Aldi as the distributor.
Okay, What I DO NOT buy:
*Most produce. I grow in our garden or buy only organic tomatoes, cucumbers, melons,spinach, apples, lettuce, salads, potatoes, peppers, grapes, broccoli from Kroger. Their produce that IS good is: bananas, lemons, limes, grapefruit oranges. Onions and potatoes have been mostly rotten and moldy. All the mushrooms I have tried recently have had mold or weblike fungus growing it the bottom of them. Won’t try these items every again, tried them enough and they are consistently bad.
*Most meat. We do buy the chub packages of ground turkey (85/15) for $1.69. I know it’s probably gross turkey stuff, but since we eat nose-to-tail, that doesn’t bother me one bit ;-) The fresh chicken breast family pack is Tyson, which I will boycott most of the year (see Food Inc) except in rare cases I know, not much of a boycotter huh). The meat is mostly packaged from Mexico and labeled “beef”. Check your labels there, and be leary. Chicken products and pork both have “up to a 15 % percent solution”…I stay away from anything “in a solution” which usually includes sodium phosphates and nitrates.
*H & B, cleaning. I make our soap, shampoo, laundry detergent and dishwashing soap, plus all our cleaning supplies, but I DO use the Aldi vinegar and baking soda in my recipes! :-) I make washing soda from the baking soda..it’s very cheap there!
*PEANUT BUTTER–yuck! I quit buying their peanut butter when they quit carrying their TRULY natural peanut butter. Ingredients were peanuts, salt and I think it was Smucker’s. They carry the red lid processed peanut butter (not real pb of course) and a chunky version. i was so excited when they began carrying a new “natural” formula, but the pb isn’t natural at all: it contains palm oil and sugar ,and it really tastes horrible. Back to buying natural ph for $2.50 or less at Kroger. We eat lots of pb here as we are mostly gluten-free (well, me mostly). Skip their pb!
*Cereal. Okay, to be fair, most of their cererals are excellent. I do regularly buy their gluten-free rice chex (but I boycott most corn products now). I remember these from pre-gluten-free days. Their Cheerios do not taste like Cheerios, however. Everything else seems on-par with their major-brand cereals. I am quite sure by taste that SOME of the cereals ARE simply relabeled major brands. Blueberry Frosted Wheats is an example. My kids love it. However, I don’t buy much cereal anymore for the kids b/c they like sweet cereals ultimately.
*Their coffee, whole-bean, USED to have a great regional offering. They did away with that, too. I actually roast my own coffee about 6 months out of the year (I buy raw organic green beans from Sweet Marias online and roast at home), but the rest of the time, I now buy my organic whole bean from Kroger’s. The whole bean they carry here is a Breakfast Blend and a Donut Store blend. Both are dirt cheap whole bean. The Donut Store blend is weak and flavorless….no better than Folger’s and probably worse. The Morning Roast we quit drinking as it completely lacks any flavor profile or body. Go for Kroger’s organic whole bean. I can’t drink pre-ground coffee, so I’ve never tried their ground coffee, except for one when I tried a “German roast” there, and it was bitter and awful! So, I would suggest avoiding Aldi coffee if you truly want a good coffee experience. And I don’t mean go to Starbucks, either! Their beans are burned completely. If you are starting to appreciate coffee, give the Morning Roast whole bean a try–I would say this is the best Aldi now has to offer, now that they’ve given up carrying the good beans they used to. Then, move on to a store brand organic whole bean, then move up to roasting your own from Sweet Marias (I pay around $3/pound for my organic coffee once I roast it). Anyway, sorry about the long coffee entry. Very disappointed Aldi quit carrying quality coffee beans like they used to.
WHAT I DO BUY!
1)Wine! Best malbec for $4.99. Had a lovely white for $2.49. Prosecco–many bottles, and it’s $8.99. Hubby likes their cerveza (Monterray?) better than Corona!
2)All their baking staples….brown sugar. Not their white sugar though, which I realized is beet sugar (yuck, just like all the major stores now. Cane sugar will be labeled as such). Realized it was beet sugar when I opened a package over a year ago and the air was filled with a “stinky feet” smell. Seriously. Beet sugar smells awful when first opened!
3)Chocolate chips
4)Pistachios in shell–I am addicted to these
5)Raw almonds–I make my own almond flour
6)Plain almond milk
7)All their milk….hormone-free and use to drink (kids) and make my homemade yogurt
8)Their powdered (dry) milk–for fortifying my homemade yogurt
9)Dried fruits, raisins, prunes
10)Special purchase items
11)Dressings
12)Mayo is great. I think it’s Hellmann’s. I’m a big Hellmann’s fan, and I can’t tell the difference, really!
13)Condiments
14)Oh, their old fashioned oats are great!
15)All their cheese are wonderful. We buy them whole and shred our own to save money as we eat lots of cheese!
16)I forgot to mention that we love their corn tortilla chips.
17) Hubby loves their groovy potato chips.
18I always, always buy their ultra bleach and 1000-sheet 4-roll TP. Lasts long and kids don’t use too much, it doesn’t smell perfumy. It used to be labeled as recycled and enviro-friendly, but that labeling has changed.
19) Always buy their hummus and guac if I don’t make it myself. Best next to homemade!
20) Their avocados are same as other store, but much cheaper and delish. We eat 4-6 /week!
21) Love their refrigerated salsa, in the medium (read: hotter) variety
22)How could I forget their pineapples? I buy them almost weekly. Great!
23)I actually like their green-er bananas
24)Their wild-caught salmon is fantastic! I love it when they get the whole filets, too. Most of their fish I have found is farmed, and we don’t buy it unless it’s wild. I occasionally buy their raw, you-cook shrimp. It’s quite good. Other shrimp has been just okay, and we’ve had it lots over the years as it’s way cheaper than the other major store brands.
25)Their plain cream cheesecake for $10 is better than Cheesecake Factory. Come to think of it, their $2.99 tiny whole cheesecakes they sometimes sell aren’t bad, either
26)All ice cream products are quite good
27)Always buy frozen green beans here, sometimes their asparagus.
28)They have GREAT seedless watermelons right now
29)We gave up propane grilling for charcoal grilling, and they are selling great bags of charcoal right now for only $3 for a 16 pound bag or hardwoods-based charcoal. Probably just as good as Kingsford!
30)Their breads are great, but since I’m gluten-free I don’t eat them anymore. My family loves all their bread, including their butter croissants. My daughter said their “everything” bagels aren’t as good as the “everything” bagels sold in, say, Kroger. But all else has been wonderful, and I loved their english muffins and whole grain bread when I could eat it.
Love their gourmet offerings in the cold case. Love how friendly the cashiers are–they know us by name. Where else will a grocery store greet you by name and open another checkout line just for you?
My kids love shopping their , too! We make it a three-time weekly event!
Give it a try–some things like I said you just won’t want to buy but everyone has differing opinions. So try it all and see what you like, don’t like & LOVE!
Missy
What I wouldn’t give for some of your ENERGY!!! Supermom and Wonderwoman all in one. You are a BLESSED lady!
I love the butter and sour cream from Aldi. We save a lot of money, and a lot of the foods that cycle through are interesting to try.
I love Aldi’s but the quality of their products can be a disappointment. Their macaroni&cheese sucks. Their oranges spoiled in 2 weeks(mold) which isn’t typical for oranges. Apple sauce tasted spoiled.
The Gyro kit!!! If you see it, grab it, and some cheap but delicious feta cheese. Winking owl wines are great.
I really enjoyed the series, even if I’m late to the game. Pinning it, and thank you!
Can wait to give Aldi a try. There has been one in a town about 20 minutes from me for about 1 1/2 years now. I had no idea all the treasures and bargins that it held inside. I have had the opportunity to shop at Trader Joes when I was in the Atlanta area and so I am eager to make Aldi’s my 1st stop on my next shopping day. Thanks so much for your very helpful post and to all your other readers who offered their input.
I have never been to Aldi’s because I also thought it was a dirty “poor people’s” store and how dare they charge me for a cart?! I cannot tell you how excited I am to go now. I don’t know how anyone who has read your last 3 post’s on Aldi’s will be able to stay away. I wanted to run out the door and go shopping after I read the first one!
Have you gone yet? It’s annoying they charge for the cart, but you get the quarter back! (If you remember to take it, anyway.) Bring your own bags! :)
Glad that you realize that there is Nothing wrong with Aldis. Most of the food products are runovers or actual products made at the majors food company but repackaged and distributed via aldis. Letting you know that they could lower the prices in major grocery stores. But I do have one question, what is a dirty poor peoples store? I am just asking>>
Love this post. I have to admit I am an avid Aldi shopper and have been for many years. Admittedly I am not all that particular about what brands or whether or not something is organic so I buy most of my food from Aldi. I have never been disappointed in the freshness or taste of their products and I like the fact that they are now carrying a larger variety of ethnic and organic foods. Besides all that, the prices are WAY better than any other store in my area, even the other so called cheaper stores like Alps or Sav-a-lot. The only thing I do hate about Aldi is putting the little quarter in the cart…only because I seem to never have a quarter handy when I need one. LOL
Their make- up is actually really good! I won’t use concealer from anywhere else! Their own brand Lacura do great concealer, eyeshadow and caffeine roll on under- eye treatment, though I find the cleansing wipes are dry and sting my skin. They also tend to come out top on blind testing products that are done here in Britain. Just shows that you don’t always get what you pay for!
I’m from Germany,and love Aldi,welcome to Lawton Ok!