Healthy food at Aldi is easy to find. I made it a little easier to sift through the labels and have made a list of clean and healthy foods that I regularly buy at Aldi. It's my favorite store to save money and eat well. Don't forget to download the free shopping list.
Updated February 20, 2019
Shopping at Aldi for savings
When people that I know are struggling with their grocery budget, one of the first things I tell them is to try shopping at Aldi. It took me a long time to come around to the Aldi craze, but I am consistently amazed at the cost savings at Aldi over my other local grocery store. I save 30-40% every single week just by changing my grocery store.
Aldi certainly has its own culture: renting your cart with a quarter, limited choices, small inventory, small stores, no name brands, bringing or buying bags, and bagging your own groceries. Once you get past the initial stage of learning the ropes of the store, Aldi becomes like a beloved friend that week after week delivers on quality food at low prices. Personally I like the simple, no-frills feel of the store. I'm in and out in no time, that is unless I get sucked in by a great buy in the Aldi finds or special buys sections. That doesn't happen often though, because one key to me keeping my grocery budget in check is to make a list and stick to it.
Just like every store though, there is a fair amount of food offered that I do not buy. Either I could make it for less at home or the ingredients just aren't that great and it's highly processed. I thought it might be helpful to make a list of all of the items that I do purchase on a regular basis. Now, some items I could still make cheaper at home, for example, yogurt, broth, and bread, but I still included them in this list because they meet my standards for healthy options when you are short on time.
Get your free printable Aldi shopping list here
List of Healthy Food at Aldi
Dry beans and grains
- dry beans (black, pinto white, garbanzo)
- dry lentils
- rice (white or brown)
- quinoa
- maseca
- specialty grains
- noodles (The gluten free, rice, and organic are all options that I buy)
- old fashioned oats
- sprouted bread
Nuts/Seeds
- flax seed meal
- chia seeds
- hemp seeds
- nuts (watch for added oils and sugar)
- pepitas
Canned goods
- canned tuna and salmon
- canned beans
- canned tomato products
- canned pumpkin
- canned vegetables (Fresh is always better, but these work in a pinch or food storage.)
Baking/Cooking
- 100% maple syrup
- honey
- cocoa powder
- spices (Simply Nature organic)
- baking soda
- yeast
- apple cider vinegar
- white vinegar
- pitted dates
- vanilla (Stone Mill)
- olive oil
- coconut oil
- ghee
- avocado oil
- organic sugar
Pantry
- jarred artichoke hearts
- jarred olives
- jarred banana peppers
- jarred jalepeno peppers
- salsa
- mustard (dijon and yellow)
- organic ketchup
- jam/fruit spread (Specialty Selected)
- apple butter (Berryhill)
- organic free range broth (Homemade is better and cheaper, but this is a good option in a pinch.)
- marinara sauce
- peanut butter and nut butters (look for one with no added sugar or oils)
Produce and Frozen
- all produce (Fruit and avocados are especially great prices at Aldi. There is even a growing organic section.)
- frozen fruit
- frozen cauliflower rice
- frozen corn
- frozen mixed vegetables
- frozen broccoli
- frozen asparagus
- frozen peas
- all fruit popsicles
- frozen seafood (salmon, flounder, shrimp, scallops)
Meat/Eggs
- eggs (conventional or organic)
- bacon ("Never Any" brand)
- lunch meat ("Never Any" brand is decent)
- prosciutto
- chicken sausages (Never Any brand)
- pork sausage roll (Appleton Farms)
- beef, chicken, pork (There are often organic or grass-fed varieties. I still prefer to buy my meat in bulk from local farms, but if you don't have access to these options or are on a tight budget, the meat here is an option.)
Dairy
- yogurt (Simply Nature whole milk)
- almond milk
- milk (I personally do not buy milk here. I purchase organic raw milk from a local farm, but I still included it here. They have both organic and conventional milk not grown with artificial growth hormones.)
- butter
- cheese (There are lots of options here. Just make sure you turn the package over and look at the ingredient list. Stay clear of funky ingredients. The cheese blocks, mozzarella balls, etc are typically good buys.)
- cottage cheese
- sour cream (Friendly Farms)
Snacks
- applesauce (Simply Nature unsweetened)
- applesauce fruit squeezes
- dark chocolate (Look for the 70-80% dark.)
- tortilla chips (Simply Nature organic)
- fruit strips (Simply Nature)
- freeze dried fruit
- hummus (Park Street Deli)
- Live GFree cookies and snacks
- popcorn
- raisins
- La Croix
What about you? Are you an Aldi fan? What are your favorite Aldi buys?
Natalie
A few times a year, my Aldi (not sure if they all do) has Kerrygold on special buy! I usually stock up because it's such a great price during those times!
Tara Buss
I haven't seen Kerrygold yet at mine, but I will be excited if I ever spot it.
Rachel
My family goes through a lot of milk and no one can beat Aldi's price on organic milk. I am also a fan of their organic ketchup, tortilla chips/salsa and fair trade coffee. It took us a long time to jump on the bandwagon but I am so happy we did. We also keep an Aldi quarter in each car so we are always prepared.
Tara Buss
I keep a quarter in my car too! lol
Amy
I usually do at least one Aldi visit a month. I can never get all of my shopping done there, but I can at least get some great deals on some basics. The money saved on these basics allow me to purchase higher quality meats on a lower food budget.
James Reuter
When I started shopping at aldis I was one of the few white people in the store most where black and the fruit and vegetables were reasonably priced Then it was me and mostly Asian people and good prices.Now it is me with white yuppies produce high price poor quality plenty of yuppie crap you don’t need
Jenna
What is so great about Kerrygold butter?
Tara Buss
It's made from cows grazing on pasture and the flavor is just so tasty. Of course, it's a personal preference and there are other good butters out there that are perfectly fine.
Lis
I just have to point out that I worked for the company that makes kerrygold butter it's the same butter you get at aldis country cream, walmart brand, it's just a different fancy packaging.
Tara Buss
Good to know! Thanks for the comment.
Kesha McCree
Yes, I'm interested in aldi foods and the nutrition it offers. Is the food available via online order?
Tara Buss
No I do not believe so. They are brick and mortar stores.
Jennifer
Reading through your website and it sounds great! However, we are used to making meals from the SouthBeach Diet cookbooks (good carbs meals) which does not include eating a lot potatoes or white anything. They advocate using whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, brown rice, turkey bacon, lean protein, substituting Jicama for hash browns, just to name a few. How does a person implement spending a low amount of money on groceries to make SouthBeach meals? Any ideas? Their recipes tend to have a lot of ingredients which are delicous but can be costly. Maybe that can be your next challenge.
Tara Buss
Hi Jennifer. Thanks for the comment. For now, I have no plans of making a SouthBeach meal plan, but I can give you some ideas that may help. My daughter has multiple food allergies that we have to account for in our grocery budget and meal plan, so I understand how it can feel like a challenge when trying to eat a special diet on a budget.
Our family eats all of the foods you mentioned and none of those ingredients that you named sound particularly pricey to me, except for the jicama which is difficult to find at my local stores. I would give you the same advice that I give anyone regardless of diet. Here are a few ideas.
Look through the SouthBeach diet plan and make a list of the more budget friendly approved foods. Heavily rely on those in your meal plan and sprinkle in the more pricey ingredients sparingly.
Cook simple food and skip the elaborate.
Shop sales and stock up when on sale one your staple items.
Find ways to stretch your protein.
Balance expensive foods with more inexpensive foods within the same week.
Shop your pantry, fridge and freezer first when coming up with your meal plan.
Shop Aldi or another grocery store with lower prices.
Check your local grocer's coupons or rewards program.
Making your own broth and eating soups can stretch a little food a long way.
Limit snacking and packaged healthy convenience food. Beans, eggs, chickpeas, lentils, and canned tuna are cheap protein sources.
Frozen vegetables can be used when the budget is tight.
Learn the principles of the plan more than just following recipes so you can make your own meal plans that are budget friendly and use similar ingredients throughout the week.
You don't need to use a lot of ingredients to make a tasty and healthy meal.
Here are a few meal ideas that are easy and budget-friendly:
Breakfast ideas: eggs, whole wheat toast, turkey bacon, simple smoothies, oatmeal with fruit
Lunch ideas: soups, turkey sandwich or lettuce wrap, big salad, smoothie
Dinner ideas: Any lean protein + carb source (brown rice, sweet potato, fruit, etc), roasted veggies
Broth based soups
whole wheat pasta with protein/veggies/sauce
Tacos or taco salad
I hope that helps. Let me know if you need me to clarify anything or shoot me an email at [email protected] if you would like to chat more. Best of luck to you!