I follow the Mediterranean diet and spend $40 a week at Aldi. Here are my favorite things to buy for just myself.

Kristan Schiller

2024-01-31T12:05:01Z

Clear plastic container of spinach in green cardboard box; Red container of California raisins with graphics of green grapes and raisins on the front — I stock up on ingredients that fit into the Mediterranean diet at Aldi. Kristan Schiller

As someone who follows the Mediterranean diet, I love grabbing essential ingredients at Aldi.
I spend $40 weekly and purchase items such as tilapia, vegetables, and Dakota's Pride beans.
I always buy Southern Grove mixed nuts and California raisins to make my own trail mix.

Each week, I make the 15-minute drive to my local Aldi in Cleveland to stock up on groceries.

I'm a single shopper on the Mediterranean diet, which my doctor recommended because I've inherited high cholesterol from my parents.

As a faithful pescatarian of about 10 years, I'm a huge fan of Aldi's fish and legume options.

Here are a few essentials I buy at Aldi each week.

I love the variety of fish I can choose from at Aldi.

Shelves of seafood including salmon and cod at Aldi — Aldi's shelves are usually stocked with plenty of fish, including salmon. Kristan Schiller

I love grabbing all sorts of fish from Aldi, including cod, salmon, and tilapia.

Out of the three, tilapia is my favorite. Each package contains two huge fillets, which I use for various dishes.

I'll usually make what I call tilapia tikka masala, which uses a myriad of Indian-inspired spices.

Alternatively, I'll sometimes coat the fish in olive oil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper and fry it in a pan on medium heat.

A package of tilapia is about $5 to $8 at my local store.

The Tanimura & Antle artisan lettuce is great in a simple salad.

Four clear plastic packages of Tanimura artisan lettuce on shelves at Aldi — The Tanimura & Antle artisan lettuce pairs well with onions and raisins. Kristan Schiller

I also love the Tanimura & Antle artisan lettuce. Each container comes with four small heads of leafy red lettuce.

When making a salad, I tear about half a head of lettuce into small pieces and toss it with red onion and raisins.

The lettuce pairs especially well with the Specially Selected Greek vinaigrette.

At my location, a container of Tanimura & Antle artisan lettuce costs about $2.

I grab several cans of Dakota's Pride beans each week.

Several blue and yellow cans of garbanzo beans in green cardboard boxes at Aldi — The Dakota's Pride beans are an essential for my cowboy caviar. Kristan Schiller

The Dakota's Pride beans from Aldi are a staple in my diet, and I usually buy six cans a week. I typically pick up the black, garbanzo, and great northern varieties.

I use them in my homemade cowboy caviar, which keeps in the fridge for about a week.

First, I drain the beans and combine them with chopped garlic, olive oil, vinegar, chopped onion, parsley, and halved grape tomatoes.

Sometimes, I squeeze lemon on top just before serving.

Cans of beans are from $0.70 to $0.90 each at Aldi.

Aldi has plenty of veggies to choose from.

Clear plastic containers of Simply Nature spinach in green cardboard box; Clear plastic containers of broccoli in cardboard box at Aldi — This week, I grabbed spinach and broccoli. Kristan Schiller

I often buy kale and Simply Nature baby spinach from Aldi.

Most times, I'll throw these veggies in the wok with olive oil and garlic powder for a quick dinner.

I also like to get green beans, asparagus, or broccoli to fry with olive oil for a simple side dish or meal.

If I get carrots, I'll slice them in half the long way and braise them with olive oil and sage over low heat.

The baby spinach is about $2, and broccoli is usually just under $2 per container at my local Aldi.

I buy nuts and raisins to make my own trail mix.

Clear container of mixed nuts with a black and purple label; Red container of California raisins with graphics of green grapes and raisins on the front — Southern Grove mixed nuts and California raisins complement each other in homemade trail mix. Kristan Schiller

When I need a pick-me-up, one of my favorite snacks is a cup of homemade trail mix, which I make with the Southern Grove deluxe mixed nuts with sea salt and California raisins.

The mixed nuts come with almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, and macadamia nuts.

I mix half a cup of each into a large mug or bowl for a healthy, easy snack.

A 30-ounce container of nuts costs $12.80, and raisins are $4.70 at my local Aldi store.

POM juice is great in a mocktail.

Red box of three clear bottles of deep-red POM juice — POM juice adds the perfect amount of sweetness to my mocktails. Kristan Schiller

Because I don't drink alcohol, the POM pomegranate juice is essential for my go-to mocktails.

I pour about a third of a cup of POM into a glass of sparkling water, which I also get from Aldi, for a refreshing drink.

A bottle of POM is about $2.30 at my Aldi.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

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