Anyone out there who regularly purchases food for kids – especially organic, healthy food – can tell you that grocery bills add up quick, even if the child you’re feeding is picky. I can only imagine how parents of teenagers feel when they stock up on food every week! When it comes to feeding Chase, we try to keep his diet well-rounded and full of fruits and veggies, healthy fats and protein. Of course this is easier said than done and while we’d ideally get greens in his belly a heck of a lot more frequently than we do, I’ve adopted a slightly more relaxed attitude about his eating because stressing out about it doesn’t do anything to improve his appetite and there’s definitely no forcing a toddler to eat if they aren’t interested.
That being said, Chase has developed some food and snack time favorites and there are certain foods I find myself purchasing for him on repeat. Ever since we began shopping at ALDI regularly, I feel like I am constantly discovering a new healthy snack for Chase that is both affordable and made with simple and often organic ingredients. We purchase a lot of our organic fruits and vegetables at ALDI in addition to their grass fed organic beef (another Chase fav!) but for today’s post, I wanted to share a roundup of five ALDI-specific foods Chase loves. (I can also vouch for the tastiness of all of these snacks… yes, even the pouches!)
Toddler Favorites from ALDI
- Clancy’s Original Veggie Straws
I first purchased these veggie straws when I saw another toddler snacking on them in the cart at ALDI as his mother shopped. Of course Chase saw this snack action happening and immediately pointed at the veggie straws in the toddler’s hands and said, “Blease! Blease!” (His version of “please” still begins with a “b.”) Naturally the veggie straws made it into our cart because I’m a sucker and if something with the word “veggie” on it even remotely interests Chase, I’m going to try it! And just like that, a love affair was born. The veggie straws are crunchy, salty and very tasty and pack well in a small Ziploc bag (they don’t crush as easily as other crackers). Though we treat them like chips (so they’re more of a “treat” snack), they’re definitely a favorite when we bring them out!
- SimplyNature Cashew Butter
Proceed with caution around this cashew butter because you will want to eat the whole jar in one sitting! Chase saw me snacking on a spoonful of the cashew butter a few weeks ago and seemed interested, so I made him a cashew butter and jelly sandwich. He absolutely inhaled it! I am always looking for ways to get Chase to eat more foods that contain healthy fats and this nut butter is one of his new favorites. In addition to sandwiches, he loves using it as a dip for apple and pear slices.
- Elevation Pure & Simple Apple Pie Bars
The Elevation Pure & Simple bars first attracted my attention thanks to their simple ingredient list. These bars remind me of energy bites I make for Chase that he loves (mainly dates, nuts and spices) and the apple pie flavor is his (and my!) favorite. They’re easy to throw into my bag at the last minute and work well as a delicious source of energy when Chase is hungry and we’re out and about.
- SimplyNature Organic Shells & White Cheddar
The SimplyNature Organic Shells & White Cheddar pasta is a hit with our picky little eater! I can often sneak riced cauliflower into the dish at the last minute which makes me happy since anytime I can get veggies in Chase’s belly, it feels like a small victory. I’m not going to lie, Ryan and I love this mac and cheese, too!
- Little Journey Organic Food Pouches
I love these pouches so much not only for the sheer convenience (organic fruits and veggies on the go!) but also the price. They come in a variety of flavors including Pear Apple Spinach, Apple Banana Strawberry Yogurt (Chase’s favorite), Apple Carrot, and Banana Apricot Apple Rice. I always have a pouch of some kind in my bag and Chase is a big fan of the Little Journey flavors!
ALDI Giveaway
And just in case you didn’t have the chance to enter the ALDI giveaway last week, you still have time to win a $250 gift card to ALDI!
To enter this giveaway, simply use the widget below and click here to find your local ALDI. A winner will be randomly selected first thing next Friday morning!
Good luck!
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We just tried the Little Journey Rice Crisps! They will become a staple in our house!
Ah! Love Aldi! Each time I go, I find something new that we love!
I shop at Aldi’s weekly and would love to win!
Great roundup! So many Aldi treasures. Besides the amazing organic fresh produce and snacks, I’m a fan of their reasonably priced fresh flowers.
Im always on the lookout for healthy snacks for my little guy. Thanks for the ideas.
I love Aldi! i get their produce, nuts, and chocolate.
I sneak riced cauliflower into my boyfriend’s meals. He’s 32, but it still feels like a victory nonetheless! Haha. Entered! Fingers crossed!
http://www.poweredbysass.com
I love the price on Aldi’s veggie straws. They are sooo good.
I shopped at Aldi for a party at was AMAZED at how cheap my whole cart was!
I’ve only been once but plan on going to a new store that opened nearby!
Love my local aldi… my second son is dairy free and loves oyster crackers… at our local grocery store they’re 2.50/bag … at aldi they’re 89 cents/bag! Love!
What great food ideas! I’ve always wanted to try Aldi!
I just recently started shopping at Aldi after hearing about it constantly through family members. I don’t know why I didn’t visit sooner! My grocery bill is cute in half and I love that their Aldi specific brands include simple, organic ingredients for such a great price.
I love aldi! We love the veggie straws too.
An Aldi’s just opened near my house! I can’t wait to try it!
Loving your Aldi posts! I haven’t shopped there in quite some time but I can’t wait to get in there and check out some of these items plus THE PRICES!:)
Great giveaway; I’d love to try Aldi’s
Before we found ALDI, my husband hated shopping at walmart cuz of the waiting lines, He loves doing the weekly grocery at ALDI now, we go there every week, my personal favorite is their coffee line 😀 and with their organic food variety, it’s a hit with my daughter.
ALDI is an awesome, affordable place to buy groceries for my family and I!
We get all of our groceries at Aldi every week! I have a toddler who is one month younger than Chase, so I’ve definitely tried a few of these snacks but will definitely have to try the Elevation apple bars the next time I go.
I love ALDI – a week’s worth of groceries for less than $100 and includes organic items – YES please!
I just started working near an aldi, now I will need to make a trip!
Love Aldi. Such a great way to keep our family on budget and lots of healthy options!
My husband and I love the shells and cheese! And we don’t have a toddler yet 🙂
I was surprised by a sale on sale prices in produce and got some great deals
As a college student, Aldi is such a wonderful place to shop! It’s always nice because if I forget my shopping list I can walk around the whole store easily and remember what I needed. I just stocked up yesterday on some great items. They even had Tsamma watermelon juice, which is quite a delicious post-workout drink! Thank you for sharing Julie!
Love Aldi….love that they don’t even offer plastic bags and basically don’t overwhelm you with tons of marketing and crazy ads.
Most importantly, it’s cheaper!
I heard they’re going to carry alocoholic popsicles? I’m keeping my eyes peeled!
Aldi is the best for saving money! I was looking for filet mignon for Valentine’s Day this past February and the flyer conveniently showed they would have some for the week and it would be on sale! SCORE! I went at opening that Wednesday to get the filet, but they didn’t have any. One of the employees there took my cell phone number and texted me when they got some in. I thought it was incredible above and beyond of her to do that!
I’m so impressed with the produce and variety of foods for the price! And it’s always been in good shape (no rotting berries or bruised apples).
I am so happy to see Aldi’s getting its time in the spotlight!! Well deserved and love to shop there for my family.
I love Aldi’s fancy cracker assortment. It’s the best for serving with a nice cheese plate!
I just recently started shopping at Aldi and we love it! I couldn’t believe how affordable it was compared to other grocery stores!
I just listened to a Ted Talk recently about decision making and they said that Aldi has far fewer products compared to a standard grocery store, basically eliminating the extra stress customers experience when overwhelmed with too many options. This in turn has increased Aldi’s sales. I thought that was really interesting!
I would love to try those Elevation bars!
https://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_choosing_what_to_choose/transcript?language=en
This was the Ted Talk that mentioned Aldi. 🙂
I love Aldi!
I love Aldis. Such a money saver and quality foods.
I love Aldo! There’s one 5 minutes from my house!
I just started shopping at Aldi and love the food but also love what it has done to our food budget!
the nut butters at Aldi are great!
Thank you for this! I’m always looking for ways to help my toddler eat healthy, wholesome foods!
I have shopped at Aldi for years and love it!
We just had a new Aldi open close by our house and I can’t wait to try it!
I love Aldi! Our location is super convenient and we get most of our weekly staples and organic snacks there.
ALDI is becoming more and more popular here on the West Coast-one just opened up near me, I’m going to need to pop in and give it a try! Thanks for the suggestions! My 2 year old would love all of these.
we love shopping at aldi! could really help with a little one on the way!
I love Aldi!! They have a great selection of fresh produce, and you never know what other cool things you’ll find there!
I love getting Kerrygold butter at Aldi!
I love shopping at Aldi! They have a ton of affordable healthy and organic products that my whole family loves!
We have an aldi nearby… agree there are lots of toddler options!
Love Aldis Great food at reasonable prices