The Best Aldi Buys For Your Next Picnic

One of the best ways to enjoy a good meal is to take it outside in the fresh air. Picnics are the epitome of peace, but the experience starts way before you sit down on that checkered blanket. First, you need a grocery list, because of all the things to bring on a picnic, food is probably the most vital. And Aldi, an innovative grocery store with German roots, just might be the best place to get all the food you need for your picnic basket.

Aldi prides itself on fresh, affordable food. Your money also goes further at this grocery store because of its simplistic business model that cuts costs. In addition to being budget friendly, the products are quality. Most of the food here is an Aldi exclusive brand, and you won't find artificial dyes or added MSG in any food with Aldi's name on it.

As an avid Aldi shopper and picnic lover, I've hand picked some of the best Aldi products to buy for your next picnic. Though picnics can be whatever you make them, you'll find most of these products can work together and compliment each other in quality and flavor. Happy picnicking!

The best picnics are the ones you don't have to cook for. Aldi is a great place to go for affordable ingredients, but the German grocery store also offers some solid pre-prepared food as well. A slew of rich dips and salsa await shoppers in the deli section, and the staple picnic salads, like chicken and egg, aren't too far away.

One of the best ways to add flavor and diversity to your picnic is to bring a few dips. Aldi carries your typical mild, medium, and hot salsa, but try out the lobster roll dip for something a tad more special. If you're not a seafood lover, the spinach artichoke dip from the store's Park Street Deli brand is thick, creamy, and offers a nice ratio of spinach and artichoke. For those dessert dippers, the cinnamon bun dip leaves no sweet tooth behind, and Aldi lovers are content to just eat it with a spoon.

The mayo-based salads that are inevitably at every cookout and potluck are also musts for a perfect picnic. Aldi carries a potato-egg salad hybrid that is great, along with a mustard potato salad and a plain steakhouse version. The store is also your one stop shop for some stellar pasta, tuna, and chicken salad. Those who want to play it safe can go with the plain versions, but the cranberry almond chicken salad adds a blast of flavor to a park picnic.

We're willing to bet that this pantry mainstay hasn't seen the inside of your picnic basket yet. Honey may be a go-to ingredient in a lot of kitchens, but it can be overlooked when it comes to simple snacking. In addition to being a natural sweetener, the flavor enhancer has a load of benefits, including being packed with antioxidants. 

Aldi's own Specially Selected brand of raw honey is a great picnic pick. If you have a taste for spice, the Berryhill Hot Honey the store carries seasonally is a necessity. The Berryhill Local Honey is a win, too, if you can find it in your local Aldi.

One of the best and simplest ways to use honey is as a condiment or topping. Take something you normally eat alone, like sliced fruit, cheese, or pretzels, and add a drizzle of honey for a boost of sweet flavor. The sweetness of honey is slightly different, yet complimentary to that of an apple slice. The rich umami flavor profile of brie is perfectly paired with a dollop of honey. Take a look at what is already in your basket — there's a good chance honey would make a great topping for a lot of your picnic choices.

If you're not bringing hummus and guac to your picnic, then is it really a picnic? The two popular dips are not only distinctly delicious, but they also offer daily servings of vegetables. Guacamole, made from avocados, and hummus, made from chickpeas, are both healthy fats and have a lot of fiber.

You'll find plenty of options for these two feel-good picnic aids in Aldi's deli section, but you won't have to make any hard decisions when it comes to the hummus. The grocery store's Park Street Deli brand includes a "quartet" of hummus, which includes plain hummus along with roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, and cilantro jalapeño flavors. As for guacamole, you can find plain guac with varying degrees of heat and texture. However, stepping out of your comfort zone and grabbing one of Aldi's unique flavors can have your taste buds signing. We're partial to the pineapple poblano guac, but the Southwest flavor, with roasted corn, black beans, and tomatoes, is a fan favorite as well.

Both of these thick, antioxidant rich pastes are great as dips. But they're even better as spreads for sandwiches. They add moisture to a sandwich while also adding to the flavor profile. Unlike mayo or other subtle spreads, the sandwich eater will certainly notice the presence of hummus or guacamole and appreciate their contributions.

There's no other food that's elevated during a picnic quite like the cracker. This seemingly dull snack takes on a whole new life when taken out of a picnic basket. There's just something about biting into a cracker while seated on a blanket outdoors that really brings the magic out of the crispy morsel. This is especially true for crackers from Aldi, as the store seems to take the product pretty seriously and has a nice selection.

The Aldi brand that reigns over the cracker section is called Savoritz, and we've picked out a couple of favorites for your consideration. Our go-to option is the assortment pack, which includes six different types of crackers. Interestingly enough, this variety pack doesn't come with the classic, Original Crisp crackers. Whether you go with the variety pack or the OG, both will have your cracker game on point come picnic time.

Part of the magic of the picnic cracker is that it ties all your other fare together nicely. If you've brought dip, the cracker becomes a scooping tool. Your cheese and meat need a base, and the cracker fits the bill. Bring an assortment of crackers to mix and match tastes and textures.

The best picnics have lots of odds and ends for casual grazing, and with the items we've highlighted here, you're well on your way to making a delicious charcuterie board. It's not the meats and cheeses that make a charcuterie board stand out, though, but actually the olives and pickles! These little powerhouses of taste can act as a palate cleanser in between bites, which is why they are often served alongside meals. They also offer a pretty great flavor all by themselves.

When it comes to pickles, dill is a popular way to go and Aldi's Park Street Deli dill pickle chips are thick and delicious. Spice lovers will salivate over the store's seasonal Atomic Spicy pickles, and fans of the Bread and Butter pickle variety might want to grab a jar of the BBQ-flavored pickle chips. If you're more of an olive lover, we recommend the Specially Selected stuffed olives. Either garlic or blue cheese stuffed, the extra umami flavor in each variety makes for tasty snacking.

Everything is better when cheese is involved, no matter how simple that cheese is. When it comes to Aldi's deli section, though, there are some pretty tasty artisan cheeses. These special cheeses can be found right alongside the varieties you're used to seeing in traditional grocery stores. Shredded mozzarella and cheddar next to sliced muenster and provolone are to be expected, but herbed cheeses and various goat cheeses are mixed in as well.

Aldi's Emporium Selection brand has some fantastic options for the discerning cheese lover. The brand's brie round is perfect for a picnic, topped with honey or eaten with an apple slice. The garden vegetable with sweet basil semi-soft cheese is a winner as well, and will add something unique to your picnic and palate. Smoked gouda has a different flavor from these others, but would make a great addition to a charcuterie board.

Lastly, everyone should eat more goat cheese! Goat cheese is strong in flavor and incredibly versatile. You can spread it on crackers, scoop it with fruit, and easily control the ratio of cheese-to-chip for the perfect taste combination. Aldi carries a few different kinds of goat cheese, including unusual seasonal flavors like eggnog. I find something new every time I explore the cheese aisle, so keep your eyes peeled for the unexpected!

For vegans and vegetarians, meat products are not a necessary addition to a picnic. However, a lot of people will surely appreciate hearty protein after a long walk to your perfect picnic spot. A trip to Aldi's deli section will offer up ample options in terms of meat, and we have some suggestions to ease that overwhelming burden of choice.

Aldi's pre-packaged trios of deli meat are an excellent option for people looking for variety. Instead of buying a few packs of different meats to load up a charcuterie board, one or two trio packs should cover it. Aldi's Appleton Farms prosciutto is an all-time favorite, along with the brand's salami trio pack. These two products make a great charcuterie pair.

The deli section in this quaint grocery chain offers more than just sliced luncheon meat, again setting itself apart from other stores. Their packaged, ready-to-eat pulled chicken is versatile, delicious, and incredibly simple. Use it as a topping with your dips, make an open faced sandwich on a romaine heart, or eat it by itself.

Sometimes all a picnic really needs is a bottle of wine and a couple glasses. Luckily, Aldi can help us out there too. Many (if not all) Aldi locations sell beer and wine, and they have quite the selection of wines on hand. In fact, wine is one of the best things you can buy at Aldi. 

I haven't come close to trying all of the wines available at Aldi, but their rosé and fruit-heavy wines give off major picnic vibes. Pacific Fruit Vineyards has a line of fruity wines, like pineapple and strawberry flavors, that are great for the novice. If you prefer something more sophisticated, Grande Alberone is an easy drinking rosé perfect for laying outdoors, ideal for picnicking. And the major perk? Both will set you back less than $10.

If you do want to bring some food along to keep your bottle of wine company, cheese is always a go-to pairing. Feel free to experiment with those aforementioned artisan cheeses, but some more basic cheeses, like brie, burrata, and swiss will compliment a white or rosé wine beautifully. Fruit is also likely to make for a nice compliment to wine, like strawberries and grapes. Crafting a fruit and cheese plate to accompany your wine has the makings of one romantic or relaxing picnic.

The largest section in a lot of Aldi locations is the produce section. Both organic and non-organic options can be found here, and you'll likely find a few fruits you may not regularly see in your usual grocery store. I have personally seen dragon fruit, coconuts, plantains, aloe, and papayas at my local Aldi on a regular basis. These exotic fruits may not be the best choices for a casual picnic, though!

Stock up on easy-to-eat fruit, like berries and grapes, for your picnic. Fruits like mangos and watermelon could be great additions, but you'll have to cut them at home for an easy picnic experience. Grape tomatoes and baby carrots are popular veggies for a spread, and you can throw in some romaine hearts to use as a dipping vessel as well. Pro tip: Wash your fruits and veggies before packing them. Not doing so is one of the biggest picnic mistakes people make.

If you're going to have a picnic, you'll need something to wash down all your other Aldi goodies. Water is always welcome, but you can also find something with a little more flavor at Aldi. If it's a sober celebration you're having, Waterloo's sparkling water mocktails make great wine and beer alternatives when saying, "Cheers!" with your friends and family. Aldi's own brand of flavored sparkling water is PurAqua Belle Vie Bold, and it comes in a number of fun flavors, like pineapple strawberry.

We don't blame you if you're looking for something with more than a hint of flavor, though, and Aldi has a ton of good juice options. The store's line of Super Fruit juices are a personal favorite. The Simply Nature Super Fruit juice comes in a glass container and is made from the juice of seven bold fruits. In a sea of sugary juices, this is a tasty one that isn't overpowered by sweetness.

The traditional grocery store chocolate aisle is wall-to-wall Hershey and big brand candy. The mainstream chocolates are more sweet than they are decadent, but Aldi plays a completely different chocolate game. The chocolate found here is European, and a lot of it is produced in Germany, a country known for its love of chocolate. The massive selection of the sweets is notable, especially when you consider how small the stores usually are.

Rich and smooth, Aldi's chocolate bars range from mild milk chocolate to dark chocolate with high cocoa percentages. Some fan favorites are the Schogetten bars that come with different filling flavors, like popcorn and caramel. Chocolate bars with nuts and chocolate covered fruit are everywhere at Aldi. The Choceur brand of dark chocolate blueberry açai is a personal favorite, their strong flavors combining pleasantly. It also doesn't hurt that dark chocolate and blueberries are both heavy with antioxidants!

Whether you save them for dessert or snack on them throughout your meal, these sweet treats are perfect for a picnic. Most chocolates break apart into optimal portions, making them ideal for sharing with loved ones or slowly snacking on by yourself. If your outing is scheduled for a long or hot day outdoors, just be mindful that your chocolate could melt if left unattended. Of course, then you'll be left with a liquid chocolate dip, perfect for strawberries!

Bread and rolls are often a go-to for picnics, but we're begging you to skip right over them and dive into Aldi's selection of baked goods. Though its limited offerings keep it from being among the very best grocery store bakeries, Aldi does impress with some of the dessert items tucked away in the bread aisle.

Usually located just past the produce, Aldi's shelves of baked goods are a treasure trove of pastries and fruit-filled sweets. Aldi pays homage to its European roots with danishes that are to die for. Choose from cheese, strawberry, or raspberry danishes for a very Austrian end to your picnic. If Danishes aren't your thing, you can also snag a variety of cheesecake flavors in the form of a sampler, or some frosted cinnamon rolls. Whatever pastry-adjacent dessert you choose, remember to save some room for the picnic's final act.