What I Buy At Aldi – Round One Grocery Haul

Aldi is such a hidden gem of a grocery store. It was not until a few of my closest friends kept begging me to at least try shopping here that I fell in love. First things first, do not forget your quarter for a cart. They do this to make sure that you bring your cart back up to the front, so that carts are not left in the parking lot (quite genius if you ask me). Sometimes you will walk up and there will be a quarter already left in the cart from the previous shopper. You know it is going to be a good day when that happens. The prices at Aldi are AMAZING and the quality of their food is outstanding. I try and buy about 75% of my groceries here. The other 25% are specialty, low carb/low sugar items that I have to buy other places for my gastric bypass belly. Another tip, you either have to bring your own bags or purchase some at the check out. They have paper bags and plastic bags for $0.08 or you can purchase nice, big reusable bags for $1.99. Since I am there often, I got these, collapsible sturdy ones on amazon that a friend at work introduced me to and they are great!! They hold a ton and for the amount of shopping I do at Aldi they are well worth the price.

produce

Produce can make or break your shopping trip. If you get a good deal on produce that is all fine and dandy but if it is crap, it does not matter how good of a deal it was. Aldi has great deals and great quality. Sometimes they will have stuff that is expiring tomorrow, so watch the date. All in all, I will say nine times out of ten I am over the moon satisfied with the quality of the produce. Very comparable to the quality of Giant Eagle for half or sometimes a third of the price!! Totally a win in my book! Here are some of my favorites.

Seedless Cucumbers – I absolutely love seedless cucumbers. I peel the skin off with a peeler and dip them in ranch for a quick snack or sometimes just eat them with the skin. They have barely any calories or carbs.

Without the seeds, I do not burp them as much as regular cucumbers. That may have something to do with my crazy new stomach and y’all may think I’m nuts!

Multi Colored Peppers – These are also a great snack and I also cut these up and roast them and put them on all the things. I have purchased these before for double the price at Giant eagle and even Walmart. I will sometimes marinate these in seasonings and olive oil and throw them on the grill and pair them with a source of protein. You could chop these up and make kabobs or put them on a salad. Bottom line, the price of these at Aldi is outstanding.

Zucchini – Whether you are making zucchini noodles or cutting zucchini up to marinate it in a pan, Aldi is the best place to get this. You will get two large zucchini in a package and it is always so fresh. They usually have yellow and green available. This is such a great summer vegetable to add to so many recipes. It is packed with vitamins and I also love throwing this on the grill. It is not something I have cooked with regularly following gastric bypass surgery. It is always a struggle to get all my protein in, but as my appetite has increased I am going to strive to add it to more things.

Onions – Ohhhh, one of my all time favorite foods. I am so thrilled I can still tolerate onions following gastric bypass surgery. I could add them to EVERYTHING. Aldi has almost every type of onion. I prefer sweet onions, they are my go to. Occasionally I will get a Spanish onion, but they are strong. And I mean STRONG. I like raw onions, cooked onions, sautéed onions, onions anyway you cook them, I could eat onions like an apple (don’t do that before a date).

The aisles 

I have always been told, if you are looking to eat healthy only shop the perimeter of the grocery store. I had to throw that mindset out the window following gastric bypass surgery. There are many things I had to throw out the window after weight loss surgery. I do what is best for me. Eating what is best for me may not be best for someone else. So I shop the aisles. Here are some of my favorites.

Whole Wheat Bread – I don’t eat bread all of the time, but when I do this is usually what I eat. It is wheat bread and it is so cheap. It is 50 calories a slice and 1 gram of sugar per slice. I usually eat one slice with an egg or two. Remember, it is all about balance and a slice of bread is not going to kill you if you do not do it all day, everyday. Balance, balance, balance.

Sliced Hard Salami – This is the holy grail of sliced salami snacks in my diet. I am obsessed and I eat this all the time, especially at work. This package is a whole pound and I grab a few slices with a piece of cheese and it keeps me full. I keep it in the refrigerator once I open it and it lasts quite awhile. $4.99 for a pound of hard salami is a good deal! Sometimes at work I will eat 5-6 slices of this, a light string cheese, and a few crackers for a meal.

Splenda (Sucralose) – I mean, y’all had to know this was coming. SPLENDA DUPE!!! No Splenda/sucralose trolls please. This is 100 packets for $1.95. So much cheaper than Splenda and it tastes exactly the same to me. And I am a total Splenda critic. If anyone can tell the difference between name brand Splenda and knock off Splenda – IT IS ME. ENOUGH SAID.

Stevia – For all the Splenda haters, Aldi does carry Stevia! I have tried it before and I just don’t like the after taste that it leaves. But they do have it and it is very reasonable in price. You can purchase 80 packets for $2.99. From what I have seen at Giant Eagle and Walmart, it is much cheaper at Aldi. Sugar substitutes get a bad rap, but for gastric bypass patients, if we want anything sweetened we have to go to sugar substitutes or we will spend the remainder of the day/night curled in a ball in pain.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The price on this is INSANE. $3.49 for a 16.9oz bottle of olive oil is completely nuts. This in itself is worth the trip to Aldi. I usually use cooking spray versus oil, but I have one of these on hand for when I am cooking for guests or a recipe calls for olive oil, especially with this price. You can’t beat this deal.

Cooking Spray – Here is the cooking spray I just mentioned above that I use in place of extra virgin olive oil most of the time to cut down on fat content. Like I always say, fat is not BAD. But being someone who has lost 180 pounds, I watch everything I put in my body. And I am doing my best to maintain my weight. So extra fat is not needed when it can be cut out. I use this ALL THE TIME. At other stores, the olive oil version of cooking spray is usually more expensive than the original cooking spray. Not at Aldi, it is $1.49 for either one you choose.

Spices – I love spices but I do not love the cost of spices. I am not a spice snob (I tried to be once but could not tell much difference). To me, oregano is oregano and I do not want to pay big bucks for seasonings because I am on a budget. Lets be honest, I would rather spend my money at Sephora! There are not many stores that you can go to and the spices range from $0.95 – $1.95. I love that about Aldi.

Canned Goods – Aldi is the place to go for any type of canned goods. They have ALMOST every type that I use. I get all my beans, diced tomatoes, corn, peas, carrots, etc. at Aldi. The prices are the absolute lowest!! In reality it would be great to eat all fresh vegetables, but lets be real that is not happening- at least not for me. So when I buy canned goods, I get them here.

wine 

I don’t drink much wine, heck I don’t drink much of anything except water and cold brew coffee but when I get wine- this is my go to. This is Winking Owl brand and it is $3.99. HOLY CANNOLI. IT IS SOOOO GOOD. They have a Sweet Red, Merlot, White Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Moscato, and Chardonnay. My personal favorite is the Pinot Grigio. It is great to buy in bulk for parties or cookouts, especially this time of year!

Round two of my Aldi grocery haul will be coming next month! It will include the meat, cheese/dairy, and frozen foods I buy from Aldi. Let me know in the comments section what you get at Aldi. I am always game for new ideas and hidden treasures that you guys find there. One of my favorite things to do is to leave my quarter in the cart for the next person. Maybe they are having a rough day and forgot their quarter. Something as small as a quarter in a shopping cart can make someone smile and change the pace of their entire day!