Aldi Foods You Need To Try Before You Die

If you're visiting an Aldi grocery store, you know not to expect any frills or luxuries. You'll need a quarter to rent a shopping cart and and you'll need to pay for shopping bags unless you bring your own. Additionally, you are expected to bag your own groceries. In exchange for the lack of amenities you'd find at other grocery stores, you can expect to pay rock-bottom prices at Aldi. For many people, saving money is easily worth the few inconveniences.

However, what's often lost when talking about the low prices at Aldi and their unique shopping experience is the fact that they have some amazing food items. If you were to die tomorrow before trying these foods, it would be a crying shame. Do what you can to make sure that doesn't happen.

Aldi estimates that 90 percent of the food items they sell are their own exclusive brands. While not all of the food you can find at Aldi is worth tasting, there are items that you owe it to yourself to try at least once in your life. Here's the definitive list of all the Aldi foods you should add to your bucket list.

While Aldi has European roots, that doesn't mean they haven't also mastered American foods. Their Southern Grove Cajun Trail Mix tastes like you bought it at a small specialty shop somewhere in the middle of Louisiana. It features honey roasted sesame sticks, butter toffee peanuts, roasted corn, almonds, and more. The trail mix combines a sweetness and a spiciness that usually only true Cajuns are brave enough to try. If you're looking for a snack for your next hiking trip or just need something to satisfy your case of the munchies while at the office, this is the stuff you should grab.

If you're a vegetarian, or if you're simply trying to eat more plant-based burgers, the Earth Grown Black Bean Burger is a game-changer. Not only is it inexpensive at Aldi, it tastes unbelievably good. This vegan-friendly burger is made with wholesome ingredients including black beans, brown rice, corn, potato flakes, onions, and chipotle pepper. Heat it up and eat it like you would a beef patty and you'll be stunned by how good it tastes. Once you're tried it, don't be surprised if you turn to this bean burger whenever you get a craving for a burger.

Cheap wine usually tastes cheap. That's not the case with Broken Clouds Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir from Aldi. This award winning wine may be inexpensive but it has a rich, smooth flavor. While you can bask in the fruity notes of cherry and rhubarb, the depth of this wine will surprise you. In fact, the depth makes this a wine that is best to enjoy all by itself in order for you to truly revel in its excellence. You won't be able to find a Pinot Noir that provides better bang for your buck. It's not possible.

Deutsche Küche Bavarian Bratwurst arrives in your local store from Aldi's backyard in Germany. You can taste the expertise that goes into creating these mouthwatering bratwursts in each bite you take. While these bratwursts will look whiter than you may expect, especially if you're used to American bratwursts, once you've finished cooking them to a golden brown, you will know from the smell that you have discovered something great. Before your final day has arrived, be sure you take at least one bite of a Deutsche Küche Bavarian Bratwurst.

The fantastic thing about the Specially Selected Shrimp and Crab Ravioli is just how much seafood Aldi packs in each ravioli. You won't be short-changed when it comes to the amount of shrimp and crab you get in your frozen bag of goodness. To prepare this dish, simply add the ravioli to boiling hot water for a few minutes. After it has drained, the pasta will be perfectly tender, the seafood within will have the optimal texture, and all you will need to do next is to pick your pasta sauce.

While Aldi has a huge selection of chips, the one that you will be unable to stop eating is Clancy's Sour Cream and Onion Baked Potato Chips. Everything about these chips is impressive. The sour cream has a bold flavor and the potato chip itself offers a hearty flavor, while the oniony aftertaste takes the entire ensemble to the mountaintops. Clancy's Cheddar and Sour Cream Ridged Potato Chips is another option that will make you an Aldi fanatic for the rest of your days.

Asian salads bought in grocery stores are usually too sweet and too reliant on wonton strips. At Aldi, try the Little Salad Bar Asian Chopped Salad Kit for something refreshingly different. This salad has green cabbage, red cabbage, kale, lettuce, green onion, carrots, thinly sliced almonds, and the right amount of wonton strips. Add the included sesame dressing that is sweet but not too sweet, and Aldi will become your go-to stop for a yummy salad kit. Whether you add in chicken, or eat this salad as is, you'll be hard pressed to find an Asian salad this good even at a restaurant.

It can sometimes be difficult to eat enough protein each day. If you hate protein powder and gag at the thought of eating another protein bar, drive to your local Aldi and purchase a box of Elevation by Millville Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars. Not only will these protein bars supply you with 21 grams of protein, you also get a total of 23 vitamins and minerals in each bar to keep you healthy. And best of all, your taste buds will approve. A word to the wise: Don't expect your box of four protein bars to last for more than a day or two.

Vegans and others who don't eat meat haven't lived until they've tried Earth Grown Chickenless Tenders. You won't believe that these breaded tenders are completely meat-free yet still have nine grams of protein and taste just as good as regular chicken tenders. Dip the tender in ketchup or the condiment of your choice (although, honestly, ketchup is best for these things) and you will have a healthy and savory meal you didn't think was possible when you originally went vegan.

If you consider yourself the Michael Jordan of cookie dunking, get your paws on Benton's Chocolate Chip Dunkers for your ultimate reward. Just do it, you'll be thankful. Dunking these cookies in milk is a good idea for a dunking rookie. If you want to take it to the next echelon, use these dunkers to jazz up your morning coffee. Sure, you might get addicted, but it will be so worth it. Benton's Chocolate Chip Dunkers are good enough to eat without being dunked in liquid. That said, dunking brings out the very best in these cookies.

While there are a lot of good salsa brands on the market, don't forget about Aldi, especially if you want an organic option. Simply Nature Organic Thick & Chunky Hot Salsa is cholesterol-free and fat-free along with being USDA certified organic. This salsa is legitimately hot, and comes with healthy chunks of tomato, onion, and various types of peppers. Aldi sells this stuff in medium or mild, but now is not the time to be chicken. Get some of this hot salsa before your life is done to add some spice to your daily grind.

If you're living a gluten-free life but want some oats for breakfast, head to Aldi for their liveGfree Gluten-Free Quick Cook Oats. Even if you don't care one way or another about gluten, these oats are so yummy that you'll come back for more. They cook quickly, just as the name implies, and you can then add your favorite mix-ins. Raisins and blueberries go especially well with liveGfree Gluten Free Quick Cook Oats. Mixing in cinnamon and brown sugar is also a surefire hit.

Greek yogurt has a healthy amount of protein and calcium. The problem is that it, well, tastes bad. Thankfully, Aldi has a solution: Friendly Farms Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt. This yogurt not only contains protein and calcium, it's also nonfat and has a refreshing taste. 

The fact that it's plain makes it a versatile option for breakfast. You can add berries, you can add granola, you can use it to make smoothies, or do just about anything else to it that you can imagine. You can even use it as a secret ingredient in a lot of tasty dishes. Just be sure you don't wait too long before you make this Greek yogurt a part of your daily routine — you're missing out.

Do you want some of the tastiest pork carnitas on the planet? Head to Aldi. Park Street Deli Pork Carnitas are ready for you to shred. The pork was first seasoned, then seared, and finally mixed with citrus flavoring before it was slow cooked. This meat is fully cooked — all you need to do is heat it up and prepare yourself for a pork carnitas feast that will satisfy you to your soul. While you're at Aldi, don't forget the tortillas, avocado, and pico de gallo. Plus, you can't go wrong with some tortilla chips and salsa on the side.

Aldi has a treasure trove of cookie options to pick from. Benton's Fudge Marshmallow Cookies is one option that you should try before you're a ghost. It all starts with a chocolate cookie that is made with real cocoa. That cookie is topped with a pillowy layer of marshmallow. The last step sees a layer of decadent fudge added over the top of everything. The result is phenomenal. While the chocolate is delicious, the marshmallow also deserves a round of applause, as its texture remains perfect even though it remains hidden away until you take your first bite.

Imported directly from Italy, you can't get much more authentic than Priano Asparagus Risotto. Even if you have family that still lives back in the old country, they would struggle to find something more authentic in one of their grocery stores. Priano Asparagus Risotto is easy to make and even if you typically dislike asparagus, it's impossible for you to be unhappy with this Italian dish. You owe it to all your ancestors to give this Priano Asparagus Risotto at least a taste or two.

Another big hit at Aldi is their Pueblo Lindo Fresco Cheese. This is a better version of that white cheese you find inside of Mexican dishes at restaurants. Pueblo Lindo Fresco Cheese is definitely good enough to eat by itself. Simply slice off a piece and shove it in your awaiting mouth and you'll be fully satisfied. That said, it's also perfect for making quesadillas, putting in burritos, or stuffing inside of chili peppers. Additionally, you can melt it over some pinto beans or black beans — or use it to make authentic Mexican nachos.

Burger King has some tasty chicken fries. But if you want an even tastier version that will cost you less money, drive on over to Aldi and look for Kirkwood Chicken Fries in their freezer section. If you've never had chicken fries, you might be surprised to learn that there are no potatoes harmed in the production of these fries. Instead, a chicken fry is simply a breaded chicken breast that has been shaped into the shape of a french fry. While it may sound like a needless invention, cook up a plate of Kirkwood Chicken Fries and you will be blinded by the light.

Considering how inexpensive it is, the Cattlemen's Ranch Bacon Wrapped Chuck Tender Filet is something that may change your eating habits for good. You could eat this meat every day and still be below your monthly food budget. While you will need to spend some time grilling it to perfection, it's difficult to go wrong with a filet that is wrapped with bacon. No matter how you prepare it, you will be satisfied. That said, nothing quite compares to the taste that you can get by cooking it outside on a barbecue grill.

If you love lemon-lime soda and you love pound cake, Aldi has a marriage you will enjoy called Village Bakery 7 Up Cake. As the name suggests, this is a cake that was made with 7 Up. The cake itself is incredibly moist. The icing hits hard with flavor but it's an enjoyable punch. You'll first taste sweetness, followed by extreme lemon-lime goodness. While you can't consume this soda cake with a straw, you will have a hard time eating just one piece. If you want your soul to reach lemon-live nirvana, eat a slice or two of this 7 Up cake while drinking a 7 Up.

Not all of the great chocolate at Aldi comes from Europe. Choceur Dark Chocolate Covered Superberries Blueberry Acai is made in the United States and it's still really, really tasty. The dark chocolate is bitter but not too bitter, especially once you taste the blueberry-flavored center. The entire package has 850 calories, so you'll want to pace yourself. That's especially true if you haven't yet tried all the Aldi foods on this list. It'd be a total shame to die unless you have completed that yummy mission.