Frozen Food You Should Be Buying At Aldi

Sometimes, frozen foods are where it's at.

If you've been shying away from the freezer aisles because of their bad reputation, we've got good news. Researchers from the University of Georgia (via Tufts University) found that while the nutritional value of fresh and frozen produce is actually extremely similar on the day it is bought, after five days, it is the fresh produce that loses a lot of its vitamin content! 

And if you're not looking for produce, other frozen products are great to have on-hand for nights when you just don't have time to cook from scratch (and don't want to hit up the drive-thru). 

Aldi, which has some of the most competitive prices around, is a great place to stock your freezer. While prices differ slightly depending on location, you can be assured you're getting better prices on most products than you will at other stores. And, as if all that wasn't enough, there are some truly mouthwatering options to choose from in Aldi's frozen aisle. If you're not sure where to start, try picking from some of our personal favorites.

These are the frozen foods you should be buying at Aldi.

So, we love mint ice-cream enough to eat a pint-a-night, but we know that's not the healthiest of nightly snacking options. Still, if you can't resist heading over to the ice cream aisle every time you're on a grocery run, consider this seriously good ice cream Aldi sells at a seriously good price (around $3 per pint), without all of the guilt usually associated with this frozen treat. 

The brand offers a mint chocolate chip, chocolate, and vanilla bean flavor and they're all really good, but we're going to go out on a limb here and give the mint chocolate a double thumbs up. It's a great  alternative for your Ben & Jerry cravings — the brand claims the delicious treat will help you increase your protein intake (which you should be doing), without adding to that daily calorie intake we're all so worried about.

Aldi's Protein Pints are also a lot cheaper than most other healthy ice creams, giving popular brands like Halo Top and Enlightened run for their money. 

Don't shy away from the frozen fish section of the grocery store any longer, because several sources and reports have begun to suggest that it may actually be of better quality and a lot fresher than whatever's been sitting out there on ice at the store. Besides, the American Heart Association says those who ate some fish every week were at lower risk of heart disease. They also found that the best way to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acid is a dietary approach over pills and supplements, so if you're not already trying to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acid, perhaps you should.

As always, there's something in Aldi's freezer that will help you out. They have a range of inviting frozen fish options but among our favorites are these Specially Selected Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon Fillets. They're full of flavor, easy to prepare, light on the pocket, perfectly proportioned — and if all that wasn't enough already, it helps that they're pretty healthy too, since salmon is also high in omega-3.

Hash brown patties are an extremely convenient breakfast option... if you buy them ready-made. If you've ever tried to make them yourself, you'll know that all the peeling, grating, straining and squeezing, and then waiting close to 45 minutes for them to bake, isn't exactly the quickest way to start your day. 

Instead, pick up a box of Season's Choice Hash Brown Patties from Aldi. Not only is this box delightfully priced at just under $4, but there are also 20 whole patties in one pack. Imagine all the money you're saving by picking these over the dollar-a-piece option at McDonald's. Sure, it takes longer to bake these, but they're easy to pop in the oven while you're getting ready.

These hash brown patties are really tasty, and they're perfect as a to-go breakfast option on their own, or as a side for something a little more fancy.

Whether you're following a gluten-free diet or not, we know the mention of gluten-free pizza isn't usually met with "ooh's and ah's" of delight. This isn't really surprising because most gluten-free crusts taste terrible, and ruin the indulgent idea of digging into a cheesy slice. And usually the trouble you have to go to just to locate a gluten-free pizza isn't worth all the hassle — especially when you factor in the disappointment you'll face after that first bite. 

Aldi's LiveGfree gluten-free pizza option, though, is good enough to pick up even if you're not limited to foods without gluten. While Aldi doesn't have a magic solution for all of the pizza problems their gluten intolerant customers face, but they do have some respite at this store because the LiveGfree brand recently introduced a wide range of delicious new frozen foods to their already impressive selection.

As an added bonus, not only does the LiveGfree Pepperoni Pizza at Aldi not taste like sawdust, the entire pizza only costs about $5. If you've done much shopping for gluten-free foods, you know that's an amazing price that simply can't be beat.

You should definitely be including more fruit in your diet, but it's not always easy to keep a steady stock of fresh fruit around. Sure, there's always fruit juices, but focusing on eating whole fruit will help you get the most out of it, including the dietary fiber that your body needs to stay healthy. If you're tired of fruit going bad but scared to lose nutritional value by picking fruit-based alternatives that last longer, invest in some frozen fruit — Season's Choice Frozen Berry Medley from Aldi in particular. 

Luckily, it doesn't really matter whether fruit is frozen or fresh, and while fruits like apples and bananas are best bought fresh (and last longer), Season's Choice Frozen Berry Medley from Aldi are perfect frozen too — they're very easy to use over cereal or to defrost and eat plain, contain plenty of that fiber we were talking about, and taste just as fresh and sweet as the real deal. 

It's not always easy, but it is important to make sure your diet includes enough vegetables — the American Heart Association recommends at least five servings a day and of these, and frozen vegetables definitely count toward that goal, which makes our lives easier! 

Thanks to quick-freezing technology that ensures your food can be frozen without it losing all its nutritional value, you can now indulge in frozen vegetables to make your day just that much easier (and cooking much, much quicker!). Aldi's Season's Choice Steamed Mixed Vegetables are one of our favorite products from Aldi's frozen section, not only because they are super cheap (just like most other items from Aldi), but they're also ready in a jiffy and taste just as good as fresh produce. Aldi's Season's Choice Steamed Mixed Vegetables a great option for everything from a quick stir-fry, to a casserole, or even as a simple side dish to serve along with dinner.

There's nothing quite like picking a packet of chicken out of the freezer and having it ready in a matter of minutes, no seasonings needed! The Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips from Aldi may come in a resealable bag, but we're not sure you're going to need it after you taste them.

All of the Kirkwood frozen products are usually cheaper than similar options from name brands, and Kirkwood Crispy Chicken Strips in particular are increasingly popular with their customers, so we just had to try them — and we're hooked! 

At 190 calories a serving, it's perfectly indulgent without making you feel too guilty. They're also quick and easy to prepare, and although they are better oven-cooked, unlike some other brands, they taste pretty good out of the microwave too, making them our favorite for when we're craving some tenders and don't want to wait for the oven to preheat!