Keto Shopping at Aldi
/By Daisy Argudin
photo credit Aldi.com
Often foods that are marketed specifically for the ketogenic diet also come with a hefty price tag. If you haven't visited an Aldi store, you should. They have a great selection of keto items at very reasonable prices. None of their items have synthetic colors, added MSG’s or, partially hydrogenated oils. Their Simply Nature items are all non-GMO and many of them organic. They have a great guarantee that allows you to return an item, even if you tried it, and they will refund your money and replace the item. So, you don’t have to worry about trying something new and it being a fail.
They carry a variety of keto staples. From the moment you walk in you are greeted by a vast section of nuts and seeds. They have a vast variety of oils, our go to’s are the coconut and avocado oils, both cheap and organic.
The pure Irish butter is very similar to Kerry Gold but much cheaper. The fruits and veggies are always fresh. We use their organic pre-cut washed kale all the time for kale chips and if it gets close to expiring, we freeze if for smoothies. Avocados, do you even go in a store and not buy an avocado? Well, theirs are always cheaper than our other local stores. Some stores carry them precut and frozen, which makes them very versatile. Aldi has a huge selection of meats. We always get our grass-fed beef and organic ground lamb, for extra carnitine, here. The lamb at Aldi tends to be about half the price of other stores and we eat a lot of it. The cheese section is to die for. They carry many different types, many of them imported from all over the world. Smoked gouda is the best, a buttery cheese that tastes like it has ham in it, yum!
The sugar free uncured bacon is so good. They have many types of meat and cheese trays, which are always a good choice to grab and take to a gathering.
The uncured Hotdogs are great for those days when you need a quick meal. The macros work well for us Fat 11g, net carbs 1g and, 7g protein. They have been a good option when we travel and microwave them in our room. Cut the hotdog in half, place it in a cup of water and, boil it for a minute or 2, drain and serve.
One of our favorite meals includes Edamame (soy) noodles. The texture is very similar to wheat pasta. The macros on the label for 2 oz of the pasta uncooked are 3.5g fat, 7g NC and 24g protein. We normally use 1 oz of pasta and make a yummy pesto to go with it. The pesto consists of greens (spinach, kale, basil) olive oil, salt, garlic, and sometimes almonds or another mild nut, blended together. They also have a black soybean option with similar macros but my son isn't a fan of the black noodles.
In my keto kid's opinion, the keto breads are the best thing Aldi carries. They have burger buns which are delicious keto or not. The whole bun has just 2 net carbs! There is also a 0 Net carb sliced bread. The bread is nice to make French toast with. Lots of butter and our mock syrup made with MCT oil, maple flavoring, and a few drops of stevia complete the meal. They also carry keto bagels that aren't dense like some keto bagels and taste great with a little cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning on top. We realize not everyone can have these because it can lower your ketones but they are a great treat for those who can.
The single serving guacamole is delicious with the Aldi pork rinds for a balanced snack. They are a good size with 10 g of fat, 2g net carbs and, 1 g protein per serving. We like that they are single serving so we never have brown guac.
photo credit instacart
Aldi carries keto crackers that are very satisfying and have great ingredients like pumpkin seeds, almonds, and hemp seeds. They are higher in carbs with 5 NC per serving of 5 crackers, but for a small child a couple of them is enough. With 3g protein and 7g of fat you will likely need to pair them with a fat source as part of a meal.
These keto cookies are amazing and 0 NC, when you subtract the 6g od sugar alcohol and 3g of fiber. They wouldn’t be something to have every day but a few here and there would make a keto kid very happy.
Remember to always try new foods one at a time so that if your child has an increase in seizures, it may be easier to pinpoint the cause. If an item in store isn’t in the keto calculator you can ask your dietician to add it. If you happen to have an Aldi within driving distance it may be worth the trip to try some of these items for your family.
All opinions expressed in this post are my own and I have not been compensated in any way.