Aldi Foods You Should Get Your Hands On Immediately

Aldi is not your average grocery chain, that's for sure. Its combination of budget prices and quirky European charm have earned it legions of devoted fans worldwide. If Aldi is your go-to grocery, you'll probably admit that there is just one problem with this store — they make it almost impossible to stick to your shopping list. How many times have you told yourself, "This time I really am going to just dash right in and grab a gallon of Aldi's super-cheap milk – and okay, yes, another case of Winking Owl" — and then an hour later there you are at the checkout, pushing a cart loaded high with European chocolates, imported cheeses, and maybe even a few of those irresistible Special Buys like a scented candle or some patio furniture?

Well, as long as you're roaming those aisles, here are a few must-try foods available only at Aldi. Try one or try them all, you're bound to find a few you'll fall in love with, and even the ones you're not so crazy about won't set you back more than a few bucks.

Whoever invented the everything bagel was just a genius, no denying that. Onion, garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, caraway... who knew it would all work together so well? And yet, it does — these bagels are positively addictive. And sadly, one gigantic calorie and carb bomb — the average deli bagel is a diet-busting 350 calories with at least 50 grams of carbs, according to Fox News. These bagel skinnys, on the other hand, have only 110 calories each and 23 grams of carbs, according to Fooducate. As to how they taste, well, Aldi customers customers voted with their feet (and their carts), and the L'Oven Fresh Bagel Skinnys were selected as one of the best new products of 2020.

Mussels aren't a type of seafood that appeals to everybody. There's no denying they've got a stronger, brinier flavor than entry-level shellfish such as shrimp and scallops, and they're seldom served battered and fried, which is often the gateway to clam and oyster love. If you do happen to be a mussel fan, though, you're going to love Aldi's frozen mussels. At under $3, these made Insider's list of "8 cheap things you can buy at Aldi that taste expensive." Aldi's Specially Selected Mussels are available in plain and garlic butter varieties, but our favorite is the mussels in tomato garlic sauce. Toss these with some linguine and in minutes you'll have a dish that tastes just like something you'd spend $20+ on at an Italian restaurant.

Another item on that Insider list of expensive-tasting (yet cheap) Aldi items is the Little Salad Bar Pineapple Poblano Guacamole. They called it "the perfect dip" with "the perfect amount of spicy and sweet," and this Instagram user concurred, claiming the spice and sweetness take plain veggies (or tortilla chips, for those of us who are less pristine eaters) to the next level. Their verdict on this Aldi find: "It is ABSOLUTELY #delicious and a staple in my household...I cannot live without it!"

Oh, and this guac's only got 17.5 calories per tablespoon, so even if you go crazy and eat the whole 8-ounce container, that's still only 280 calories and you won't have to skip the rest of the day's meals to compensate for this single splurge. (You will have to go back to Aldi to buy another container, though. Such is the price you pay for overindulgence.)

How much fun is this funnel cake kit? And it costs less than $3, according to Hip2Save. This kit contains not only the funnel cake mix but also a plastic pitcher perfect for pouring out the batter. All you'll need to do is add some water, mix it up, and drizzle. Oh, and probably heat up some oil, as well, since these fairground favorites aren't the kind of thing that lends itself to being prepared in an air fryer.

Once you've finished making your delicious funnel cakes (try them topped with this Specially Selected Raspberry Fruit Spread for a treat that's 100 percent Aldi-licious!), you get a fun little bonus, since the pitcher can be repurposed as a small watering can or a kiddie bath toy.

This yummy sparkling lemonade is another item that comes with a bonus, although it's worth buying just for the way it tastes. One Reddit thread consists of nothing but raves, while PureWow suggests the pink variety — the lemonade comes in both pink and yellow — be mixed with vodka for a delicious, and inexpensive, summer cocktail.

Yet another Reddit thread, however, revealed that this lemonade would be worth buying even if you just wind up pouring it down the drain (perish the thought!), as it comes in cool flip-top glass bottles that are actually more expensive if you buy them (empty) on Amazon. If you're a homebrewer or fan of DIY kombucha, you should definitely check out this sparkling lemonade — just be sure to sanitize the bottles extremely well before re-purposing them, since you can never be too careful when it comes to avoiding any risk of food poisoning.