by | Mar 22, 2022 | 1 comment

Ever since I published the healthiest foods to buy at Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Sprouts, and Target, you all tell me how much you love those posts!  So, I’ll be adding on a few more stores in the coming months … starting today with the healthiest foods to buy at ALDI!

Have you been to ALDI?  If not, a few things to note:

  • You must pay $0.25 to get a shopping cart (but you get it back when you return the cart!)
  • The cashiers put your items back directly in your shopping cart, even if you bring reusable bags. There are no bags available!  Once the cashier is done ringing up your items, you must either load them from the cart into your bags, or straight into your trunk.
  • The prices are awesome!
  • Their inventory changes regularly, and they have some items that are only there for a short period of time based on availability

It’s not quite as easy to find an abundance of healthy foods to buy at ALDI, like it is at, say, Whole Foods, but it’s still completely possible!  Here are my top 24 healthy foods to buy at ALDI:

  1. Frozen organic vegetables. They have many varieties of frozen organic vegetables, including spinach, broccoli, green beans, butternut squash, and more!  They are fantastic prices, and frozen vegetables are frozen at the peak of their ripeness, meaning they often have even more nutrients than fresh!  Just be sure to get the varieties where the only ingredient is the vegetable – some of their sauces don’t have the best ingredients!
  2. Fresh organic vegetables. The variety wasn’t incredibly extensive, but they did have some really nice looking options, including this zucchini.  Next up – I wish they wouldn’t package in plastic!
  3. Organic berries. If you buy organic berries regularly (I do, because they’re one of the most pesticide-ridden fruits!), you know they are   This was the best price on organic berries I have ever seen – by far!
  4. Organic mixed greens. I also buy organic greens, and a huge clamshell like this of organic mixed greens is easily $6.99 at Kroger.  For $3.09, this is a steal!
  5. Simply Nature Organic Thick & Chunky Salsa. It is hard to find a salsa that is organic, has 0g added sugar, and tastes great, but this one fits the bill!
  6. Simply Nature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter. Peanut butter is definitely on my top 10 list of favorite foods, but it can be quite difficult to find peanut butter without added sugar or palm oil!  This one is just organic peanuts and sea salt, which I love!
  7. Moser Roth Dark 85% Cocoa. Peanut butter may be in my top 10 favorite foods, but chocolate will always be #1!!  I couldn’t believe that this HUGE bar, with only 3g added sugar per serving, was only $1.99!  (I’m honestly shocked I didn’t buy 30).
  8. Califia Farms Toasted Coconut and Almondmilk. This is my personal favorite tasting variety of non-dairy milk.  You can find out more about non-dairy milks here!
  9. Never Any! Country Style Chicken Breakfast Sausage. The “Never Any!” brand uses antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken, which is a bit misleading because these are never used on chickens (but they are used on cattle – be careful with your beef!). I would honestly prefer free-range, organic chicken, but because these have great macros, only 1g sugar (most sausage has a lot more, and the other flavors of this brand do have more as well!), and otherwise clean ingredients, I bought it!  Great option for quick proteins at breakfast!
  10. Simply Nature Organic Free-Range Chicken Breasts. Speaking of the above, the Simply Nature brand does carry organic, free-range chicken breasts, at a great price!
  11. Simply Nature 100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef. They also have 100% grass-fed ground beef that is certified organic, and it comes at a phenomenal price! I get most of my beef from Butcher Box, but I believe this is even more cost-effective than that!
  12. Simply Nature Organic Apple Cider Vinegar. See this post for why I drink apple cider vinegar every morning!  This one has “the mother” and is organic – a great choice!
  13. Crepini Cauliflower Egg Wraps. I’ve never seen the large variety of Crepini – these are huge!  They are quite flimsy, but they taste awesome, so if you’re looking for a way to roll up something without the carbs or refined grains, check these out!  I highly recommend.
  14. Egglife Wraps. These are far sturdier than the Crepini, and I peronally love the high protein option for a wrap. I don’t adore the natural flavors or nisin, but I’m willing to overlook it for a grain-free, blood-sugar-stabilizing, fun option for a wrap! There are several flavors – this is one of my favorites!
  15. Frozen Carrot Veggie Spirals. Sick of zucchini noodles and their sogginess yet?  Carrot spirals are a really fun alternative, and this makes it SO easy – they’re frozen, so just heat and you’re ready to top with whatever you’d like!  I love that the only ingredients are carrots and sea salt! Want more spiralizer recipes?  Check out this post!
  16. 90 second Microwavable Cauliflower Rice. It doesn’t get much easier than this to have healthy cauliflower rice ready to go! Beware that many options like this (including other brands I found at ALDI) have things like whey powder and other unnecessary ingredients – go as simple as possible!
  17. 90 second Quinoa & Brown Rice. I don’t personally do many grains, but if you do, this is an awesome option – simple to have on hand, in a BPA-free package, and with very clean ingredients. There’s a nice hit of fiber and protein in here as well!
  18. Simply Nature Organic Marinara Pasta Sauce. When I started buying Kevin Rao’s no sugar added marinara sauce (which is also awesome!), I couldn’t believe it was up to $7.99 per jar.  That adds up!  This one, though, is organic as well, with no added sugar and great ingredients, for $1.95!!! I can’t believe it!
  19. Oh Snap! Pickles. I almost left these off the list, because Polysorbate 80 is not my favorite ingredient. But at the end of the day, these pickles are SUPER tasty, and I love having a convenient healthy snack to throw in my bag when I’m on the run.  And, the Environmental Working Group rates Polysorbate 80 as a 3.0 / 10.0 (where 1.0 is the best), so it’s not the biggest concern ever.  I bought these pickles, and while I won’t them every single day, I’m thrilled to enjoy a tangy healthy snack on the go!
  20. Simply Nature non-GMO flax and chia seeds. I keep these on hand to add to smoothies, yogurts, and anything else that needs a punch of healthy fat, protein, and fiber.  These are one single ingredient and very cost effective!  I recommend storing milled flax in the freezer when buying in bulk so it doesn’t oxidize.
  21. Avocado oil. 100% cold-pressed avocado oil is hard to find, and when you do find it, it’s often expensive! This is a steal for $7.29.  See this post for which cooking oils to use on what occasions – always use avocado or coconut oil or ghee to cook at high heat!
  22. Simply Nature Chicken Bone Broth. Note that when I checked out the “Organic Chicken Stock,” there were several ingredients I didn’t love. But this Organic Chicken Bone Broth is a winner!  I love sipping on it and using it as a base for soups, or using it instead of oil in a sauteed dish.
  23. Benton’s Keto Cookies. Are these healthy? Not really. But are they healthier than most cookies?  Absolutely! Making them with almond flour instead of grain flour helps stabilize blood sugar, there’s some nice healthy fat from coconut oil, some great protein from collagen and egg whites, and 0g added sugar!  I bought some, and could easily have eaten the whole bag in one serving … but I didn’t!
  24. Simply Nature Coconut Cashew Crisps. Two varieties of cookies to round out the list? Just trying to give the people what they want 😉.  There is a bit more sugar in this variety (6g added sugar), but the ingredient list is even cleaner, and there’s still significant healthy fat and protein to balance out the sugar.  I think it’s a toss up … if you do well with a little bit of sugar, go with this variety; if you’re really limiting sugar altogether, stick with the Benton’s.

 

Now it’s your turn … Do you shop at ALDI?  If so, what are your favorite healthy items?  Anything I missed?

1 Comment

  1. Darlena Stevens

    Your list is amazing. Thanks for helping me with my shopping list

    Reply

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Megan Lyons Headshot

Hi! I'm Megan Lyons,

the voice behind The Lyons’ Share. I love all things health, wellness, and fitness-related, and I hope to share some of my passion with you. Thanks for stopping by!
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