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 been shopping at Aldi for a few years and I love it!! I started shopping there after times got tough financially. Without Aldi, there were times my family probably would have gone without meals. I continue to shop there now, even though things are better financially, just because the savings is so great. I buy nearly everything I can there…for the stuff I need that they don’t carry, I go to Wal-Mart or Target. I rarely step foot into a regular grocery store (Jewel, Dominick’s) anymore. I do buy my expensive meat (steaks, port chops, etc) from the regular grocery store. When I see people with shopping carts full of stuff at the grocery store, I wonder how much they could save by buying the same stuff at Aldi!
Over the years, I have found only a handful of things that my family doesn’t like from Aldi. My kids don’t like their version of Cheez-Its, for example.
I buy all of their snacks there…cookies, chips, granola bars, mini muffins, mini brownies, etc. All of their breakfast items are great (cereal, english muffins, bagels, oatmeal, etc.)
All the condiments are the same…mayo, ketchup, mustard, syrup, etc. Their juice boxes are good, their version of Gatorade tastes just like the name brand stuff. The list goes on and on…..we love their waffles, french toast sticks, ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches, pizza rolls (my daughter will only eat pizza rolls from Aldi, she says they are better than the name brand ones), chicken nuggets, etc.
As you can see, our list of “likes” is way longer than our list of “dislikes”. I definitely recommend giving Aldi a try!!
Great article(s)!
I can’t get by without Aldi. My husband thinks I’m crazy until he sees all of the delicious snacks and main staples I come home with at a fraction of the cost of Publix. I shop at Aldi, SAMs club, fresh market and the local farmers market or fruit stand. That is it!
Clancy’s crackers, sweet potato chips, kettle chips and pita chips are unreal. So reasonable and so fresh. Their specialty cheeses, Brie, blue cheese and feta cheese are steals as well, and they are small portions, so they stay fresher longer than sams clubs’s huge portions These items save me hundreds each month. The nuts, marshmallows, trail mix and chocolate covered pretzels are wonderful snacks and main staples in our house too. Around the holidays look for their pumpkin bread mix. Throw a handful of yellow raisins into the batter and guests will be singing your praises! They are delicious!
I’m glad I am not the only ‘crazy’ person out there! ;)
We LOVE Aldi’s. we do majority of our grocery shopping there. We really like their Fit and Active Strawberry cereal, Raisin Bran Crunch, frozen Mama Cizi’s pizza, Fit and Active Yogurt, cottage cheese, their hit pockets are good but generally only have 3 kinds to choose from, also their frozen fit and active meals are not bad either. We also love their version of cheddarwursts. They are more like polska kielbasa with hedsar in it. Delicious. We buy our kitty litter there. You cant tell we have a cat using it and it is super easy to clean inexpensive. I could go on an on about good food from Aldi’s. I shop there so often I have typed up an Aldi’s shopping list that I use. If any of you would like me to email it to you, I gladly will. My email address is christiegilges@yahoo.com.
We LOVE Aldi’s. we do majority of our grocery shopping there. We really like their Fit and Active Strawberry cereal, Raisin Bran Crunch, frozen Mama Cizi’s pizza, Fit and Active Yogurt, cottage cheese, their hit pockets are good but generally only have 3 kinds to choose from, also their frozen fit and active meals are not bad either. I could go on an on about good food from Aldi’s. I shop there so often I have typed up an Aldi’s shopping list that I use. If any of you would like me to email it to you, I gladly will. My email address is christiegilges@yahoo.com.
Aldi’s, Trader Joes and Costco are my favorite stores. There are quite a few identical items at Aldi’s & TJoes. I bought TJs cranberries at aldi’s this year , funny. My first experience there was many years ago using donated money to buy food for thanksgiving bags we were giving away. Heard a dollar went farther there so I loaded 2 carts full with my 2, then toddlers in tow. What a shock when i found out they only took cash at that time. but they left my carts full while i ran to the bank so all was well. Been a fan ever since. Definately check labels as they use alot of HFCS and MSG. Also, alot of the seafood is from China. But more of their items are getting “healthier” and there’s always surprises! Like imported cheeses from Ireland in December! Awesome deals and really good quality. Decent wines, LOVE their version of Bailey’s especially the Chocolate Mint. GREAT butter and non-hydrogentaed spread! Breads are much better than before and often they have “name brand” special products. WISH THEY WOULD BRING BACK THE MANGO AND PINEAPPLE PEACH SALSA!! LOVE the baked chips and all the snack foods.
I feel the need to go there now! i need frozen fruit bars and baked bbq chips. well..not really NEED but want them badly! hehe
Our family loves Aldi also. A few of the items that I would highly recommend are the blue box of Mac & Cheese (we had a taste test and the kids chose Aldi over Kraft brand), the frozen crispy chicken strips, frozen french fries, ice cream sandwiches & toffee bars, and the dry onion soup mix (box with 2 packages). Oh, and milk chocolate chips and strawberries for my youngest son’s favorite chocolate covered strawberries. I could go on and on with our faves – these are just the “biggies”.
Their cheap mac and cheese is great! It is often priced down to 3/$1. Once I made a box of Kraft and a box of Aldi brand together. When I dumped in the cheese packets, I could not get over how disgustingly bright orange the Kraft cheese powder was compared to the light orange of the Aldi packet. I know neither is “real food” but I felt like I was giving my family a lot less artificial color with the Aldi brand.
Cant even breathe I love ALDI so much. The cashiers just brighten my day – the place is always hopping and so friendly. The produce price and selection has completely changed our family’s diet. I credit ALDI with lowering lowering financial stress and improving our quality of life a HUGE amount. We have two teenage boys who have lots of teenage friends who love to eat. There is always enough food at our house, and the kids know it. Thank you, ALDI, for being green, going more organic and being so affordable. We Love you!
Just a FYI, Aldi’s milk actually says it does not have that rHbt hormone chemical but that they don’t claim it organic. (Not sure on the hormone spelling). Keep in mind that it costs companies a lot of money to have the organic stamp, so most just ask farmers to “pledge” not to use antibiotics and such. Thanks for the tips.
Our Aldi’s milk has been $1.99/gallon all summer! With 2 teen boys at home, I love this!
Same here (Florida). I bought two gallons for the two of us, one to use one to freeze. When I commented on what a great buy it was, the cashier said that the price should stay at $1.99 through the remainder of the year!!
I definitely do NOT recommend the Aldi version of Velveeta. I’m also not a fan of their salsa. Oh, and their hair spray smells bad in my opinion. Having said that, we LOVE shopping at Aldi. In addition to many of the things you mentioned, I highly recommend their shredded cheeses, canned biscuits, lactose-free milk (way cheaper than Lactaid and even tastes better in my opinion! This was a wonderful alternative to regular milk when I was nursing my lactose intolerant son), frozen cans of juice concentrate, cool whip, ice cream, gravy mixes, Texas toast garlic bread and even baby diapers.
I LOVE Aldi, and here are things that I swear by in amazement:
1) Lume hair tonic-identical to Matrix Biolage at a 10 X cheaper price. Its 2.50, or something funny like that. Smells identical to the salon Matrix stuff, and leaves your hair incredible. A hidden treasure.
2) Goat cheeses at a low price. I am a HUGE goat cheese fan, but it is so expensive everywhere. EXCEPT Aldi’s, and I love it! Try the Cranberry cinnamon log…I have seriously starved myself all day so I could eat the whole thing in the evening, lol.
3) Frozen goat cheese (!!!) pizza for $3.50 (!!!!). Not only does it have goat cheese (read above), but generous chunks of it all over, plus fresh cherry tomatoes. It also looks deliciously fresh when taken out of the oven-not only my favorite frozen pizza, but a fave among ALL pizzas in general.
4) Fat free Raspberry and Mango sorbets…taste incredible, esp for being only $3 or something like that.
5) Belgian creme puffs…yeah, I can eat the whole box easily, while in total deliciousness trance, which is followed by “omg, what have I done???” realization.
6) Cuties mandarines. Those lil suckers are like 7-8 bux elsewhere, I get them for $3 at Aldis! Recently they got generic non-Cuties, which taste the same.
7) Fage yogurt-awesome!!!!