We all food shop, in one way or another: Some of us pick up things as and when throughout the week; some of us religiously do a weekly shop on a weekend, others may order online. Although I work with brands and get a lot of products sent to me regularly, creating numerous recipes every month means I shop a lot for the other ingredients.

I pop in to Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Holland & Barrett sometimes, but my supermarket of choice is Aldi. I find it so reasonable and love the range of things on offer, particularly the special buys when it comes to gluten-free, healthy or baby products. I asked on my Instagram Stories if anyone would be interested in me sharing some of the key essentials I get every week – and 74% of you said yes!

I’ve divided the products into different sections and made a note of what I stock up on (some aren’t pictured). Totalling everything together, it costs about £35 which is so affordable and means the cupboards, fridge and freezer is full for a few days at least 🙂

STORECUPBOARD

Butterbeans
Kidney beans
Chickpeas
Sweetcorn
Tomato puree
Chopped tomatoes
Passata
Coconut milk
Packets of cooked rice & quinoa
Almond milk
Chia seeds
Coconut oil
Dried fruit
Nuts and seeds
Rolled oats
Herbal teas
Cinnamon
Paprika
Garlic powder
Cumin

Pulses, chopped tomatoes/passata, rice, herbs and spices form the basis of many savoury meals so these inexpensive staples are always in the basket. If I run out of coconut oil sent from a brand, Aldi’s own jar costs a mere £2.29 so is perfect for anyone wanting to use it in recipes without spending a fortune! Dried fruit (prunes, apricots, raisins), nuts and seeds (walnuts, pumpkin seeds), almond milk, rolled oats and chia seeds also feature a lot in my recipes so these are a real bargain. I absolutely love the cooked rice and quinoa pouches (79p!) to throw into a salad or serve with a chilli when time is short.

FROZEN

Huge pack frozen berries
Frozen smoothie mix
Frozen diced onions
Frozen sliced peppers
Frozen garden peas
Brown lentils with tahini
Quorn mince

Although I buy a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, there are some things I prefer to buy frozen so they last longer and retain their vitamins – plus when it comes to chopping onions, peeling and cubing butternut squash and slicing peppers, these are my time-saving essentials! I get through so many frozen berries so this huge pack at under £3 is a steal and lasts ages, while the smoothie mixes are fantastic and I love that there are interesting varieties. Oh and the sweet potato fries are not only insane but gluten-free too, hooray!

I cook a lot of vegetarian dishes and swap out regular mince for Quorn, so it’s great that Aldi stock this (along with the Pieces and Fillets). I’d recommend looking out the Brown Lentils with Tahini too – I use ½ of this and ½ Quorn mince to form the base of a bolognaise but it’s just as delicious served alone as part of a salad as it contains chunky tomatoes, generous slices of red onion and a subtle tahini seasoning.

CHILLED

Greek yogurt
Skimmed milk
Cheese
Feta
Falafel

I buy a lot of dairy-free products from Tesco (this is something Aldi could expand on) but I still eat dairy so stock up on fat-free Greek yogurt, cheese and milk to keep in the fridge. It’s not pictured here but the Moroccan and Mediterranean Falafel are so delicious and cost under £2 for a generous pack so look out for those! Ready to eat or can be baked.

GROCERIES

Stir-fry vegetables
Celery
Courgettes
Mushrooms
Sweet potatoes
Potatoes
Bananas
Apples
Pears

These are my usual go-to fruit and veggies although I also throw in things like broccoli, aubergines, parsnips, citrus fruits – it depends on what’s in season, what I’m mashing up for Tom of his meals and also what recipes I’m working on that require fresh fruit and vegetables. Again, all are very cheap and are the basis for our meals – one of my favourites is a very simple lentil dhal.

BABY

Baby wipes
Nappies
Baby food
Baby wash
Snacks

Finally, for the parents reading this, Aldi do a great range of baby things. The pouches are handy (although it would be great to see more variety) and the fruit purees come in different blends or single fruit flavours. Tom loves the healthy snacks – they make great on-the-go finger food options) and meals occasionally, while I find the nappies to be the best we’ve tried and really cheap for such a big pack. The sensitive wipes are fine for his skin and at 60p are an essential for any nursery and/or changing bag.

Extras: Chewing gum, sugar-free sweets, no added sugar fruit squash, diet lemonade and of course, cleaning products all feature on the weekly shopping list.