I Have to Cross the Canadian Border to Shop at Aldi—Here Are the 5 Things I Always Buy

I live about an hour away from the US border (about an hour and a half to my favorite Aldi location, but who’s counting?). I’m a food nerd and am thrilled at the idea of spending a day in the US shopping at some of my favorite grocery stores. I enjoy the fascination and delight of discovering cool, new products (there is so much more variety in the US).

As a savvy and price-conscious shopper who also values quality, I love coming home feeling like I won the lottery with my $100 bag of exciting groceries. There are always great finds at Aldi, especially on Wednesdays. But over the years I’ve discovered a few favorites that make it well worth the almost 2 hour drive any day of the week.

Park Street Deli Dill Pickle Chips

My mother was Polish, so I have to caveat this section by confessing that I was born with pickle brine in my blood; and it requires regular upkeep. Aldi’s dill pickle “chips,”—the fresh, not fried potato kind—are crunchy, snappy cucumber rounds with a tangy, garlicky, dilly brine. They come in resealable plastic tubs akin to everyone’s favorite, Grillo’s. But I might even like them better. 

They level up everything from sandwiches and burgers to basic crackers and cheese, and are, quite frankly, fire on their own. They are just the right amount of pickle for all your pickle needs and leftover brine makes a great marinade for chicken tenders or a fantastic vinaigrette. If you even just like pickles, do yourself a favor and beeline to the refrigerated deli section and pick up as many quarts as you can carry.

Park Street Deli Buffalo Style Cauliflower Dip

This fiery spin on Buffalo chicken dip substitutes cauliflower for a vegetarian take on a cult classic. Don’t let the name fool you, though. There’s nothing healthy about this veggie dip. The first ingredient is Neufchâtel cheese, with cauli coming in later on the list. But it’s in there, and that’s got to count for something! Besides, we’re not buying it for the fiber. We’re buying it for the flavor. And it certainly has an abundance of that. No matter the cauli-power, it’s a craveably punchy, creamy dip perfect for dunking celery, cucumber, carrots, or pita chips into.

The 5 Groceries I Only Get From Aldi

Park Street Deli Dark Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus

Sometime in the last few years, hummus migrated to the sweet side. Even though I’ve made my share of black bean brownies and chickpea blondies, I never thought I’d be a hummus convert. But Aldi’s dense, fudgy dip appeases brownie batter cravings with chickpeas and coconut milk instead of empty carbs. It’s the perfect spread on fruit and buttery, toasted sourdough when that mid-afternoon slump hits. And even though it’s not actually that sweet, my kids feel like they’re eating frosting.

Millville Protein Pancake Mix, Oat Variety

Protein is the macronutrient of choice these days, with the uptick in trends around cottage cheese everything, baked oatmeal, and eggs cooked in a myriad of interesting ways. But I love a good carb. And I’m also someone who really has to make an effort to get enough protein in my diet. So a “just add water” mix that delivers 14 grams of protein is an easy weekday breakfast win. 

Pro tip: for thicker pancakes, cut the water down by at least a quarter cup. And I’ll let you in on a bonus protein hack–swap the water for half a cup of Greek yogurt, then add in just enough water to get it to the right consistency. Not only do they give buttermilk pancake vibes, this easy swap brings the protein up to 25 grams.

Happy Farms Whipped Cream Cheese Spread

Since discovering whipped cream cheese, I will never go back to block. But the cost of this airy spread in Canada will knock your socks off, and not in a good way! An 8-ounce container of whipped cream cheese costs $1.99 at Aldi, but a whopping $4.48 at Walmart in Canada (the discount store!). Even with the exchange rate, it’s clearly a much better deal. 

But our price feels especially hard to swallow because, according to America’s Test Kitchen, whipped cream cheese is also less expensive to make. Did we not get the memo up here or is there something fishy going on? When hitting up Aldi, you bet I stock up on this Philadelphia copycat. Then I come home and smear it with abandon over still-warm bagels and cinnamon raisin english muffins fresh from the toaster. 

With one-of-a-kind discoveries that never break the bank, Aldi makes crossing the border to shop a fun, exciting, and valuable excursion that keeps on giving for weeks to come.