Keto at Aldi! My top 10 low carb foods to buy at Aldi {Plus 5 to get somewhere else}

I have made it no secret that I LOVE Aldi! It’s my number one tool for getting quality food on a shoestring budget. For the majority of their products the quality is as good as, if not better then the name brands.

Anyone following a low carb or keto diet may have felt the strain in their pocketbook. Keto diets are generally heavy in meats, full fat cheeses, nuts and fresh produce – none of which are known for their low price tag. Plus coupons for these items are few and far between.

     

If you are new to Aldi, here are a few things that you need to know before you go:

1. Be sure to take a quarter. In order to get a shopping cart, Aldi requires a 25 cent deposit. This eliminates the need for the store to pay workers to gather carts and also helps to ensure that the carts aren’t stolen or damaged.
2. Along with the quarter, take some reusable bags. Aldi does not provide bags, this is another way they cut costs and provide cheaper groceries. Don’t worry, if you do forget your bags they sell them at the register for 10 cents each 🙂
3. On the topic of bags – be prepared to fill them yourself.  The cashier will not be bagging your groceries for you, but they do provide a bagging area.
4. Expect little to no brand selection. The majority of the foods you will find in an Aldi store are in house generic. As I mentioned above the quality is almost always great, but if generic bothers you Aldi may not be your best bet.
5. Produce and fresh meat quality can vary significantly from store to store. I have 2 Aldi stores within about 8 miles of my house. 1 has amazing produce and meat, the other seems to get the short end of the stick. If you try one, and it’s less then ideal, consider trying another store in your area (if that’s an option)

So now that you have an idea of what you can expect while shopping in an Aldi let’s get to it!

Here are my top 10 keto friendly foods to get at Aldi:

1. Nuts – Aldi has an AMAZING selection of nuts and so far i’ve never gotten a bad one 😉 To top it off, their prices are significantly less then conventional grocery stores
2. Pork Rinds – I am not a huge pork rind eater, but I like to have them on hand for a quick snack. Aldi’s pork rinds have only 2 ingredients – fried pork skin and salt. They also come in a spicy variety which is really good. Best of all, they are only .99 cents for a full size bag! That’s 50% less then the name brands!
3. Eggs – Eggs are a staple in many Keto diets and for good reason. One egg packs a HUGE punch and has perfect keto macros. The price of eggs will vary at Aldi, but they are always far less then my traditional grocery store. The only downside is they usually limit you to 6 dozen at a time, and with a family of 7 – 6 dozen goes fast!
4. Bacon – Aldi has a great selection of bacon to suit every need. They have a traditional bacon, thick cut bacon, turkey bacon, and uncured bacon – all at prices less then traditional competitors. We usually opt for uncured bacon, but they are all tasty.
5. Organic avocados – Aldi avocados are my favorite. The organic variety come in a multi pack (usually 4-5 per pack) and they are pretty small. That may sound like a bad thing, but I love it. One of these avocados is a perfect serving size, so I can eat it all in one sitting without worrying about wasting the leftover. At my Aldi, the organic multipack is $3.99 – that is an AMAZING price here in Indiana.
6. Butter – We go through an INSANE amount of butter here. I would put money down that we could rival Paula Dean – that’s how much butter!  Aldi has traditional salted and unsalted butter for $1.75 per pound and they occasionally carry Kerrygold for $3.99 for 1/2 pound.
7. Coconut oil – Another keto staple, right? Coconut oil can be super pricey – especially for quality oil. At Aldi, you can get organic, virgin, unrefined coconut oil for $4.99!!! Nope that is not a typo 🙂 
8. Hemp hearts, flax seeds (whole and milled) and Chia seeds – These are all great sources of fiber and protein on a keto diet. The prices obviously vary based upon the variety you choose, but again the price is far less then what I could get elsewhere.
9. Specialty cheeses – Aldi carries lots of gourmet cheeses which haven’t let me down yet. My favorite is the pesto marinated fresh mozzarella, but they also have great feta, and brie.
10. Pesto – Aldi is the holy grail of low carb pesto as far as I’m concerned. Their traditional pesto comes in at 2 grams of total carbs for a 2 tbsp serving. Not only that, it tastes amazing.

So now that you know what you need to get at Aldi, let’s talk about the things you should pass on:

1. Cream Cheese – Aldi cream cheese comes in at 2g carbs per serving, compared to Philadelphia’s <1g per serving. This isn’t a huge deal, but unfortunately the texture of Aldi cream cheese is a little rubbery and it doesn’t spread well at all. I’m no food scientist, but it seems like they are using fillers that jack up the carbs and cut down on the creaminess.
2. Low Carb Snack Bars – I’m sorry for this one guys because, in all honesty – these bars are delicious. Unfortunately they all contain maltitol, which effects blood glucose almost as much as sugar and could potentially kick you right out of ketosis. Another draw back – the digestive side effects. I will spare you the details – but trust me it’s not good. For a better alternative TRY THESE INSTEAD – They are all natural, delicious and only 3 net carbs per bar!
3. Almond Milk – This is a similar issue to the cream cheese. Aldi’s unsweetened almond milk comes in at 2g of carbs per serving. This isn’t huge, but I prefer to stick to the lower carb, name brand for this one.
4. Nut Butters – Unfortunately, at this time – Aldi doesn’t carry any sugar free nut butters. This is heartbreaking because their peanut and almond butters are so much cheaper then traditional stores. You can check out my favorite peanut butter HERE!
5. Stevia – Aldi’s stevia brand has 2g of carbs PER LITTLE TINY PACKET! I don’t know about you but I do not want to waste 2g of carbs on a little stevia. I prefer THIS LIQUID STEVIA to powdered. It is pricier, but one jar will last for a really long time!

So there you have it! I hope that I convinced you to give Aldi a try! Obviously the price and selection will vary from region to region, but I think that anyone can save money at Aldi. If you go, let me know what you think and if you find any other good deals!

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