I save so much money on groceries by shopping at Aldi! Check out this two-week Aldi meal plan and save on your family’s food budget!
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 and I purchase our eggs from a local farmer. Many Aldis now carry grass-fed beef, so keep an eye out for that!
For the purpose of this meal plan, 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, gluten-free Aldi meal plan!
Most of the recipes listed here are gluten free, or you can easily adapt them to be so!
For many more easy, frugal dishes made with Aldi ingredients, check out Lauren Greutman’s meal plans! Each cookbook teaches you how to create 20 delicious slow cooker freezer meals!
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
Note: 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
Image by Live Renewed
Sunday
Breakfast: Southwestern frittata
Lunch: Crock Pot Cajun Tilapia
Dinner: Avocado Spinach Egg Salad sans bread or on a rice cake instead
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: Simple Mayo-Less Tuna Salad, tortilla chips or gluten-free crackers
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
Friday
Breakfast: Gluten-Free Sausage Balls, fruit salad
Lunch: Veggie and hummus plate
Dinner: Cheeseburger Tortilla Skillet with a salad
Saturday
Breakfast: Make-Ahead Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Lunch: Sugar Snap Pea Pasta Salad with Shrimp
Dinner: Crock Pot Baked Potato Bar
Still not so sure about Aldi? Check out these top 5 whole foods to purchase at Aldi!
Do you shop at Aldi? What are your favorite items to purchase at Aldi?
If you found this post helpful, you’ll also enjoy these:
Save Money and Buy Healthy Food at Aldi
Top 5 Whole Foods to Purchase at Aldi
7 Gluten-Free Dinner Made with Aldi Ingredients
Jennifer
Hi there! I’m hoping to send some sunshine your way by nominating you for The Sunshine Award! Your blog has been inspiring and encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing your story! Just click on this link to see what you need to do, if you choose to accept this award: http://wp.me/p2QS1L-au. Hope you have a sunshiney day! 🙂
Erin
Thank you so much, Jennifer! I am so honored! Here are the answers to the questions:
1.) What passion inspired you to start writing your blog? I have loved writing since…before I could do it! I have always wanted to write, and writing on the blog has been the one “hobby” I’ve ever stuck with!
2.) Name the things that impede your progress in writing your blog posts.
Facebook 😉 I get way too easily distracted!
3.) Who is your favorite historical character (secular or sacred)?
Secular: Louisa May Alcott or LM Montgomery
Sacred: Jesus
4.) What three things would you change immediately if you were made president?
end abortion
increase teacher salaries
provide better educational programs for the poor
5.) If you won a free shopping trip to the store of your choice, where would you go and what’s the first thing you would buy?
Ha! I don’t like to shop, but I think I would love to win a free shopping trip to somewhere like Trader Joe’s. I would buy a year’s worth of groceries!
6.) Who is one Hollywood actor you would like to have lunch with (someone who is still living)?
Maybe Candace Cameron? This took me a while because I don’t really admire many in Hollywood. LOL
7.) Name one skill you have that you really love.
writing 🙂
8.) What moment in your life are you most proud of?
giving birth (x3)
9.) What new food(s) have you tried recently? Did you like it or not?
Trim Healthy Mama chia “tapioca” pudding–love it!
10.) Describe your progress on your own journey toward health and wellness.
We use next-to-no conventional medications now and eat mostly whole/unprocessed foods…but I struggle with exercise. I want to get better with that!
Nikki
I love Aldi too. I just wish:
1. They would stop spending money on so much advertising. It trickles down into the prices of the products they sell and we end up paying more.
and
2. I wish they took credit cards!
Erin
I am surprised about the advertising! I see the ads in the store but not much else. Do they have commercials? (We don’t have regular tv–just netflix.)
I have actually been thinking that I wish they DID have a bigger ad budget–b/c a lot of companies will pay bloggers to advertise, but Aldi doesn’t seem to! OR–they know I love them so much that I will just continue to advertise for free without them having to compensate me! Ha!
Mine takes debit cards. Does yours? When I first started shopping there about 9 years ago, they didn’t…I’m so glad they do now!!
Nikki
Oh! And I have not had much luck with a lot of their beef (other meats were o.k.) and their fresh produce.
Krista
Aldi just released their ad for the week of May 28th. They just added Simply Nature organic coconut oil! Mine says 14 oz for $4.99.
Katie May
I don’t see a 2-week Aldi meal plan and I don’t see a hyperlink either. I am interested in seeing this, help please?
Tattooedmomma
I don’t see a link either!
Amy
We shop mostly Aldi, we have a garden and my husband and daughter hunt. I love these meal plans but spread the recipes out as my husband will not eat chicken more than once a week. We have fresh fish, wild turkey, or venison. Our Aldi stays clean but runs out of certain things on sale due to small store owners buying it all.
Laura
I love Aldi too. Just be aware that their spices are not gf. If you are gf for personal reasons, it probably doesn’t matter, but if you have Celiac disease or NCGS they should be avoided. 🙂
Erin
Thanks for the heads up! I will have to double check labels. I know that they have everything GF clearly labeled, which helps!
Josh Gillespie, Esquire
i love it. it would be great if i didnt have to open every single recipe and compile a grocery list though. This takes me a few hours.
Frances Quinn
Wow! This is the best ever Aldi meal plan that I have seen….will be doing it!
I am on WW and I can see how to use this plan with a few easy modifications to stay on my diet! But my family is not on WW so I am always struggling on creating meal plans that I can eat but that they will enjoy too! They will love this plan! Plus we love Aldi! Fyi it’s our favorite place to get fish…tilapia & salmon are so yummy! Thanks so much!
I hope you do more of these!
Erin
I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful!
Britt Dama
Hey there, You’ve done a great job. I’ll definitely digg it and personally recommend to my friends. I am sure they’ll be benefited from this web site.
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Ellie
Good morning,
After reading your excellent post, I think I can make it work for me. I like Aldi’s too. But I haven’t been buying groceries on my own during the covid emergency that we have had to go through, and my choices are my son’s choices that he buys. My son has been helping me out. But recently I have been going shopping with his presence. So I’ll be going back to Aldi’s as soon as I can. I’m hoping that they will carry more Vegan products for my consumption. That would be great. By the way I’m 87 and I plan on staying in good health!
Fiona
Hi Erin My name is Fiona and I’m from New Zealand I filled in this form earlier but I think I put an incorrect e-mail address I have now corrected that. We don’t have an Aldi here but I just carry on.
Thank you
Fiona