13 Aldi Produce Finds That Are Actually Better Than the Competition

Shoppers flock to Aldi for its selection of affordable private-label items. But did you know this store also has low-priced, high-quality produce?

The cost of groceries is on the rise, and we've got the best Aldi hacks for saving money on your shopping list. 

Stop rushing past the fruits and veggies just to get to the latest Bake Shop goodies or the newest gourmet Burman's BBQ sauce. 

The fresh foods you'll find in the produce aisle are just as craveable. From mouthwatering mangoes to perfectly priced peppers, we rounded up the best bargains right now.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Price: $2.09

Baby Bellas are widely viewed as a gourmet delight. But you don't have to buy this fancy fungi in a specialty store. Aldi sources these cute mushrooms from regional growers, like this under-$3 find from Pennsylvania.

How much can you save on this produce pick? We found the same Baby Bellas for 90 cents more ($2.99) at The Fresh Market.

Baby Bellas are also known as cremini mushrooms, and they're actually the same species as common white button mushrooms and portobellos, just picked at a middle stage of maturity. 

That extra time on the shelf before harvest gives them a deeper, earthier flavor than button mushrooms. 

Mushrooms are also one of the few plant-based sources of vitamin D, especially when exposed to light during growing, along with B vitamins, potassium, and antioxidants like selenium.

Price: $1.05

Skip processed sweets and indulge in nature's candy. Mangoes are more than just a tasty treat. They contain fiber, potassium, antioxidants, and vitamin C. Slice the juicy fruit and serve it with fresh berries, bananas, or a green salad. A mango at Kroger will run you $2.50.

Mangoes are considered the most widely consumed fruit in the world, with people eating them for more than 4,000 years since they were first cultivated in South Asia. 

India remains the top producer today, followed by China and Thailand, though most mangoes sold in the U.S. come from Mexico and Central America. 

A single mango provides a substantial dose of vitamin C and vitamin A, along with smaller amounts of copper and vitamin B6, all while staying relatively low in calories for how sweet the fruit tastes.

Price: $4.39

Don't sleep on this "berry" good deal. One pound of this fresh fruit is a steal at $4.39. For reference, Target sells the same quantity for $4.99. Eat these strawberries straight from the container, mix them into cereal, or bake the sweet selection into a shortcake.

Despite the name, strawberries aren't technically true berries. They're members of the rose family, and what looks like seeds on the outside, roughly 200 per fruit, are actually the plant's true fruits, called achenes. 

California grows the vast majority of the country's strawberry crop, and the fruit is one of the richest fresh sources of vitamin C around, with about eight strawberries providing more of it than a whole orange.

Price: $3.25

This six-count bag of avocados is a versatile buy that you can whip into a quick guacamole, spread over rustic sourdough bread, or chop into a healthy salad.

Fans of this fruit know how quickly it turns grey and goes bad. That makes these minis the perfect size for smaller families.

Avocados are botanically a fruit, not a vegetable, and they stand out for containing heart-healthy monounsaturated fat along with fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, E, and K. 

Half an avocado actually contains more potassium than a medium banana. To ripen a hard avocado faster, place it in a paper bag with an apple or banana for a couple of days, since the ethylene gas the other fruit gives off speeds up softening. 

Once cut, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice on the exposed flesh helps slow the browning that happens from oxidation.

Price: $2.89

Don't confuse these minis with something spicy like jalapeños. The smaller-sized peppers have a refreshingly sweet flavor. And bonus, the colorful assortment adds a festive flair to salads, soup, burritos, and more.

Mini sweet peppers are typically a specific cultivar bred to stay small and sweet, without the bitterness sometimes found in larger bell peppers. 

They're notably rich in vitamin C, with just two or three peppers often covering a full day's recommended value, and they're low in calories and free of fat and cholesterol. 

Because they mature fully while still compact, mini peppers have thinner walls and fewer seeds than standard bell peppers, so they need almost no prep beyond a rinse before snacking, stuffing, or tossing onto the grill.

Price: $1.94

No time to drive out to a farm stand for fresh zucchini? No problem. You can pick up this multi-pack of squash from Aldi's produce aisle. 

The under-$2 price for two or more makes this item an affordable alternative. With the money you save, snag a tub of Emporium Selection Shredded Parmesan Cheese ($3.09) to sprinkle on top.

Zucchini is technically a summer squash, harvested while immature and still tender-skinned, unlike winter squash such as butternut or acorn, which mature on the vine and develop tough shells. 

It's mostly water, which keeps it low in calories, at roughly 20 calories per cup, while still providing a good amount of potassium and vitamin C.

Most of the vegetable's vitamin A is concentrated in the skin, so it's best to leave it unpeeled whether you're grilling, roasting, or sautéing it.

Price: $4.75

Get your daily dose of vitamin C with these oranges. Peel and eat the citrus fruit, juice it, or use it to make a zesty marinade.

Why choose this Cara Cara variety? These have a sweeter and slightly less acidic flavor than conventional navel oranges.

Cara Cara oranges were discovered by chance in 1976 on a Washington navel tree at Hacienda Cara Cara in Venezuela, where a natural mutation gave the fruit its distinctive pink flesh. 

That pink color comes from lycopene, the same antioxidant that gives tomatoes and grapefruit their red hue. 

Beyond vitamin C, oranges in general provide fiber and are sodium free, while the Cara Cara variety in particular has become popular in the U.S. since the 1980s for its low-acid, subtly berry-like flavor.

Price: $4.39

Make meals for days with this 5-pound bag of yellow potatoes. Slice these into thin "chips" and air fry the potatoes, toss them with olive oil and bake them, or boil flavorful minis and mix them into a savory salad.

Yellow potatoes fall into what cooks call the all-purpose category, with a starch and moisture content that sits between waxy potatoes like fingerlings and starchy ones like russets. 

That balance is why they hold their shape well when boiled for salads but still turn creamy when mashed or roasted. 

The most well-known type, Yukon Gold, was actually developed in Canada in the 1960s as a cross between a wild South American yellow potato and a North American white potato, though it wasn't released to the public until 1980.

Price: $2.55

Canned tomatoes are affordable and convenient. But they don't have the tangy zip you'll get with these fresh cherubs. Snack on the mini tomatoes as-is, mix a few into a garden salad, or cook them into a subtly sweet sauce.

Compare Aldi's low $2.55 price tag to $2.59 for Fresh Premium Cherry Tomatoes at Target. 

Grape tomatoes are a hybrid variety that first appeared in Taiwan and arrived in North America in 1996, when a Florida farmer began growing the "Santa" hybrid commercially. 

They caught on quickly for their thicker skin, which makes them easier to ship and less messy to eat than delicate cherry tomatoes, along with a firmer bite and less watery texture. 

By the early 2000s, grape tomatoes had already overtaken cherry tomatoes in sales across many North American markets.

Price: $3.65

Save time and money with this ready-to-serve Asian-inspired kit. The bagged salad includes green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, green leaf lettuce, and green onions. 

Even though you'll find this in the produce section, this pick includes more than veggies. You'll also get sliced almonds and wonton strips to sprinkle on top and a 2.6-ounce pack of sesame dressing.

Cabbage, the base of this kit, belongs to the same cruciferous family as broccoli and Brussels sprouts and is notably rich in vitamin K and vitamin C. 

A single cup of raw green cabbage delivers more than half a day's worth of vitamin K, along with fiber that supports digestion, while red cabbage brings extra antioxidants called anthocyanins, the compounds responsible for its purple color. 

Toasted almonds and wonton strips add crunch and a bit of protein, making this more of a complete meal than a simple side salad.

Price: $1.09

Put together a party platter in minutes. Instead of washing, peeling, and chopping, just open the bag and arrange these baby carrots on a plate or tray. Even though the 16-ounce bag is ready for snacking, you can also add these fresh veggies to your favorite pasta sauce or chicken noodle soup recipe.

"Baby" carrots aren't a separate variety at all; they're actually full-sized carrots that were misshapen or broken during harvest, cut down and shaped into that familiar smooth, rounded form. 

California farmer Mike Yurosek came up with the process in 1986 as a way to use up the roughly 400 tons of imperfect carrots his operation was discarding each day. 

He sent a test batch to a West Coast supermarket chain, which quickly asked for nothing but the small-cut version, and the format has been a snack-aisle staple ever since.

Price: $2.09

These mini cukes aren't just adorable. They're also affordable. The one-pound pack is a bargain for $2.09. You won't get this budget-friendly deal in other stores. Local grocers, like Kroger, charge $3.49 or more.

Mini cucumbers, often called Persian cucumbers, originated in the region of modern-day Iran and are prized for their thin, edible skin and few seeds, which means no peeling or scraping is needed before eating. 

They're about 95% water, so they're an easy way to stay hydrated, while still delivering a bit of vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium. 

Their milder seed content also makes them easier to digest than some other cucumber varieties, which is why they're sometimes nicknamed "burpless" cucumbers.

Price: $2.75

Add a citrus kick to grilled chicken, squeeze a fresh glass of juice, or garnish glasses of a summertime cocktail with these limes. Instead of buying one lime at a time, nab this pound pack. 

Aldi's $2.75 price is less than what you would pay at a discount store like Dollar General ($3.50 for one pound).

The limes sold at most grocery stores, including Aldi, are Persian limes, a nearly seedless hybrid of Key lime and lemon that's larger and less acidic than the tart Key lime used in Key lime pie. 

Limes are a strong source of vitamin C, a fact that mattered enough historically that 19th-century British sailors relied on citrus like limes to fend off scurvy on long voyages, which is where the slang term "limey" for British sailors originated. 

A single medium lime provides a solid dose of vitamin C for only about 20 calories.

While boxed meals and frozen foods are fine, adding fruits and veggies to your diet is an easy (and affordable) way to stay healthy. You don't have to break the bank on produce. Save money on groceries by shopping Aldi's fresh foods aisle.

Make the most of your produce purchase and freeze what you can't use in the next few days. This strategy eliminates unnecessary waste and reduces the number of trips you take to the grocery store.

Freezing produce at peak ripeness, rather than letting it spoil in the fridge, preserves most of its vitamins and fiber content, according to nutrition researchers, since freezing halts the natural breakdown that happens once fruits and vegetables are picked.