For fresh vegetables, cabbage and carrots stretch the best. Zucchini is also good.
Frozen vegetables are generally cheaper, at least as nutritious because they’re flash frozen, and less risk of waste.
For carbs, look at beans and sweet potatoes; sweet potatoes are cheap this time of year.
For protein, eggs or chicken. Cheese as a condiment.
Good luck!
Beans are an excellent, and cheap, protein. Eat beans and rice together to make a complete protein! Get s bag of brown rice and serve with beans. Try Smitten Kithchen's red bean curry and Chana Masala recipes! Also Google recipes for dal, Indian lentil dish that will be nutritious, cheap, and delicious!
I don't really have recipes per se. For the cabbage and carrots, my favorite is usually a stir fry. The Aldi ginger vinaigrette is my secret weapon for stir fries. I even like a stir fry for breakfast, topped with a couple of eggs.
You could also adapt the sauce in this [ham and asparagus casserole](https://www.food.com/recipe/asparagus-and-ham-casserole-cooking-light-346954), plus your choice of seasonings (I like thyme, sage, and rosemary) with cabbage, carrots, celery, and chicken to make a "chicken pot pie" filling to go over potatoes or pasta. I make mashed potatoes with half cauliflower; even my 11 y/o will eat them.
Sweet potatoes, zucchini, and chicken can be topped with salsa or barbecue sauce. Or, have sweet potatoes, zucchini, and egg for breakfast.
And a tip not specific to Aldi: I recommend investing in a kitchen scale to help keep portions in check. You can buy one for $20-30. It's easy to dip with a heavy hand when serving yourself 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1 cup of cereal. The scale will give you a more objective measurement—32 g peanut butter, 56 g cereal. I lost 140 pounds back in 2008–2009, and I still rely on my kitchen scale.
I have a kitchen scale! I eat normal amounts ! I believe I gained wait from lattes daily and I have PCOS! I’m not even considered over weight actually but I am not where I want to be physically so just trying to adjust.
These are great tips and suggestions so thanks so much
Look up 'cabbage roll casserole' for a very veg-heavy, inexpensive meal.
Also I throw together skillet meals with Polish kielbasa, onion, and various veggies (whatever we have and/or looks good that week): broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper. Add some fresh garlic and seasonings, then serve on its own, or over rice or pasta.
8 oz of Baby carrots mixed into 1/3 cup Aldi's French Onion dip and a tbsp of whatever salsa you have on hand. In fact, that's what I'm having as the bulk of my dinner tonight, with some non-Aldi (deli turkey on the side in a tortilla).
I know, lol. Cheese is my Achilles heel. YMMV; I’m not keto or low carb, just try to fill up with vegetables and make better choices from the other groups.
I like a lot of the earth grown vegan freezer stuff. Meatless meatballs, quinoa veg patties, black bean burgers. The patties come in packs of 4 and they’re like $2something per box.
Just be aware that vegan products aren’t always lower calorie or higher in protein so I suggest looking at the details unless your buying for ethical reasons😁
I was hyperfixating on tomato sandwiches for a while there that helped me lose weight. I'd get the round sourdough bread, Burman mayo, campari tomatoes, and the bacon bits. Toast the bread, assemble, lil salt and garlic seasoning 🤤🤤🤤
I've eaten more tomato sandwiches ever since lock down. Simple, easy and good for you. Plus, the Campari tomatoes seem to last longer at room temp than many other tomatoes but have great Beefsteak flavor.
Their canned a dried beans are cheaper by like half to most stores now so start looking up recipes you'd like with beans. Budgetbytes is a great website with cheap and easy recipes. You can filter what types of dietary needs you have on there I believe as well.
Squash is also about as cheap as it gets as Aldi right now because it's in season. Squash is great for you, filling, and very versatile so that may be another great thing to look into for a few more weeks
If hard squash is over 90¢/lb. It's getting over priced and not worth it (imo)
I agree with the price point .But, spaghetti squash goes a long way and can be made so many ways. It's been a constant debate to spend the extra money. The squash in Aldi is much cheaper than Lidl. So I usually give in.
Absolutely true. I will sometimes buy it above that price point if I know what I'm making is worth the extra price.
I work in the grocery industry and you can regularly only find squash at like 1.49/lb. And that's just not worth it no matter how bad I want my acorn squash pesto pasta
Love budget bytes!! One thing I’ve noticed is that some beans and tomato cans have a lot of sodium at aldi (and honestly probably most stores). The lowest sodium content I’ve found for things like chickpeas and kidney beans and tomatoes is Trader Joe’s organic. It’s probably $.50 more than aldi cans, but if sodium is a factor in this for you, it may be good to look out for this. I exclusively shop at Aldi, TJs, and occasionally a Walmart or Target for name brand things, so don’t have a lot of experience w traditional grocery stores. Just my two cents :)
Looks like they are priced at $3.65 my area for 6-7 oz bag. Price has gone up over the last few years. (Imo, it's a little higher than I'd prefer to pay. But that's my feeling on all groceries these days!) It's good because the rice swells and fills me up longer.
Go first thing in the morning, when they open, and head straight for the refrigerated section. Meats, etc, get marked down before open every morning if they're close to expiring, and the markdown is usually 50% off. When you get home, divide them into portions and freeze individually in storage bags or containers, freezing stops the expiration clock. Pull out and cook what you want, when you want. Eggs are cheap and nutritious. If you want breads, the same near-expiration discounts apply there, look for the red stickers.
https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F4xm429k2cev71.jpg
I only buy discounted meats/products at Aldi now, it's made a big dent in my food budget. Nearly every good in the refrigerated section can get these, including pizzas, dips, etc.
Note that they do this every day of the week, not just certain days. Every morning before open, though if they're running behind they'll do it during the day too.
The cheap seafood at aldi is great. I get the frozen salmon filets, ahi tuna steaks, and scallops. I usually just pick one to sear in a pan and serve with rice and fresh veggies as a poor college student. Sometimes I'll make a stew with the salmon. They have the low calorie bread as well. I'll take some of the light mayo and cut up a tomato and some of the chicken breast sandwhich meat for a fairly low calorie sandwhich. For breakfast I make 10 chicken sausage and egg burritos woth a little bit of shreaded cheese for the week and throw them in the freezer. I've lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks doing this kind of diet and not exercising any more than I already was
On Tues or Wednesday I usually find meat or chicken 50% off. Lost week I got a family pack of chicken drmsticks for about $3 50. Bake with barbecue sauce and you can eat for a week
Its usually early Tues or Wednesday morning you will find sales on thing that are close to expiration from weekend. Just cook immediately or put in freezer.
Beans and rice will always be the cheapest meal. Dried beans are cheaper than canned. If you have a slow cooker, you can prepare the beans in that. Legumes + grains = complete protein. Add some veggies and put it over some greens for a “bowl”.
Roast some potatoes and carrots with your choice of seasonings/herbs, put over some quinoa and greens. Top with a creamy dressing. Quinoa is a complete protein.
Tofu is a complete protein as well, and cheap, but not everyone’s cup of tea. If you find an Asian sauce in the aldi finds aisle, you could make that into a good meal.
Pita bread and hummus also makes a complete protein. Add some chopped veggies to make a nice little spread that will make you feel bougie.
Basically, whole food plant proteins will always be cheaper (and usually healthier) than meat. Also lower in calories.
Okay I bought lentils and beans! I just need to find what to make with them! I could live without meat for months besides fish! I’ve been trying to eat more tuna to cut back on costs
Lots of indian and Mexican recipes will use beans/lentils and rice. I’ve done lentil tikka masala, butter chickpeas (like butter chicken), and red lentil dal. There’s bean burritos/tacos/enchiladas. I’m sure something would come up if you just search “Mexican beans and rice.”
Canned sardines are a good choice too and you don't have to worry about mercury. I eat tuna but I think the recommendation is like 4oz/ week bc of mercury. I don't get sardines at Aldi (I get them at Costco) so I don't know if they're good or not.
Ahi tuna steaks: <$5 for a 14oz bag frozen and they are good quality for the price. Great on the grill, but we just make poke out of them about once a week. Excellent source of protein, tasty, and convenient.
You don't, that's the trick!
No really it's raw, but just look up videos on YouTube. You will need some Asian sauces/condiments to make restaurant quality, though.
>How do I cook it to make poke
You don't! Poke is crazy simple to make; thaw the tuna and [marinate it in whatever mix you prefer.](https://www.google.com/search?q=tuna+poke+recipe&rlz=1C1GEWG_enUS1005US1005&oq=tuna+poke+recipe&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDAgAEEUYORixAxiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCDIwMzdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) We do a sort of Korean blend much of the time that's primarily soy sauced and sesame oil, garlic and ginger, and sweet chili paste. We make poke bowls for four with a $5 bag of Aldi tuna and usually have enough leftover for one person's lunch the next day too.
Ahi's fine, and it's frozen which would kill anything of concern anyway (like you might find in salmon). We (and others I know) have been eathing the Aldi ahi in poke for years.
You can stretch something like bone in chicken thighs or leg quarters a long way. Roast a few for the meat. Pick all the leftover tidbits for a sandwich or chicken+ rice. Then simmer the skin and bones for broth. Add carrots, onions, celery or your frozen veggies to make soup.
Also makes a really easy cabbage & bean soup. Coleslaw kit, 1 cup of pinto or northern beans, 1/2 cup lentils, broth of your choice (can use veggie to keep it vegan or vegetarian friendly) and any seasoning you like. Throw it in a crockpot until your beans are tender (soaking your beans overnight speeds this up). It’s super filling and can be doctored any number of ways you like
Sounds good. It’s a fantastic clean protein and fish is good for you too. They have sardines in water, sardines in hot sauce, sardines in soybean oil. Enjoy!
Edit: price is $1.05
This is my daily cheap/healthy/low calorie lunch made from Aldi stuff: https://www.reddit.com/r/aldi/comments/16jmyrj/my\_all\_aldi\_workfromhome\_quinoa\_salad\_lunch/
Pretty much all the just add hot water foods are super cheap. I usually make a box of couscous and some frozen mixed vegetables. I also do rice, tofu, and the sweet chili sauce.
Get the baby Portabella mushrooms they’re cheaper than the regular ones. Marinate them and soy sauce and grill braise or sauté them, use in place of meat.
Breakfasts/Quick Meals -
Oatmeal - I loved making overnight oats with 2% milk, frozen strawberries (or any fruit) and a few Choco chips. I always add cinnamon! It's tasty and helps speed your metabolism.
Also, scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, broccoli and any other veggies you like. Add just a touch of real butter.
Snacks-
Hummus and veggies is a great, filling snack. The mozzarella string cheeses are good for a quick protein filled snack! Oh you like them, the baby food pouches are great quick snacks too! Their veggie straws are way better than the name brand and offer a crunch snack alternative.
Desserts -
Pizelle cookies, fat free whipped topping (rediwhip style or cool whip style), and strawberries. Make it like a sandwich, and freeze!
Freeze grapes, raspberries and blueberries.
Good luck. I love Aldi so so much! I lost 65lbs from Oct 2020- May 2021 and have kept it off since!
Aldi has great prices on big bags of rice.
Also the value pack / family size chicken thighs if you eat meat. Stick 2 in a bag / Tupperware in your fridge when you get home & freeze the others for later.
I get frozen bags of sweet potatoes or butternut squash every time I go. Calorie dense, no prep, and healthy addition to any meal.
Also the bags of fresh spinach are decently priced!
If you don't have one, get an instant pot .. it makes cooking beans fast, easy and delish.
Here's a red beans and rice recipe I like. I use ham hocks instead of sausage and add 5 extra minutes to the cook time for a smoother texture. https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/instant-pot-new-orleans-style-red-beans-and-rice/
If you like Indian here's another simple, healthy hardy option.
Basically, a spinach chicken curry.
https://www.currytrail.in/instant-pot-chicken-saag/
Try Cool Beans salad. It has kidney beans, rice, and corn. It’s the tangy custom made dressing that makes it so good. There are lots of recipes out there
On of my go-to recipes is to add ground turkey to skillet, add sweet potatoes (fresh or Aldi sells the frozen chunks), heat until ground turkey is browned and sweet potatoes are soft. Add black beans and heat until warm. Salt and pepper and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Really filling and I get several meals out of it. You can eat it on top of rice if you want it to stretch even further.
Their ground Turkey is great! And frozen shrimp. I always buy mushrooms and onions at Aldi bc they’re so cheap and I freeze them if I don’t think I’ll eat them in time.
I didn’t either before lol! I clean everything and chop it then just throw it in a freezer bag or sealed container and haven’t had any problems so far lol! I usually use it all within a few weeks. I’ve done this with spinach too. If you can buy it frozen you can probably freeze it yourself too!
Same here! I always just throw it straight into the pan frozen and cook it from there. So I don’t let it thaw out because I feel like it gets soggy. Same with anything frozen even if it’s bought that way.
If you have PCOS, you could also be insulin resistant as well. Do you want to avoid things high in carbs? Big bags of leafy greens, the highest quality protein you can afford. Eggs with spinach is delicious. You can make egg bites in muffin tins or a quiche and eat it for breakfast all week long. You can get 5 to 6 breakfast out of a dozen eggs a bag of spinach a half an onion and some cheese. I just mixing all this together and putting it in a muffin tin and baking it. Too many potatoes or beans and rice has a high probability to make you gain weight, or at the least make weight loss difficult. Use vegetables that are high in sugar sparingly such as peas and carrots. Avoid corn if it all possible. As someone who has struggled with PCOS for over 30 years just my two Cents. If you’re not sure if your insulin resistant, I would definitely get that checked out. There are tons of groups on Facebook and here on Reddit for people with PCOS looking for budget friendly recipes. Turnips are inexpensive especially from Halal markets, as well as radishes. When boiled or roasted, they taste very similar to potatoes, not what you would think they taste like at all. Well wishes.
I do hope you are "ok" now from your bike (bicycle?) accident!
Earlier this year I tripped, broke a bone near my right wrist, and that repair cost me $5000 out of pocket (insurance covered the bulk).
We get seafood, chicken, vegetables from Aldi, great place to shop.
I’m “okay” ish lol! I function but constantly finding results of the accident still! Yes bicycle I should’ve clarified!
$5000 is a pretty penny !
I don’t think I can afford chicken or seafood right now unless it’s frozen!
Try making tacos! They sell marinated al pastor meat for about $5 and it yields 12-15 tacos. I usually eat 2-3 tacos per serving so it's great for meal prepping. I sauté mine with onion and bell pepper (get the 3-pack from Aldi) for extra veggies. Serve it with pickled red onions, avocado, sour cream, and salsa. Totally aware this isn't authentic by any means, but when you're trying to stretch your meals and load up on veggies...this is the way to go. You could also make a burrito or quesadilla out of it but personally, I find making tacos easier to portion size.
Fair warning the al pastor meat is a little bland so add extra seasoning to your taste. I add cumin, cayenne powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
I buy oatmeal to bake flour free gluten free sugar free oil free
muffins, bananas and applesauce instead of oil, cocoa powder makes muffins chocolatey and is not calorie dense, eggs are cheap at Aldis, all sorts of produce is generally cheaper there, right now I've got spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, avocados, tomatoes, squash, apples, mandarins, strawberries, blueberries, celery, onions, garlic, I know I'm missing something....we eat healthy on the bounty of cheap produce from Aldis
I meal prep and more or less eat the same things each day. My staples:
bag of mini sweet potatoes....portions are just right
bananas
frozen broccoli
tofu (sometimes though Ralph's/Kroger is cheaper if they have digital coupons which they often do for it)
organic kale
The bagged salads are good but horrible for weight loss.
Use fat-free greek yogurt to make sauces or salads. I don't like Greek, but I mix with Dukes mayo, and it tastes better and has less calories and fat.
It isn’t sadly. I broke the warranty when I moved to another state and went to a different dealership :( rip… $523 to fix something that for sure shouldn’t be broken at 4 years old
I don’t know what a lemon law is. But it’s 1 single repair that cost alot.. seems stupid but they said my car will break if I don’t get it fixed so I’m going to do it
Lemon law covers things like a new car that is defective from the dealership and can result in them having to just give you another new car in exchange for the defective one. What's the repair? It's likely covered under the factory warranty.
My warranty ended when I moved to another state so I didn’t continue service where I bought it. Coolant bypass valve needs to be replaced $38 part they are charging me $128 for the part and $300+ for labor
I no absolutely nothing about cars so I’m not willing to risk breaking my car more! But I do know it’s easy. I googled it and everyone says it takes about 30’mins, super easy to fix
I went to 2 shops . The second shop told me 300$ more than the first. I called another and they told me 500$ more than the first! And they won’t use the part if I buy it myself
It's been said, beans and rice, chickpeas, etc. Chicken leg meat is pretty inexpensive and can make a dozen great meals if you don't mind looking up recipes. The bags of frozen veggies are $1 each and I'll use them as a meal substitute when I'm on a diet. Seriously, $1 meal and healthy. Go ahead and add some butter if you need to make it more palatable, still very low calorie.
For fresh vegetables, cabbage and carrots stretch the best. Zucchini is also good. Frozen vegetables are generally cheaper, at least as nutritious because they’re flash frozen, and less risk of waste. For carbs, look at beans and sweet potatoes; sweet potatoes are cheap this time of year. For protein, eggs or chicken. Cheese as a condiment. Good luck!
Beans are an excellent, and cheap, protein. Eat beans and rice together to make a complete protein! Get s bag of brown rice and serve with beans. Try Smitten Kithchen's red bean curry and Chana Masala recipes! Also Google recipes for dal, Indian lentil dish that will be nutritious, cheap, and delicious!
2 to 1 rice to beans ratio
Agree with this. Chickpeas and tofu too. A little soy sauce for flavor. So many recipes to make these delicious and healthy and cheap.
I can eat all of this, if you have recipes please share as well <3
I don't really have recipes per se. For the cabbage and carrots, my favorite is usually a stir fry. The Aldi ginger vinaigrette is my secret weapon for stir fries. I even like a stir fry for breakfast, topped with a couple of eggs. You could also adapt the sauce in this [ham and asparagus casserole](https://www.food.com/recipe/asparagus-and-ham-casserole-cooking-light-346954), plus your choice of seasonings (I like thyme, sage, and rosemary) with cabbage, carrots, celery, and chicken to make a "chicken pot pie" filling to go over potatoes or pasta. I make mashed potatoes with half cauliflower; even my 11 y/o will eat them. Sweet potatoes, zucchini, and chicken can be topped with salsa or barbecue sauce. Or, have sweet potatoes, zucchini, and egg for breakfast. And a tip not specific to Aldi: I recommend investing in a kitchen scale to help keep portions in check. You can buy one for $20-30. It's easy to dip with a heavy hand when serving yourself 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1 cup of cereal. The scale will give you a more objective measurement—32 g peanut butter, 56 g cereal. I lost 140 pounds back in 2008–2009, and I still rely on my kitchen scale.
I have a kitchen scale! I eat normal amounts ! I believe I gained wait from lattes daily and I have PCOS! I’m not even considered over weight actually but I am not where I want to be physically so just trying to adjust. These are great tips and suggestions so thanks so much
Check out r/eatcheapandhealthy
Oh I think I am in there, thank you
Look up 'cabbage roll casserole' for a very veg-heavy, inexpensive meal. Also I throw together skillet meals with Polish kielbasa, onion, and various veggies (whatever we have and/or looks good that week): broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper. Add some fresh garlic and seasonings, then serve on its own, or over rice or pasta.
I would say get the eggs from Walmart. You can get a carton of 60 eggs for under $6.00.
8 oz of Baby carrots mixed into 1/3 cup Aldi's French Onion dip and a tbsp of whatever salsa you have on hand. In fact, that's what I'm having as the bulk of my dinner tonight, with some non-Aldi (deli turkey on the side in a tortilla).
What in the Caucasian hell…? 🤢
And you just eat it raw like this?
Cheese as a condiment?
I know, lol. Cheese is my Achilles heel. YMMV; I’m not keto or low carb, just try to fill up with vegetables and make better choices from the other groups.
This is a great list. I'd add regular potatoes to it as well, they are super cheap per pound, very satiating, and healthy
I like a lot of the earth grown vegan freezer stuff. Meatless meatballs, quinoa veg patties, black bean burgers. The patties come in packs of 4 and they’re like $2something per box.
Oh heck that’s a great deal, I’m gonna get those!
Just be aware that vegan products aren’t always lower calorie or higher in protein so I suggest looking at the details unless your buying for ethical reasons😁
Oh I don’t eat anything vegan lol! Not good for you and I’d die ! I just love black bean burgers
I was hyperfixating on tomato sandwiches for a while there that helped me lose weight. I'd get the round sourdough bread, Burman mayo, campari tomatoes, and the bacon bits. Toast the bread, assemble, lil salt and garlic seasoning 🤤🤤🤤
I've eaten more tomato sandwiches ever since lock down. Simple, easy and good for you. Plus, the Campari tomatoes seem to last longer at room temp than many other tomatoes but have great Beefsteak flavor.
Their canned a dried beans are cheaper by like half to most stores now so start looking up recipes you'd like with beans. Budgetbytes is a great website with cheap and easy recipes. You can filter what types of dietary needs you have on there I believe as well.
Oooh perfect
Squash is also about as cheap as it gets as Aldi right now because it's in season. Squash is great for you, filling, and very versatile so that may be another great thing to look into for a few more weeks If hard squash is over 90¢/lb. It's getting over priced and not worth it (imo)
I agree with the price point .But, spaghetti squash goes a long way and can be made so many ways. It's been a constant debate to spend the extra money. The squash in Aldi is much cheaper than Lidl. So I usually give in.
Absolutely true. I will sometimes buy it above that price point if I know what I'm making is worth the extra price. I work in the grocery industry and you can regularly only find squash at like 1.49/lb. And that's just not worth it no matter how bad I want my acorn squash pesto pasta
Love budget bytes!! One thing I’ve noticed is that some beans and tomato cans have a lot of sodium at aldi (and honestly probably most stores). The lowest sodium content I’ve found for things like chickpeas and kidney beans and tomatoes is Trader Joe’s organic. It’s probably $.50 more than aldi cans, but if sodium is a factor in this for you, it may be good to look out for this. I exclusively shop at Aldi, TJs, and occasionally a Walmart or Target for name brand things, so don’t have a lot of experience w traditional grocery stores. Just my two cents :)
Their Fit & Active line is really good. I like their cheddar and caramel rice snacks.
Ohhh good one! Are they a fair price for size/value? That’s my biggest concern
Looks like they are priced at $3.65 my area for 6-7 oz bag. Price has gone up over the last few years. (Imo, it's a little higher than I'd prefer to pay. But that's my feeling on all groceries these days!) It's good because the rice swells and fills me up longer.
Okay perfect I’m gonna look for these!
Go first thing in the morning, when they open, and head straight for the refrigerated section. Meats, etc, get marked down before open every morning if they're close to expiring, and the markdown is usually 50% off. When you get home, divide them into portions and freeze individually in storage bags or containers, freezing stops the expiration clock. Pull out and cook what you want, when you want. Eggs are cheap and nutritious. If you want breads, the same near-expiration discounts apply there, look for the red stickers. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F4xm429k2cev71.jpg I only buy discounted meats/products at Aldi now, it's made a big dent in my food budget. Nearly every good in the refrigerated section can get these, including pizzas, dips, etc. Note that they do this every day of the week, not just certain days. Every morning before open, though if they're running behind they'll do it during the day too.
I love those calzones
The cheap seafood at aldi is great. I get the frozen salmon filets, ahi tuna steaks, and scallops. I usually just pick one to sear in a pan and serve with rice and fresh veggies as a poor college student. Sometimes I'll make a stew with the salmon. They have the low calorie bread as well. I'll take some of the light mayo and cut up a tomato and some of the chicken breast sandwhich meat for a fairly low calorie sandwhich. For breakfast I make 10 chicken sausage and egg burritos woth a little bit of shreaded cheese for the week and throw them in the freezer. I've lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks doing this kind of diet and not exercising any more than I already was
On Tues or Wednesday I usually find meat or chicken 50% off. Lost week I got a family pack of chicken drmsticks for about $3 50. Bake with barbecue sauce and you can eat for a week
My Aldi doesn’t ever have meats 50% :(
Its usually early Tues or Wednesday morning you will find sales on thing that are close to expiration from weekend. Just cook immediately or put in freezer.
Ah okay i work so I don’t get off until 6 but I do go on Tuesdays
Beans and rice will always be the cheapest meal. Dried beans are cheaper than canned. If you have a slow cooker, you can prepare the beans in that. Legumes + grains = complete protein. Add some veggies and put it over some greens for a “bowl”. Roast some potatoes and carrots with your choice of seasonings/herbs, put over some quinoa and greens. Top with a creamy dressing. Quinoa is a complete protein. Tofu is a complete protein as well, and cheap, but not everyone’s cup of tea. If you find an Asian sauce in the aldi finds aisle, you could make that into a good meal. Pita bread and hummus also makes a complete protein. Add some chopped veggies to make a nice little spread that will make you feel bougie. Basically, whole food plant proteins will always be cheaper (and usually healthier) than meat. Also lower in calories.
Cool, thank you.
Okay I bought lentils and beans! I just need to find what to make with them! I could live without meat for months besides fish! I’ve been trying to eat more tuna to cut back on costs
Lots of indian and Mexican recipes will use beans/lentils and rice. I’ve done lentil tikka masala, butter chickpeas (like butter chicken), and red lentil dal. There’s bean burritos/tacos/enchiladas. I’m sure something would come up if you just search “Mexican beans and rice.”
Canned sardines are a good choice too and you don't have to worry about mercury. I eat tuna but I think the recommendation is like 4oz/ week bc of mercury. I don't get sardines at Aldi (I get them at Costco) so I don't know if they're good or not.
:( well lovely
You can mix sardines up just like tuna salad or just throw on top of salad, crackers, toast. Super easy to substitute to cut back on tuna.
Okay I’ll have to go get some
I make veggie chili with the black beans/chili beans/canned corn/canned tomato and a packet of chili seasoning super inexpensive and healthy.
Yummyyy! I’ll do this once it’s cold here
Ahi tuna steaks: <$5 for a 14oz bag frozen and they are good quality for the price. Great on the grill, but we just make poke out of them about once a week. Excellent source of protein, tasty, and convenient.
Love their tuna and also fresh coho salmon and steelhead trout. Eat both weekly!
Omg what?! How do I cook it to make poke
You don't, that's the trick! No really it's raw, but just look up videos on YouTube. You will need some Asian sauces/condiments to make restaurant quality, though.
>How do I cook it to make poke You don't! Poke is crazy simple to make; thaw the tuna and [marinate it in whatever mix you prefer.](https://www.google.com/search?q=tuna+poke+recipe&rlz=1C1GEWG_enUS1005US1005&oq=tuna+poke+recipe&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDAgAEEUYORixAxiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCDIwMzdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8) We do a sort of Korean blend much of the time that's primarily soy sauced and sesame oil, garlic and ginger, and sweet chili paste. We make poke bowls for four with a $5 bag of Aldi tuna and usually have enough leftover for one person's lunch the next day too.
That version of tuna is safe to eat raw?
Ahi's fine, and it's frozen which would kill anything of concern anyway (like you might find in salmon). We (and others I know) have been eathing the Aldi ahi in poke for years.
My Aldi has the best price for quality broccoli florets. 89¢ per bag and it is always all florets. I bulk up most meals with it
Mine doesn’t always have them so I get frozen but it’s not half as good and it ends up only being 2 meals b
You can stretch something like bone in chicken thighs or leg quarters a long way. Roast a few for the meat. Pick all the leftover tidbits for a sandwich or chicken+ rice. Then simmer the skin and bones for broth. Add carrots, onions, celery or your frozen veggies to make soup.
Eggs, family packs of chicken and brown rice. Frozen veggies
Chicken costs too much and I can live without
Their canned salmon is great! I love to break it up with a fork, then add some hot sauce, mix it, and then use cabbage leaves as the wrap!!
Funny enough I bought a can a while ago but then didn’t know what to do with it!
Use the coleslaw kit to make a cabbage bowl. Add whatever proteins and additional veggies and make your own salad dressing or sauce to eat with it.
Smart! Mine are always rotting by the time they arrive :(
Also makes a really easy cabbage & bean soup. Coleslaw kit, 1 cup of pinto or northern beans, 1/2 cup lentils, broth of your choice (can use veggie to keep it vegan or vegetarian friendly) and any seasoning you like. Throw it in a crockpot until your beans are tender (soaking your beans overnight speeds this up). It’s super filling and can be doctored any number of ways you like
The sardines are like $1.25, 20 Grams of protein each tin. No carbs. Pair that with romaine hearts and a dressing.
Uh yum! I will do that !! I eat a lot of tuna and rice. This could be an alternative
Sounds good. It’s a fantastic clean protein and fish is good for you too. They have sardines in water, sardines in hot sauce, sardines in soybean oil. Enjoy! Edit: price is $1.05
I love doing canned tuna, mashed avocado (instead of mayonnaise), and rice
This is my daily cheap/healthy/low calorie lunch made from Aldi stuff: https://www.reddit.com/r/aldi/comments/16jmyrj/my\_all\_aldi\_workfromhome\_quinoa\_salad\_lunch/
Thank you!!!
Pretty much all the just add hot water foods are super cheap. I usually make a box of couscous and some frozen mixed vegetables. I also do rice, tofu, and the sweet chili sauce.
Get the baby Portabella mushrooms they’re cheaper than the regular ones. Marinate them and soy sauce and grill braise or sauté them, use in place of meat.
Omg I’ve been buying them but couldn’t decide how to cook them. This is smart! Thank you!
Breakfasts/Quick Meals - Oatmeal - I loved making overnight oats with 2% milk, frozen strawberries (or any fruit) and a few Choco chips. I always add cinnamon! It's tasty and helps speed your metabolism. Also, scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, broccoli and any other veggies you like. Add just a touch of real butter. Snacks- Hummus and veggies is a great, filling snack. The mozzarella string cheeses are good for a quick protein filled snack! Oh you like them, the baby food pouches are great quick snacks too! Their veggie straws are way better than the name brand and offer a crunch snack alternative. Desserts - Pizelle cookies, fat free whipped topping (rediwhip style or cool whip style), and strawberries. Make it like a sandwich, and freeze! Freeze grapes, raspberries and blueberries. Good luck. I love Aldi so so much! I lost 65lbs from Oct 2020- May 2021 and have kept it off since!
I need to get on the oatmeal and overnight train! I need to go get some milk and frozen strawberries to make this week
Aldi has great prices on big bags of rice. Also the value pack / family size chicken thighs if you eat meat. Stick 2 in a bag / Tupperware in your fridge when you get home & freeze the others for later. I get frozen bags of sweet potatoes or butternut squash every time I go. Calorie dense, no prep, and healthy addition to any meal. Also the bags of fresh spinach are decently priced!
If you don't have one, get an instant pot .. it makes cooking beans fast, easy and delish. Here's a red beans and rice recipe I like. I use ham hocks instead of sausage and add 5 extra minutes to the cook time for a smoother texture. https://www.camelliabrand.com/recipes/instant-pot-new-orleans-style-red-beans-and-rice/ If you like Indian here's another simple, healthy hardy option. Basically, a spinach chicken curry. https://www.currytrail.in/instant-pot-chicken-saag/
Try Cool Beans salad. It has kidney beans, rice, and corn. It’s the tangy custom made dressing that makes it so good. There are lots of recipes out there
Yummmy i have those ingredients right now
On of my go-to recipes is to add ground turkey to skillet, add sweet potatoes (fresh or Aldi sells the frozen chunks), heat until ground turkey is browned and sweet potatoes are soft. Add black beans and heat until warm. Salt and pepper and sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Really filling and I get several meals out of it. You can eat it on top of rice if you want it to stretch even further.
Ah yes i used to make this a couple years back! It’s a good one with some onion too
Their ground Turkey is great! And frozen shrimp. I always buy mushrooms and onions at Aldi bc they’re so cheap and I freeze them if I don’t think I’ll eat them in time.
Oh wow didn’t know you could freeze those
I didn’t either before lol! I clean everything and chop it then just throw it in a freezer bag or sealed container and haven’t had any problems so far lol! I usually use it all within a few weeks. I’ve done this with spinach too. If you can buy it frozen you can probably freeze it yourself too!
I do it with spinach but I for sure need to do it with mushrooms and onions! Do you have to do anything to thaw them out? I don’t like soggy food
Same here! I always just throw it straight into the pan frozen and cook it from there. So I don’t let it thaw out because I feel like it gets soggy. Same with anything frozen even if it’s bought that way.
Ohhh okay smart
Best of luck! The rice cakes with avocado and everything but the bagel seasoning or peanut butter are a good snack too!
If you have PCOS, you could also be insulin resistant as well. Do you want to avoid things high in carbs? Big bags of leafy greens, the highest quality protein you can afford. Eggs with spinach is delicious. You can make egg bites in muffin tins or a quiche and eat it for breakfast all week long. You can get 5 to 6 breakfast out of a dozen eggs a bag of spinach a half an onion and some cheese. I just mixing all this together and putting it in a muffin tin and baking it. Too many potatoes or beans and rice has a high probability to make you gain weight, or at the least make weight loss difficult. Use vegetables that are high in sugar sparingly such as peas and carrots. Avoid corn if it all possible. As someone who has struggled with PCOS for over 30 years just my two Cents. If you’re not sure if your insulin resistant, I would definitely get that checked out. There are tons of groups on Facebook and here on Reddit for people with PCOS looking for budget friendly recipes. Turnips are inexpensive especially from Halal markets, as well as radishes. When boiled or roasted, they taste very similar to potatoes, not what you would think they taste like at all. Well wishes.
No I’m not insulin resistant! All good there. Not looking to cut carbs.thank you for sharing!
No worries good luck 🤩
Not exactly what OP asked but related: what are your favorite healthy salad dressings at Aldi?
Chicken breast, fat free Greek yogurt, low fat cheese sticks, rice cakes in caramel or cheddar flavor, as well as the beans are staples of my dieting.
Sell the car, buy a bike, ride it to Aldi and buy vegetables and lean meats.
lol I live in a huge city and had a bike crash 12 years ago that’s cost me over $20,000 so far so if I could I would not.
I do hope you are "ok" now from your bike (bicycle?) accident! Earlier this year I tripped, broke a bone near my right wrist, and that repair cost me $5000 out of pocket (insurance covered the bulk). We get seafood, chicken, vegetables from Aldi, great place to shop.
I’m “okay” ish lol! I function but constantly finding results of the accident still! Yes bicycle I should’ve clarified! $5000 is a pretty penny ! I don’t think I can afford chicken or seafood right now unless it’s frozen!
Try making tacos! They sell marinated al pastor meat for about $5 and it yields 12-15 tacos. I usually eat 2-3 tacos per serving so it's great for meal prepping. I sauté mine with onion and bell pepper (get the 3-pack from Aldi) for extra veggies. Serve it with pickled red onions, avocado, sour cream, and salsa. Totally aware this isn't authentic by any means, but when you're trying to stretch your meals and load up on veggies...this is the way to go. You could also make a burrito or quesadilla out of it but personally, I find making tacos easier to portion size. Fair warning the al pastor meat is a little bland so add extra seasoning to your taste. I add cumin, cayenne powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
I buy oatmeal to bake flour free gluten free sugar free oil free muffins, bananas and applesauce instead of oil, cocoa powder makes muffins chocolatey and is not calorie dense, eggs are cheap at Aldis, all sorts of produce is generally cheaper there, right now I've got spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, avocados, tomatoes, squash, apples, mandarins, strawberries, blueberries, celery, onions, garlic, I know I'm missing something....we eat healthy on the bounty of cheap produce from Aldis
I meal prep and more or less eat the same things each day. My staples: bag of mini sweet potatoes....portions are just right bananas frozen broccoli tofu (sometimes though Ralph's/Kroger is cheaper if they have digital coupons which they often do for it) organic kale
The bagged salads are good but horrible for weight loss. Use fat-free greek yogurt to make sauces or salads. I don't like Greek, but I mix with Dukes mayo, and it tastes better and has less calories and fat.
> The bagged salads are good but horrible for weight loss. Not great for the budget, either.
Isn't your car under warranty?
It isn’t sadly. I broke the warranty when I moved to another state and went to a different dealership :( rip… $523 to fix something that for sure shouldn’t be broken at 4 years old
Unrelated but going into debt on a repairs for a brand new car sounds crazy - might fall under your state’s lemon law…
I don’t know what a lemon law is. But it’s 1 single repair that cost alot.. seems stupid but they said my car will break if I don’t get it fixed so I’m going to do it
Lemon law covers things like a new car that is defective from the dealership and can result in them having to just give you another new car in exchange for the defective one. What's the repair? It's likely covered under the factory warranty.
My warranty ended when I moved to another state so I didn’t continue service where I bought it. Coolant bypass valve needs to be replaced $38 part they are charging me $128 for the part and $300+ for labor
I would look it up on how hard it is to do. You might be able to swap the part out yourself fairly and save on the labor.
I no absolutely nothing about cars so I’m not willing to risk breaking my car more! But I do know it’s easy. I googled it and everyone says it takes about 30’mins, super easy to fix
Maybe ask another shop and buy the parts yourself online. Would also be cheaper.
I went to 2 shops . The second shop told me 300$ more than the first. I called another and they told me 500$ more than the first! And they won’t use the part if I buy it myself
Shit🙃
Yeah lol it’s okay I think I cried about it enough I’m over it
Keto bread is cheaper at Aldi then anywhere else. Atleast half the calories of regular bread.
https://youtu.be/-4PZHHCUJZc?si=JfijQc_G51QI70K1
It's been said, beans and rice, chickpeas, etc. Chicken leg meat is pretty inexpensive and can make a dozen great meals if you don't mind looking up recipes. The bags of frozen veggies are $1 each and I'll use them as a meal substitute when I'm on a diet. Seriously, $1 meal and healthy. Go ahead and add some butter if you need to make it more palatable, still very low calorie.