I don’t keep it a secret: I love Aldi.
My love affair with the discount grocery chain began during my newlywed days. My husband and I were struggling to figure out how to make our budget work, and a friend tipped me off on how much she saved by shopping at Aldi.
Aldi? “Get real”, I thought. “Is it dirty inside? Is the food really…good?”
But I was delighted when I discovered that the food did indeed exceed our expectations and that our misgivings about the grocery store were unjustified.
Back then my menus of the day consisted of creamed soup casseroles, boxed shells ‘n cheese and frozen dinner rolls.
When we began our transition to eating whole foods I worried that I’d have to give up my beloved Aldi!
Not so!
I soon discovered that shopping there with our new dietary preferences slimmed down our grocery budget even more!
Our grocery budget has ebbed and flowed over the past few years–from those days we could barely make it month-to-month to the little more wiggle room that we have now.
The one constant is that Aldi is always my very first stop when I make my grocery shopping rounds.
I have heard from readers that Aldis vary drastically in both their cleanliness and the quality of their offerings. My Aldi offers fresh produce, a full line of organics and a neat and clean environment.
I know not everyone has this luxury, but for those who do, I have created a 2-week Aldi meal plan. My intent of this plan was to create a menu that someone who only shops at Aldi could use.
A few disclaimers:
I personally do not do all my grocery shopping at Aldi. There are about three different grocery stores I frequent, and I also purchase some food from local growers and order some from Amazon and Vitacost.
You can read this post to find out what items I personally purchase at Aldi. You will notice that I do not purchase meats like chicken, pork or eggs there. I do not personally eat pork, I get antibiotic-free chicken at another store (or via Zaycon) and I purchase our eggs from a local farmer.
Aldi does not regularly carry grass-fed beef, but they do occasionally offer it. When they do, I stock up!
For the purpose of this meal plan, though, I have included all whole meats.
If you are in the position to either choose plain chicken OR frozen, breaded chicken nuggets, then get the chicken that you know isn’t the best choice but it is much better than the alternative.I am a firm believer in the fact that sometimes better is our best when it comes to food choices under restrictive budgets.
Also, some of these recipes may require you purchasing oils and spices elsewhere–or you can always make your own homemade spice mixes!
Without further ado, check out this 2-week Aldi meal plan!
Week 1
Sunday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, side of fruit with freshly-squeezed orange juice and/or organic milk/almond milk and coffee
Lunch: Crockpot Paella , organic side salad
Dinner: Ham and cheese rolled up, organic carrots sticks with peanut butter, organic apple slices
Notes: Our family usually eats a bigger lunch and a lighter dinner on Sundays since we attend church in the mornings. If you do not, you can always switch up lunch and dinner on this menu!
Monday
Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with almond or organic dairy milk, topped with frozen organic blueberries and chopped walnuts
Lunch: Leftover Crockpot Paella
Dinner: Lemon Garlic Tilapia
Tuesday
Breakfast: Creamy Clementine Smoothie, bacon, scrambled eggs
Lunch: Organic spinach salad topped with canned tuna or salmon, organic cherry tomatoes, organic carrots and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil
Dinner: Ground Beef and Zucchini Skillet
Notes: Stock up on Aldi’s grass-fed beef when they offer it as a special sale, to use in this recipe. The zucchini and potatoes will not be organic. I would leave out the corn, as the Aldi corn is most likely GMO.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, side of fruit with freshly-squeezed orange juice and/or organic milk/almond milk and coffee
Lunch: Leftover Ground Beef and Zucchini Skillet
Dinner: Slow Cooker Roast Chicken , bacon-wrapped green beans and oven-roasted potatoes
Notes: This meal will not be organic.
Thursday
Breakfast: Blueberry-Banana Smoothie, scrambled eggs
Lunch: Baked sweet potato topped with butter and a side of canned salmon
Dinner: Easiest Chicken Tortilla Soup Ever, side salad of organic lettuce, organic cherry tomatoes and avocado wedges
Friday
Breakfast: Triple Berry Smoothie, omelette with chopped ham and spinach
Lunch: Leftover Easiest Chicken Tortilla Soup Ever
Dinner: Cauliflower Crust Pizza with a salad
Saturday
Breakfast: Thick Peanut Butter Smoothie, scrambled eggs, side of fruit
Lunch: Rice cake peanut butter “sandwiches” with raisins and organic apple slices
Dinner: Lemon Greek Chicken with organic side salad
Week 2
Sunday
Breakfast: Southwestern frittata
Notes: Stock up on Aldi’s grass-fed beef when they offer it as a special sale, to use in this recipe. You should be able to find the rest of the ingredients for this recipe at Aldi, but it will not be organic.
Lunch: Crock Pot Cajun Tilapia
Dinner: Avocado Spinach Egg Salad sans bread or on a rice cake instead
Image by Live Renewed
Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, side of fruit with freshly-squeezed orange juice and/or organic milk/almond milk and coffee
Lunch: Veggie and hummus plate
Dinner: Herb Chicken Skillet served over brown rice with a side salad of organic lettuce, organic cherry tomatoes and organic carrots
Tuesday
Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with almond or organic dairy milk, topped with frozen organic blueberries and chopped walnuts
Lunch: Leftover Herb Chicken Skillet
Dinner: One Pan Salmon & Veggie Bake
Wednesday
Breakfast: Thick Peanut Butter Smoothie, scrambled eggs, side of fruit
Lunch: Leftover One Pan Salmon & Veggie Bake
Dinner: Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
Thursday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, bacon, side of fruit with freshly-squeezed orange juice and/or organic milk/almond milk and coffee
Lunch: Rice cake peanut butter “sandwiches” with raisins and organic apple slices
Dinner: Herb & Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken
image by Live Renewed
Friday
Breakfast: Southwestern frittata
Notes: Stock up on Aldi’s grass-fed beef when they offer it as a special sale, to use in this recipe. You should be able to find the rest of the ingredients for this recipe at Aldi, but it will not be organic.
Lunch: Veggie and hummus plate
Dinner: Cauliflower Crust Pizza with a salad
Saturday
Breakfast: Triple Berry Smoothie, omelette with chopped ham and spinach
Lunch: leftover Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Dinner: Mexican chicken pasta skillet
6 Steps To a Naturally Clean Home {Plus 48 recipes}