9 Frozen Foods from Aldi for Quick and Healthy Meals

It takes a while to warm-up to the Aldi way. You have to bring a quarter if you want a grocery cart and you need to polish your grocery-bagging skills because you’re on your own there. Once you get past these minor details, the store prices and variety will keep you coming back. But, if you don’t go for any other reason, go for the freezer selection. These finds are not only delicious, but they’re healthy and make for a good start to any meal (or in some cases, a meal itself).

Mediterranean Quinoa image credit: Aldi
Quinoa Kale image credit: Instacart

Earth Grown Veggie Burger
What makes this burger great? To start, the first eight ingredients are vegetables and whole grains. One burger has 90 calories, 3 g fiber, and 5 g protein, plus 0 g saturated fat. The burgers are also moderate in sodium with 290 mg per burger. For a full meal, eat a double burger with two patties or pair one with another source of protein. These burgers also make for a great salad topper or crumbled into a quesadilla or taco.

Simply Nature Whole Wheat Fusilli
All it takes to enjoy this pasta is opening the bag and heating in the microwave or skillet. It’s made with whole wheat pasta and vegetables, is low in sodium with under 200mg per serving, and is low in saturated fat. Use as a side dish or turn into a cold pasta salad by heating and allowing to cool overnight in the fridge. Add more vegetables and a protein to complete the meal.

Simply Nature Southwest Fiesta Salad
Another frozen side or meal starter that features whole grains and vegetables, is low in sodium, and is easy to prepare. It’s also a good source of fiber with 4 g per serving and has 5 g protein. Use as a starter kit for tacos, burritos, fajitas, or eat as a side dish. This also makes for a great addition to a taco salad or rice pilaf.

Frozen Fruit
Frozen fruit without added sugar, fat, or sodium, are just as healthy as fresh, so don’t shy away from produce in the freezer section! Aldi’s variety and price point make it worth stocking up on your favorite fruits. The most obvious use for frozen fruit is smoothies, but it can also be used in overnight oats, muffins, pancakes, hot oatmeal, flavored berry syrups, and jams.

Frozen Veggies
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the frozen vegetables. Like any store that has frozen vegetables, look for the types that feature just veggies without sodium or fat. Similar to frozen fruit, the vegetable variety and price make it easy to stock up. Use frozen vegetables in soups, stir-fry dishes, or roast as an easy side.

Season’s Choice Steamable Kale and Quinoa
Similar to the Simply Nature fusilli and the southwest salad, the Season’s Choice brand features parboiled whole grains (quinoa) paired with vegetables and seasonings that make for a quick side or a starter to a grain-based meal. This option is slightly higher in sodium than the other sides mentioned in this list, but is similar in fiber. Add extra vegetables to increase volume and lower sodium per serving.

Season’s Choice Mediterranean Quinoa
Another parboiled whole grain side that makes it easier to get dinner on the table. One serving (1 cup) has 180 calories, 300 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, and 6 g protein. Pair with a grilled or baked protein, eat as a side grain, or add extra vegetables like squash, zucchini, or extra leafy greens to make it into a grain salad.

Whole & Simple Mediterranean Style Chicken Quinoa & Whole & Simple Southwestern Style Chicken Quinoa

Single-serve, frozen meals are usually not the star in the nutrition department, but these two quinoa bowls from Whole & Simple break the mold. Both meals are 350 calories or less and have about 500 mg sodium. The real star of the meal, however, is the fiber and protein. The southwestern style comes in at 15 g protein and 7 g fiber while the Mediterranean style has 6 g fiber and 16 g protein. These two options might be too low in total calories to constitute a meal for some people, so adding an extra serving of vegetables or a side of fruit can help to round out the meal.