What a Dietitian Buys from Aldi
- March 24, 2016
- Last Updated: September 2, 2023
- 139 Comments
- Nutrition
Hi, friends! If you like shopping for nutritious foods while saving money, then this post is for you.
I spend alot of time thinking about food (obviously). With that, comes planning my groceries. To plan my meals, however, I first have to make a grocery list so I don’t veer off course.
I try and make my grocery trips as efficient and timely as possible, which is why I do most of my shopping at Aldi!
I’ve written about the wonders and greatness of ALDI before, and as I’ve explained, I do the majority of my grocery shopping there.
Not only do they always offer fresh produce and foods at amazingly low prices, but they also have weekly specials with extra extra deals too!
If you’re not familiar with ALDI, they are a German grocery chain but they are now present in 32 states, and they have more expansion plans in the works! They are a low cost grocery store with a very efficient business model. I say efficient because to use a grocery cart, you donate a quarter (which you get back when you return it), you bring your own grocery bags, and rather than put their products out on shelves, they stay out in boxes in aisles.
And until recently, they didn’t take credit cards. All of this saves them money on the back end and paying staff so they can offer customers the LOWEST prices.
Price checks have even found that ALDI products are 30% cheaper than Walmart!
I also have so much respect for ALDI because they hire dietitians, have a RD advisory council and really look to RD’s for recipe development, nutrition advice and product offerings.
So, YOU can feel good about the nutrition of the groceries you’re buying!
When the opportunity arose to partner with ALDI for a post on what a Registered Dietitian shops for at the grocery store, I was very excited.
Obviously, I’m a huge supporter of ALDI, and I’m very enthusiastic about their product offerings.
While I’m not gluten-free, I appreciate that they offer many gluten-free products (live Gfree brand), and their Fit & Active store brand matches up with many name brand alternatives (rice, cereals, dressings, granola bars, etc), but just costs much less.
You can learn more about their store brands here.
And what’s better? They’re expanding their lines of organic and gluten free products, and plan to offer cage-free eggs by the end of 2016.
And they are already working to remove synthetic colors, added MSG and partially hydrogenated oils, which is all the more impressive considering they mostly sell their own brands.
They are even initiating Healthier Check out lanes, where there will be HEALTHY snack options like trail mix, nuts, and dried friut, rather than candy bars and other sugar and fat-laden options.
My first tip of advice when navigating the grocery store would be to always have a list.
When I go grocery shopping, I like to plan out what recipes I want to make that week, check what ingredients I already have and base what I need off of that – otherwise, it’s a free for all in my grocery cart, and I’ll have foods that I may not use.
Food waste is a big no no in our house. If you’re buying it, buy with a purpose and plan to use it!
Here’s my list, and what I purchased this week.
Produce:
Apples
Canned artichokes (for salad toppers)
Bananas
Strawberries
Frozen blueberries, mango and strawberries (post workout smoothies)
Spinach
Greens – I tried this new “Greens Trio” with collards, mustard and turnip greens, and TONS of Vitamins A and C!
Beets (for this Sweet Potato Smoothie)
Mushrooms
Avocado
Sweet Potatoes (for sweet potato mac and cheese)
Onions (good for immunity!)
Baby Carrots
Frozen broccoli (for easy microwavable sides)
Other typical produce items I might buy are grape tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers, but we already had some on hand! And I’ll usually just bake or saute them all together to have for sides and throw on salads throughout the week.
Grains + snacks:
Whole grain flatbread wraps (love these for breakfast or as a pizza base!)
Sandwich flatbreads
Oats (for my daily overnight oats)
Gnocci (for this one-pan gnocci dish)
Quinoa
Chocolate granola
Garlic and hummus tortilla chips and my favorite peach salsa!
Multiseed crackers
Peanuts
Graham crackers (for ice cream/smoothie toppings)
Rosemary Olive Oil Thin Wheat Crackers
I go through rice cakes like crazy. They are the best vehicle for really anything you want!
Meat/Proteins:
Ground Turkey (for turkey sweet potato burgers)
Wild caught salmon (I make this recipe all the time; it’s hard to mess up!)
Chicken sausage (for stuffed sweet potatoes and for flatbread pizzas!)
Tuna (for tuna sliders and tuna salad)
Black beans
Garbanzo beans (lemon basil hummusl!)
Dairy and other Refrigerated items:
Almond milk
1/2 Gallon of Milk
Plain Greek Yogurt
Plain Cottage Cheese (for these pancakes)
2 cartons of Eggs ($1.00 for a dozen!)
String cheese (a favorite on-the-go snack)
Shredded cheese
Honey Goat Cheese, my FAVORITE cheese ever! And I also use it for my stuffed sweet potatoes recipe.
Hummus (Black Bean and Edamame hummus!) – I put hummus on my salads, thin it out for dressings, use it on sandwiches, and as a snack with chips and vegetables. We go through alot of hummus!
It is also common for us to buy ice cream – yes, ice cream! Lately, though, I’ve been blending frozen bananas with plain greek yogurt, and adding peanut butter, cinnamon, and chocolate chips for a homemade frozen yogurt concoction. It’s delicious!
Other:
Parsley
Pure maple syrup (for these and these)
Minced garlic – I use this ALL the time for cooking when I’m lazy
The total for all of this was just under $100.00, and many of these staples will last us a while!
Now, here’s the fun part! ALDI is offering one lucky BLT reader a $50 gift certificate, so you guys can experience ALDI’s greatness! The winner will be randomly chosen in 1 week. Good luck! Make sure to check out ALDI on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by ALDI. I was compensated for my grocery shopping for the purpose of this post. All opinions are my own.
What are the must have’s on your grocery list?
How long do your groceries last?
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Support Bucket List TummyMy must have’s are coffee and coffee creamer. bagels, a variety of produce, eggs, and cheese!
Carrots are my favorite snack so that’s a must-have for me. Also, we buy a lot of eggs, milk, and yogurt.
I have been dying to take a trip to the Aldi that is about a half hour south of me. This post makes me want to go right now! Must haves on my grocery list: veggies, fruit, Greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, grilled chicken, eggs and milk. Then the dinner plan changes each week!
Salad fixings are always a must have on my list.
Fresh produce (mostly veggies and 1 or 2 varieties of in-season fruit), HUMMUS (why is this not a main food group?), greek yogurt or cottage cheese, salsa, and a whole grain flat bread or rice cakes.
We like to purchase our kids’ snacks at Aldi.
Thank you for this giveaway. Aldi is awesome with their fresh produce and at a cheap price too.
I love to buy my milk at Aldi!
I love Aldi!! We buy 90% of our groceries there! They have everything, and I love how they are adding new healthier options! Eggs are always a must on my grocery list. I eat them almost everyday!
Bread, dog treats, milk, oranges, asparagus or other fresh vegetables, bananas and cookies.
I love shopping at Aldi for produce and canned goods! I love their weekly sales on produce and the Fit and Active products!
I loooooove Aldi!!! I love how much organic food they have. Their cheese selection is on point too. I need to go to Aldi tomorrow, and I plan on picking up some veggies, fruit, grains, and spices!
My grocery list must-haves are greek yogurt, eggs, kale/leafy greens, brown rice, peppers, butternut squash or sweet potatoes, and almond milk! Love ALDI!
every week we get greek yogurt, lettuce, broccoli, milk and cashew milk, plantains, bananas, blueberries, and an assortment of fish and meats
There are a lot of must haves on my list and greens are at the top. Arugula, spring mix, spinach and kale. Weekly!
I have looked everywhere for a gf wrap. I need to try the Live G Free!
My grocery list musts are fresh fruit, veggies, almond/soy milk, oats, and usually a species cheese. 🙂 I’m in grad school and my husband and I do mostly 80% of our grocery shopping there. We <3 Aldi's!
This is so great, I never realized how health conscious Aldis was! I think its very cool that they consult RDs.
Oh man, I love Aldi! Go there every week and save a bundle! My must haves are: milk, eggs, bread (I love the Fit & Active 45 calorie wheat at Aldi), greek yogurt, fresh veggies and fruit, chicken breasts, fish of some kind, bagged spinach, nuts, etc.. etc. Thank you for the chance!
My must haves are fresh fruits and vegetables.
a list is key!! there have been times i have gone grocery shopping and thought i could quickly wing it without a list…
nine hours later, i’m still staring down the International aisle. SUCH A NIGHTMARE! Great post