Foods You're Not Buying At Aldi, But Should Be

Aldi is making such a big push into the US market that even if there's not a store near you right now, there probably will be soon. Even if you do shop at Aldi regularly, there's a good chance you're missing out on some of these tasty finds. Let's take a look at some of the things you should definitely put in your cart the next time you head there.

Aldi shook up the wine world a bit when, after two weeks of sipping, tasting, and spitting, a group of wine experts named their Exquisite Collection Cotes de Provence Rose 2016 the best rose under £8 (via Today). It took home medals in other categories, too, and proved a good wine doesn't have to set you back a big chunk of change — only about $9.

The wine is made in France, and it was such a hit in Europe they took it on a global road trip. It's not certain just how long you're going to be able to get this particular wine in the US (and you may find the packaging for the US market looks a little different), but think of this as a foot in the door. It's proof Aldi wines are a legitimate option for special occasions or just with dinner, so pick one up!

It's no secret babies can be tough to please, and fortunately, Aldi hasn't forgotten your littlest family members. Their Little Journey line of products includes everything from diapers and baby wipes to treats for your tot, and bloggers who have tried Aldi's yogurt bites and puffs with the toughest critics — the little ones — report as much success as you can expect with picky young eaters. Bloggers like The Blissfully Exhausted Mama, The Penny Hoarder, and Sarah Fit were all impressed with the quality of Aldi's baby foods (and their other baby products).

Aldi polls their shoppers for feedback regularly, and in 2017, the Little Journey Yogurt Bites were voted among the best new products to hit shelves. That's means they've made a lot of happy babies!

In a perfect world, we'd have time to whip up a dessert every day, and not only would it be fat-free, calorie-free, and still delicious, but it would be made from scratch. Our world is far from perfect, though, and sometimes we just need the convenience of a boxed mix. They can be hit or miss, but bloggers like The Aldi Nerd and Food for Thought — A Literary Feast were surprised at how good Aldi's mixes turned out, and reviewers at Celiac-Disease.com say Baker's Corner mixes score big even when they're gluten-free. The Aldi Reviewer gave their funnel cakes a try and was impressed enough to suggest it, and Aldi Product Reviews says the only boxed brownie mix that might be better is Ghiradelli's. The next time you hit Aldi's, you should definitely fill the back of your kitchen cupboard with some Baker's Corner mixes for those dessert emergencies.

There are some days you just need an ice cream fix, but if you're trying to be healthy, grabbing a tub of Ben & Jerry's just isn't an option. Instead, you should be picking up some super-healthy ice cream options from Aldi.

Their Fit & Active ice cream bars come in flavors like chocolate fudge and orange sorbet, and they're creamy enough to satisfy your ice cream cravings with only around 100 calories and somewhere around a gram of fat. You'll also have to check out their Pueblo Lindo ice cream bars, and if your Aldi carries these products from their line of Hispanic foods, you might find coconut, mango, or strawberry options. They're made with real fruit, they're super-healthy. And seriously, sometimes you just need ice cream.

You definitely don't need a special occasion to put together a cheese platter, and with some of Aldi's specialty cheeses, you can make it an award-winning platter at any time. Check out their cheese line, and while you're there, pick up their Specially Selected Aged Reserve White Cheddar. It took home a gold medal from the 2013 United States Cheese Championship, and it's continued to win awards. In 2017, it was included in Aldi's group of award-winning products when it earned the American Masters of Taste Gold Medal Seal from Chefs in America, along with other cheeses like their Happy Farms Preferred Cranberry White Cheddar, Blue Cheese and Smoked Gouda wedges, and their apple smoked cheeses. You can put together quite the cheese platter with all those award-winning choices!

Choceur is one of Aldi's private brands, and if you love chocolate, you'll love Choceur. It's European chocolate, so that means it's richer, creamier, and — let's be honest — better than American-made chocolate. You're not going to be paying anything but Aldi prices here, so it's about time you picked up one of these over-sized bars as a special treat for grocery shopping day. No matter what kind of chocolate you like, Choceur makes it. There are the standard milk, dark, and white chocolate, but there are also fun flavors like dark chocolate hazelnut, rum raisin and nut, coffee and cream, and hazelnut cream. As always with Aldi, what's on the shelves varies by location, so be sure to check every time you go to see what's there.

We all know we should probably drink more water than we do, but it can be hard. It's easy to get discouraged when you take a look at what's actually in all your favorite flavored waters. There's usually all kinds of artificial ingredients and added sugar, but Aldi's Fit & Active drink line just might have what you need to motivate yourself to get hydrated. Take their lemonade flavored water, for example. There are no calories, fat, or added sugar, so that's a win! There are also sugar-free, super low-calorie drink mix options (with flavors like peach iced tea) if you'd rather mix something up to your own preferred strength, or you could go the liquid water enhancer route. Those are sugar-free, too, and with flavors like strawberry watermelon and raspberry lemonade, they're just what you need to make drinking water less of a chore.

Ask any coffee-drinker, and they probably have some very definite opinions on what's good, what's bad, and what they refuse to drink. Changing up your coffee routine can be a tough sell, but if you're not buying your coffee at Aldi, you should be. Reviews don't lie, and Aldi's Beaumont coffee gets enough good reviews that you might just be convinced to switch up your daily brew.

Coffee fans over at Chowhound were pleasantly surprised when they gave Aldi's coffee line a try, Fooducate rates it a top product (and commenters agree), and so do commenters on Amazon. Sure, we all like to spring for fancy coffee every now and then, but for daily use, you can't go wrong here.

Looking for something different to snack on? Love cheese puffs, but cringe at the list of ingredients? If all that sounds like you, you're definitely not alone — and you should definitely check out Aldi's Simply Nature Organic White Cheddar Puffs. They're officially for kids, but no one's going to tell if you pick up some for yourself! In 2017, these little puffs were voted Aldi's Product of the Year in the Salty Snacks Category, and those results were tallied from 40,000 customers. The bags are small, but we'll be honest — the same size that's a great snack for kids is perfect to go with your lunchtime soup or sandwich, and it's just the right amount of treat to make you feel like you're getting some serious bang for your buck. Plus, no orange fingers.

Juice can be one of the most deceptive of all the items you pick up on your regular shopping trip. There are a ton that masquerade as healthy but are full of added sugars, and that defeats the entire point. Sometimes you just want some juice, though, and you should definitely sneak a peek at Aldi's Nature's Nectar line. In 2012, the Berry Burst Juice was awarded Self magazine's Healthy Food Award for their drinks category (via The Shelby Report), and Nature's Nectar juices were heartily represented when it came time to announce the products given Aldi's parent tested, parent approved 2017 Seal of Approval. Their juice pouches were listed alongside their apple and mango juices, and since there's a ton of variety here, there's bound to be something for every member of the family.

What if we told you that Aldi has you covered when it comes to putting together a hot, hearty, delicious pasta dinner on those busy weeknights? They totally do, with their Specially Selected brand of pasta sauces. Not only did they take home a win in Australia's 2016 Product of the Year competition for sauces, but they have more variety than you might expect. There are different pasta sauces for each of the four major regions of Italy. Pick up one of each, and best of all, this is one meal idea that's going to keep in the cupboard for those nights when you're hungry but you feel like you just can't go complicated.

There's another noteworthy Aldi wine that you should be keeping an eye out for, and that's their Broken Clouds Pinot Noir. Not only did that wine take the Number 22 spot on Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Best Buy Wines for 2016, but Aldi customers echoed the sentiment when they voted the wine as a winner in the 2017 Product of the Year competition. Wine Enthusiast describes the 2013 as light and tangy, with hints of citrus and cranberry, while Aldi says the 2015 has notes of allspice, raspberries, and strawberries. No matter how much you doubt Aldi wines, you can't argue with so many wins and awards.

Winning awards from Aldi customers is an achievement, and so is taking top honors from a nation-wide organization of chefs. In 2016, Aldi's Priano brand Parmesan and Asiago cheeses were awarded gold medals in the American Master of Taste competition. Judging was done by an organization of 7,500 chefs, and you can't get a better recommendation than that! Both cheeses are aged for at least a year, and what's extra-special about these two? They're both made in America and according to the judges, you'd never guess they weren't a part of old European traditions. A glowing recommendation, indeed!