New Year’s Resolution: Eat Healthy on a Budget with Aldi

Eat Healthy on a Budget with ALDI

Are you trying to eat healthier this year?

Every year, many of us make a resolution to eat healthier or go on a diet as part of a New Year’s Resolution. Eating healthier means eating more fruits and vegetables while eating less junk. This way of eating better doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s possible to eat healthier on a budget. One way that I do it is by shopping at Aldi, a grocery chain with several stores around the Metro area.

Aldi has a ton of great, healthy staples at really, really good prices. I do about 50% of my grocery shopping at Aldi and always save when I shop there! Aldi has upped their game in the healthy food department by offering Fit and Active, products with lower calories and fat counts,  and Simply Nature, their line of organic products. They publish weekly specials and “New Lower Price” products in print and online. I find that their everyday prices are cheaper than most other grocery store’s sales prices.

The key to healthier eating is having a plan. The first place to start is meal planning. To create a meal plan, sit down with your calendar and sales flyers to plan out what you will make for dinner and create your grocery list. If you need help, take a look at the meal plans I share on my website. Then take your list to the store and stick to your list. You will stay on budget and come home with a week’s worth of healthy food for your family.

Eat Healthy on a Budget with Aldi

Healthy Food I Buy at Aldi

  • Fresh Fruit and Vegetables- They have a lot of options and some organic produce too
  • Frozen fruit and vegetables—their frozen berries are a steal!
  • Canned tomatoes and tomato paste (organic available)
  • Pasta sauce (organic available)
  • Dried Beans
  • Oatmeal
  • Almond milk
  • Eggs
  • Spices
  • Olive oil
  • Lean ground turkey (non-organic)
  • Lean ground beef (they sometimes offer organic beef and I’ll stock up when that’s available)
  • Bratwurts
  • Whole Chicken (it’s cheaper to buy it this way at 95 cents a pound)
  • Cheddar and mozzarella cheese (block form and shred it as needed)
  • Dark chocolate
  • Greek yogurt (organic available)
  • 100% whole wheat and sourdough bread
  • Tortillas (corn and flour)
  • Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios
  • Whole wheat pasta

Aldi Saves You Money: 2 Dinners + a lunch for under $18

To show you how you can save, here’s a sample grocery list and prices for two dinners; Crock Pot or Roasted Chicken with Vegetables and a green salad with cucumbers and tomatoes, and Leftover Chicken and Vegetable Soup. The Crock Pot or Roasted Chicken dinner feeds 4-5 people and the soup will feed 8-10 so you will have extra that can be lunch later in the week or stored in the freezer for another time.

Roasting Chicken, $.95 a pound – average $5.40
Russet Potatoes, 10 lbs $1.39
Onion, 2 pound bag, $1.39
Carrots, 2 pound bag $1.39
Celery, $1.19
Garlic, 3 bulbs $.79
1 lemon, $.25
Bag of frozen peas, $0.79
Bag of frozen garden peas, $0.79
Organic mixed greens, or baby spinach for salad, $2.49 (5 oz)
Cucumber, $0.49
Roma tomatoes, 1.19 (1 pound)

Total cost for 2 meals plus extra for lunch: $17.55

Here is a few things you need to know about ALDI before you go:

  • Bring a quarter for the shopping cart. The carts are all hooked together and you need to insert a quarter to get a cart. At the end of your trip, you place your cart back in the rack and get your quarter back.
  • Bring your own shopping bags. If you forget, you can empty boxes in the store or Aldi will sell you paper bags for 5 cents and plastic bags for 10 cents.
  • Bring cash or a debit card. Checks and credit cards (except Discover) are not accepted.
  • Most of the products they carry are the store brand. They offer a double back guarantee on all their Aldi brand products.
  • Selection is limited. So it will take less time to shop. 🙂

For those of you who have never set foot in an Aldi before, I really hope this will inspire you to give it a try.  (And then you totally have to report back and tell me how it goes!!)

I hope this helps you get some perspective that healthy eating doesn’t have to empty your wallet! It is truly doable and shopping for healthy food at Aldi is one way I make it work for my family. It can work in yours too!

This article is not sponsored or endorsed in any way with the store. This is just something I wanted to do to hopefully start a conversation about even more affordable grocery shopping, and share with you some of the reasons I really like shopping at Aldi!

Do you shop at Aldi? How has shopping at Aldi helped you eat healthier or save you money?

 

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Nicky Omohundro
Nicky is a California native who moved to Oklahoma over 15 years ago when the military transferred her husband here. Since then, they've come and gone a few times. But after he retired, they decided to make OKC their permanent home. By day, she's a homeschooling mom of 3; ages 12, 9, & 7. By night, she's a healthy food and travel blogger at Little Family Adventure. When she gets a little extra time, she enjoys reading, traveling, exploring local events, running, and cooking. Follow her on Instagram @lilfamadventure or on Twitter @nicomohundro

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