10 Aldi Products I Never Thought I’d Buy—and Now They’re Always in My Cart

The first time I ventured into an Aldi store, my expectations were pretty low. I knew the chain carried cheap groceries, but surely, I figured, the quality couldn’t be all that high. When I first started shopping there, I saw it as a good place to save a buck on the essentials: milk, bread, dry goods and canned products. But I quickly realized that what makes Aldi awesome isn’t just that they have the best prices around; they also have some of the highest-quality products.

Now, as a longtime Aldi shopper (and self-professed fangirl), I have a lot of faith in the store, and that makes me willing to try just about anything they put on the shelves. There have been a couple of misses, but for the most part, I’ve encountered hit after hit. These are 10 things I might’ve once balked at buying from Aldi. Now, I can’t recommend them highly enough.

1. Fresh Norwegian Atlantic Salmon

When it comes to buying seafood, I’ve always been staunchly Team Wild-caught. Farmed fish, especially salmon, can be problematic: some farm-raised fish have higher levels of chemicals, antibiotics and other contaminants, and raising them can be tough on the environment. But I’ve come to learn that not all farm-raised salmon is equal. In some parts of the world, different standards produce a high-quality fish, and such is the case with Aldi’s Norwegian Atlantic Salmon. It doesn’t have exactly the same flavor as a wild-caught fillet, but it’s delicious broiled, baked or grilled, and it is wildly affordable.

2. Never Any Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon

Let’s get this out of the way: all bacon has been cured, meaning it’s undergone some kind of preservation process before it gets to your plate. But conventional curing uses a combination of sodium and synthetically sourced nitrates. When bacon is advertised as “uncured,” that just means it’s been preserved using plant-derived nitrates, usually from vegetables like celery or beets, which are naturally high in the stuff. I like to have as few chemicals in my food as possible, so I try to stick to uncured bacon. I’ve tried a lot of brands, and Aldi’s is, hands down, the best. The bacon is cut to just the right thickness, it’s got a great mild smoky flavor and it’s not overly salty. I do find that it doesn’t keep nearly as long as conventional bacon once it’s been opened, so when I open a new package, I portion it out and freeze it until I need it.

3. Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

I thought my search for the perfect yogurt would go on forever. I tried just about every Greek yogurt on my local stores’ shelves, looking for something with great flavor and the right consistency, without a ton of added sugar and with a reasonable price tag. Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered the holy grail of yogurts at Aldi. The Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk Yogurt (which comes in plain or vanilla) ticks all those boxes and then some. The vanilla is so good that my toddler often licks her bowl clean after breakfast.

4. Little Journey Baby Food Pouches

I imagined I’d be the kind of mom who made every bit of my baby’s food at home. But after my oldest daughter started eating, I quickly came to love the convenience of baby food in a pouch. My kiddo could hold onto the pouch and feed herself, the pouches were easy to take on-the-go and they kept the mess more or less contained. When I tried Aldi’s version, under their brand Little Journey, I felt like I’d hit the jackpot. They are cheaper than anywhere else and are made with limited, all-organic ingredients. They helped my daughter get more protein and fiber with ingredients like yogurt and flax. Most important, they’re yummy and not just for toddlers; I still pack a few anytime I head out on a long hike or road trip.

5. Black Angus Strip Steaks

I should start by explaining that we typically buy our steaks from a neighbor here in rural Pennsylvania. Her cows are grass-fed and -finished, and we can practically wave to them from our front yard. In other words, it’s super high-quality stuff. But one day, knowing I didn’t have any steaks in the freezer, I brought home a couple of Aldi’s Black Angus Strip Steaks. My husband raved over them. He loves them so much that he insists I buy a couple whenever I go in. We’ve had them grilled, seared and cooked sous vide, and they’ve been a hit every time.

6. Tomato Sauce

I spent big chunks of my childhood in the kitchen of my very Italian grandmother, where, as you might guess, there was always a whole lot of tomato sauce. As a result, I’ve got some pretty high standards for what goes on my pasta, and there aren’t a whole lot of store-bought options that meet my expectations. The first time I tried Aldi’s Kale Pesto Sauce, which is tomato-based,  I took a picture of the jar and texted it to my cousins to tell them how phenomenally good it is. As a lifelong tomato grower and canner, I never thought I’d say it, but this tastes like something that could’ve come straight from my grandmother’s kitchen. 

7. Appleton Farms Prosciutto

Honestly, Aldi’s entire charcuterie selection is a cut above. They have so many amazing imported cheeses and cured meats, especially around the holidays, that it’d take another whole list just to give you all my recommendations. But my favorite product in the entire section is the Appleton Farms prosciutto. Before I tried this, I was buying store-made prosciutto from an Italian deli for a truly eye-popping amount of money. Aldi’s is just as good, if not better, for a fraction of the price. It’s got a great slightly smoky, earthy flavor, it’s not too salty, and the fat melts in your mouth. It makes a fantastic sandwich, but most of the time I just end up scarfing it right out of the package.

8. Wine

I live and shop in Pennsylvania where, regrettably, somewhat strange liquor laws prevent Aldi stores from carrying anything alcoholic. But in many states, Aldi stores do sell wine, and I’ve gotten to sample enough in my travels to say their vintages are shockingly good (and, of course, so’s the price). Their wines regularly win awards, and it’s hard to go wrong bringing the Willamette Valley Pinot Noir or Chianti Riserva to a get-together, especially around the holidays.

9. Boulder Plastic Wrap

I like to bake sourdough bread, a multistep, multiday process that requires laying plastic wrap over the dough while it ferments and proofs to maintain just the right level of humidity. But I’m also an Earth-lover who tries to be cognizant of my single-use plastic consumption. To that end, I try to get more than one use out of my plastic wrap. With many of the big-name brands, I find that’s almost impossible. They’re thin and hard to work with, and I’ve sliced my thumb open more than once just trying to get a length out of the box. Aldi’s brand of plastic wrap, under their label Boulder, is so useful in the kitchen. It’s thick and easy to handle, and I can often use the same sheet again and again. It also costs less than other brands (are you seeing a trend here?), and at 200 feet, a roll practically lasts forever, even if you don’t reuse it like I do.

10. Greeting Cards

 One of my other Aldi favorites has nothing to do with food. I’ve always depended on stationary shops and boutiques for unique, beautiful greeting cards, but now I just keep an eye out in the store’s “aisle of stuff.” They often have gorgeously embellished holiday cards and pop-up birthday cards for just a few dollars each. Sometimes I pick them up with someone in mind, but just as often I buy them to have on hand for when an occasion arises. My mom taught me I should never show up to a party empty-handed, and that means I come bearing something good to eat—usually from Aldi—and a card.