Best Groceries to Buy at Aldi

Aldi is great.  In fact, I used to shop there just about every weekend.  You may have to bring your own bags and pay a quarter to unlock your cart, but it's worth it because the groceries are insanely cheap!

Over the past few years, however, as I became more and more concerned with the ingredients, origin, and quality of the food I was eating, I began shopping at Aldi a lot less.  Many of the items they sell are processed and full of unnatural ingredients, and they are lacking in organic produce and meat options.

When Sprouts came to town, I actually almost stopped going to Aldi all together.  But then my mom started telling me about some hard-to-pass-up deals and even some new organic items that she had found there.  I hate to miss out on a bargain, so I have since added Aldi back into my grocery rotation.  While there is no way I could do all of my shopping there (not even close), they do have several great products that make it worth the trip.  Plus, their inventory is always changing, so you never know what sorts of interesting things you might stumble across.

This morning, Jay and I did a big Aldi run to stock up on all of things that they do best.

Here's a list of some of the best things to buy there (in our opinion):

Canned Pumpkin - Today was just $.89/can! But they only carry it in the fall, so be sure to stock up if you see it!

Fresh Grated Parmesan - $1.99 for a tub that costs close to $5 at other health food stores.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $2.99 for a 17 oz. bottle.

Fair Trade Dark Roast Coffee - just $3.99 for a 12 oz. package.

Spices - Red pepper flakes, cinnamon, oregano, paprika, parsley, and more are all just $.99 for a big container.  They also have vanilla extract for super cheap!

Hummus - in all different flavors and made from real ingredients for just $1.99.

100% pure maple syrup - I bought two of these today.  $3.99 for 8.5 ounces.

Old Fashioned Oats - A big canister for $2.29

Canned Beans and Veggies - Although we usually try to cook up a batch of dry beans for the week on Sundays, it is always nice to have some cans on-hand for back-up.  The beans at Aldi are just $.59!

Household Essentials and Paper Goods - You can't beat the prices on toilet paper, tissue, plastic wrap, foil, etc.

Here's what we ended up with today:

We got lots of the usual staples, plus a few new finds, such as:
Organic Pumpkin Flax Granola for $2.89.

 Instant Brown Rice for $1.49.  It's nice to have in a pinch!

 Premium Raspberry Fruit Spread made with real fruit and natural ingredients for $1.69.

 California Dates for $1.99 (so I can make gluten-free chocolate walnut truffles)!

We also picked up a big bag of sweet potatoes (conventional, but at least they are on the "Clean 15"), a package of organic spinach (which I was surprised/pleased to find!), and some tortilla chips.   Overall, I would say the Aldi run was a success!

Hope you are enjoying your extra hour today!