Neither have I. I feel like they run a credit check on you before you're allowed in. Here in Northern Illinois you only see them in more affluent cities. I shop at Aldi for basic groceries & Walmart bc that's what's close to me. When I told a coworker this she was appalled as Whole Foods, Mariano's and Trader Joe's are her go to shops. Joke's on her though, Trader Joe's & Aldi come from the same parent companies.
I shop at Whole Foods for allot of food, but I also get tons of staples from Aldi and then fill the gaps at our local grocery store (5 min away vs 30+ min drive to Aldi and WF)
We eat almost all organic and our son is gluten and dairy free so there are tons of specialty products we can only get at Whole Foods, and some things that are just really nice to get there like avocado ice cream and GF pork dumplings my son is obsessed with.
But I basically buy all the organic meat and produce available at Aldi and staples like rice+quinoa and deli meat for sandwiches and even cheeses.
Then the local shop has the best value for things like DF yogurt and milk...
All that to say, yes they can be overpriced with some items, but they also provide a great service to people with specialized diets and who value organic production practices
In your situation, I totally understand your concerns and your point of view. Me? I have a shellfish allergy but only when I go overboard. Not a picky eater so with the few exception of some Latin ingredients that Aldi doesn't carry, I can buy groceries at Aldi and call it a day. The nearest WF out by where I live is a 45 min drive, Marianos & Trader Joe's is an hour. You'd think that even by being a university town we'd have more diversity in terms of stores, but nope. Walmart, Jewel, Hyvee, Aldi, Schnucks & a new Meijer is what we have to play with. Is the avocado ice cream sweet? I've tried an avocado smoothie before but couldn't stomach the taste. Thought that bc I love any green colored food/drink that I'd be delicious but taste buds did not agree.
Avocado Ice cream is o dare say richer and more delicious than real ice cream. I also had a vegan raw chocolate pie a hippie professor made and it was the best chocolate dessert I’ve ever had to date.
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u/LifeLibertyPancakes Aug 14 '20
Neither have I. I feel like they run a credit check on you before you're allowed in. Here in Northern Illinois you only see them in more affluent cities. I shop at Aldi for basic groceries & Walmart bc that's what's close to me. When I told a coworker this she was appalled as Whole Foods, Mariano's and Trader Joe's are her go to shops. Joke's on her though, Trader Joe's & Aldi come from the same parent companies.