ALDI is the best grocery chain for saving money on natural and organic foods! Why shop at pricey Whole Foods when you can find such a great selection of healthy food at Aldi for a fraction of the price?
Have I ever mentioned that Aldi is one of my favorite stores? Yes, that’s right—not Whole Foods, not Earthfare, not even Trader Joe’s—but Aldi!
I started shopping at Aldi my first year married. Back then, the contents of my grocery cart included the likes of boxed macaroni and cheese, low-fat yogurt and canned cream of chicken soup.
And I simply loved how much money Aldi saved me as opposed to shopping at other mainstream grocery chains.
Now, when our family switched to eating real, whole foods, I realized that I could no longer do ALL our shopping at Aldi because the natural and organic selection there is limited (but growing!). Instead, my current routine is to shop at Aldi first, use my debit card to get cash back there for whatever amount is left in our grocery fund for the month, then go to BJ’s or any other stores I frequent to buy our food for the rest of the month.
Although you cannot use any coupons at Aldi, I’ve found that the items are much, much lower than at other stores anyway. You really just don’t need coupons.
I cannot vouch for Aldis nation or worldwide, but the one in my town is very clean and offers good-quality produce (most of the time—as always, check for bruises and mold before you leave the store!).
So what do I buy at Aldi?
Check out my list of real, whole foods I get at Aldi—along with a few cheats ;):
My Aldi Grocery List:
- Raw Almonds
- Pistachios
- Dried Fruit/Raisins
- Real Maple Syrup (although it’s Grade A…it’s pure!)
- Pepper
- Rolled Oats
- Steel-Cut Oats
- Raw Walnuts or Pecans
- Nirtrate/Nitrite-Free Chicken Sausage
- Onions
- Garlic
- Domestically-Grown Grapes
- Avocados (sometimes for as little as $.49 each!)
- Bananas
- Sweet Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Mangoes
- Oranges
- Pomegranates
- Pineapples
- Canned Salmon with bones (although I am sure the cans have BPA–compromise here)
- Hummus
- Jarred Salsa
- Olive Oil
- Coffee
- Almond Milk
- Dried Pinto Beans
- Frozen Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon
- Frozen Tilapia
- Frozen Shrimp
- Frozen Broccoli
- Frozen Peas
- Frozen Green Beans
- Frozen Asparagus (cooks up like fresh!)
- Frozen Stir-Fry Veggies (I toss the sauce packet that comes in the bag and use my own seasonings…This is our “convenience” meal!)
- White Sugar (we ONLY use this for hubby’s sweet tea!)
- Plain Rice Cakes (compromise because they aren’t organic…a favorite snack for the girls)
- Veggie Chips (another compromise but a good treat for the girls)
- Cracked Pepper Potato Chips (“treat” for hubby)
- Tortilla Chips made with organic blue corn
- Paper Towels
- Toilet Paper
- Sandwich/Freezer Bags
- Aluminum Foil
Aldi’s growing organic line, Simply Nature, includes the following items:
- Organic raw milk cheese
- Organic yogurt
- Organic canned tomatoes
- Organic pasta sauce (although it does contain soy)
- Organic apple juice
- Organic chicken broth
- Organic extra virgin olive oil
- Grassfed beef
- and more!
Other Reasonable Food to Find at Aldi
While I don’t regularly get these items at Aldi, these are items that, although not organic, are acceptable when making the switch from processed to more whole foods:
- Honey (it’s not raw, so better to bake with it)
- Baking and cooking staples, like spices, sea salt, baking soda, baking powder, etc.
- Hormone-Free Milk (from cows not treated with rbst hormone)
- Conventional Eggs (better than no eggs at all!)
- Hormone-Free Cheese
- White Vinegar (we purchase it in bulk at BJ’s…this is a small bottle.)
- Canned Beans
- Canned Tomatoes
- Whole Wheat Pasta
- Canned Pumpkin
- Natural Applesauce (no high fructose corn syrup…check the labels…they carry two kinds!)
- Natural Peanut Butter
Special Buys
Aldi always has some kind of special buy going on! I was told at my store that the buys are to see if there is a demand for new items. They’ll also stock seasonal items in the Special Buys section, and you can preview them in the store’s sale flyer.
Have you ever shopped at Aldi? What do you get at Aldi?
Here are more resources for grocery savings:
Lauren Greutman’s meal plans: Each cookbook teaches you how to create 20 delicious slow cooker freezer meals. Two of the books are specifically for Aldi ingredients!
Your Grocery Budget Toolbox: In this book, Anne Simpson arms you with resources to stretch your grocery budget and feed a family of 4 on less than $300 per month!
Grocery Savings Made Simple Course: In this course, Shannon shows you how you can shave hundreds and even thousands off of your grocery budget each year!
Also, be sure to check out these posts from the archives on saving money on real food:
How to Save Money on Groceries without Clipping Coupons
6 Alternatives to the Grocery Store
Saving BIG at Vitacost.com
A 2-Week Aldi Meal Plan
How Our Family Saves Money by Shopping at Costco
Finding Healthy Living Products at Target
How to Save Money on Meat with Zaycon FoodsSaving Money on Real Food at Trader Joe’s
Top 5 Whole Foods to Purchase at Aldi
Why Natural Mamas Should Consider Shopping at Sam’s Club
Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site
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