Aldi attracts lots of shoppers with its low prices.
But some items aren't even worth the low cost.
Since they're sealed in cans, it's not always easy to tell which canned foods hit the mark
and which ones miss.
So we identified these, the canned foods at Aldi you should skip.
Do all you can to avoid Brookdale Pork Luncheon Meat.
This gross stuff is a knockoff of Spam that will make you shudder from the moment you
smell it.
It smells so bad that you might not even want to taste it.
If you do taste it, you'll be perplexed that this Spam imitation somehow tastes even worse
than it smells.
And then there's the texture: It's rubbery and breaks apart if you try to heat it up
in a frying pan like Spam.
Real Spam has a lot of flavors a lot of people love, but there's nothing that you'll enjoy
about Brookdale Pork Luncheon Meat.
Unless you plan on buying it to feed it to your worst enemy, there's no reason for this
canned junk to end up in your cart.
Simply Nature Organic Lentil Soup is organic and free of artificial flavors.
It's also free of natural flavors.
There's just no flavor at all.
On your first spoonful, you'll realize it's...
"Ultimately a flavorless lump of sadness."
If you look at the picture on the can, you might be tempted by all the lentils that are
in this soup.
And while there are certainly a lot of lentils, they're soggy and somehow get even soggier
when you heat it up.
If you do for some reason buy a can of Simply Nature Organic Lentil Soup, be ready to add
flavoring to it for any hope of making it edible.
Adding meat or at least some spices will help with swallowing this stuff.
But the mushy texture will remain a turn-off no matter what you do to it.
There's simply nothing to like about Casa Mamita Traditional Refried Beans.
This Aldi exclusive manages to ruin refried beans, which, truthfully, isn't easy to do.
Firstly, it's oddly fibrous and annoyingly chewy.
Refried beans shouldn't be difficult to eat, but these get stuck in your teeth and then
your throat.
"It's chewy.
I gotta get some air."
Second, the flavor is all wrong.
These refried beans have an oily taste that overpowers anything you mix it with.
Even salsa is no match for the overpoweringly bad taste.
Though the refried beans are high in fiber, high in protein, and low in fat, it just doesn't
matter.
Aldi could give cans of it away for free and it still wouldn't be worthing bringing home.
Mandarin oranges sound like a safe bet.
But something went horribly wrong with Sweet Harvest Mandarin Oranges in Light Syrup.
These, somehow, have almost no flavor.
The "light syrup" is a watery substance that is only slightly sweet.
And the actual oranges are smaller than you would expect.
Even without the sweetness or flavor, this can of disappointment still manages to pack
in 8.5 grams of added sugar.
If you are going to consume added sugar, make sure you can actually taste it.
For some yummy canned fruit from Aldi, go with Sweet Harvest Peach Slices in Heavy Syrup.
The peaches are amazingly delicious and the syrup is so good that you could drink it by
the glass.
Brookdale Chili with Beans is a failure when it comes to flavor, even though it's loaded
with salt.
It's possible to get a can of this chili for less than a dollar at times, but it's not
even worth that.
Don't even try to eat it straight out of the can.
The meat is rubbery and the beans are hard.
And while the chili is slightly spicy, neither the meat nor the beans are flavorful enough
to make it enjoyable.
You could consider using Aldi's Brookdale Chili with Beans as a base for a chili and
cheese dip, or add some ground beef to it along with some hot sauce in order to make
a chili worth eating.
But a better idea is to buy a quality canned chili to begin with, or just go to Wendy's.
If you eat a can of this soup, the fact that it is organic won't be able to mask your disappointment,
unfortunately.
The biggest issue is the chicken, pieces of which are few and far between.
Even when you are able to find the chicken pieces, they are so stringy that they're really
insubstantial.
And the noodles aren't much better.
They dissolve instantly in your mouth and are forgettable at best.
The slices of organic celery and organic carrots have the opposite problem.
Instead of being too soft and too easy to miss, they are too crunchy and distracting.
To put it bluntly, Northern Catch Pink Salmon smells like cat food.
While Whiskers and Mittens may get excited when you open a can of this stuff, you surely
won't.
The cat food aroma is the first sign that you made a bad selection at Aldi, but it won't
be the last.
Canned salmon can be really good, and it has an impressive array of health benefits.
It can actually be almost as good as fresh salmon.
But Northern Catch Pink Salmon is a thorough disappointment.
Beyond the smell, you will find that the can has too much salmon skin and bones in it.
To add to the misery, the skin is tough and the bones are too rigid.
Usually you can ignore the bones that you find in canned salmon, but these bones are
so noticeable that you will need to pick them out one by one before you think about eating
it.
Do yourself a favor and just throw it away, or give it to your cat, if you think they
won't choke on the bones.
There are plenty of canned items worth your dollar at Aldi, though.
Here are a few you should definitely pick up on your next grocery run:
If you like baked beans, you will absolutely adore Dakota's Pride Grill Style Beans.
They are perfect to take to a neighborhood barbecue or simply accompany you during a
quiet night on your couch as you binge movies.
"Beans, Spock.
But no ordinary beans."
Dakota's Pride Grill Style Beans are available in three distinct flavors: Steakhouse Style,
Southern Style BBQ, and Brown Sugar Bourbon.
If you can't decide which one to try, start with the Brown Sugar Bourbon.
The sweetness from the brown sugar is pleasant, while there's an unmistakable bourbon-flavored
kick added to the party.
While this bourbon won't make you tipsy, even if you eat a few cans of this stuff, its presence
will make these beans even more memorable.
An added bonus is the fact that the Brown Sugar Bourbon and Steakhouse Style beans are
fat-free, while the Southern Style BBQ version is 99 percent fat-free.
So you can scarf down all the beans you want without feeling too much regret.
Aldi's Simply Nature Organic Tomato Basil Soup ticks a lot of boxes for health-conscious
people who love tomato soup.
Not only is this soup organic, it also has no artificial flavors or colors.
But unlike the bad organic soups we discussed earlier, it also tastes wonderful.
Not only does the basil flavor add depth, but this soup is also sweet enough that you'll
legitimately enjoy each spoonful.
A lot of tomato soup has a watery and otherwise underwhelming texture.
But that's not the case with this one.
This soup has an attractive thickness that will grab your attention and keep you satisfied
from the moment you pour it into your bowl.
The richness of the tomato and basil flavors are just calling for cheese to be added to
the equation.
Whether it's in the form of shredded cheddar cheese or a handful of Goldfish crackers,
get some cheese in this soup and you'll have yourself a meal that you won't mind eating
every day of the week.
Not only does Baker's Corner Cherry Pie Filling taste great, but its low price tag will keep
you coming back for more.
Aldi has a lot of cheap canned foods but this cherry-powered goodness is arguably the best
value on the shelf.
For less than two dollars a can, you can get 21 ounces of heaven.
Obviously, most people will use Baker's Corner Cherry Pie Filling to make cherry pie.
That's completely understandable and you won't be disappointed with the outcome.
But that's not the only thing you can do with it.
For example, you can heat it up in the microwave and then pour it over a bowl of vanilla ice
cream for an unbelievable dessert.
Or, if you wish, you can eat it straight out of the can.
Sure, this might not be the world's healthiest snack, but your taste buds won't protest.
Even though this pie filling is less expensive than the other well-known name brands, you're
not sacrificing any quality.
In fact, you will pleasantly be surprised at how many cherries Aldi is able to fit into
one can and the perfect texture and flavor of each and every cherry.
The Brookdale label redeems itself with Brookdale Corned Beef.
It's bursting with flavor, but is affordable enough to stock up your pantry.
It might not be as recognizable as the corned beef made by Libby's, but it's every bit as
tasty.
Brookdale Corned Beef has a strong salty flavor, but that's part of the joy when it comes to
corned beef.
If you find it too salty, eat it with potatoes or toast to balance out the flavors.
Alternatively, if you want to kick the savory factor up a few notches, eat it with a couple
of eggs sunny-side-up and let the runny egg yolk intermingle with the corned beef.
Don't be scared by the label that indicates Brookdale Corned Beef is made in Brazil.
It turns out that about 80 percent of canned corned beef is made there, including brand
names like Libby's.
A lot of chicken noodle soup you buy at the store, like that Simply Nature stuff, leaves
you disappointed.
But Fit & Active Chicken Noodle Chunky Style Soup is completely different.
You don't have to worry about any of those typical pitfalls when you purchase a can of
this stuff at Aldi.
The first thing you'll notice are the big pieces of white-meat chicken in the soup.
The chicken chunks are not only large and plentiful, they're also soft and pop with
flavor with each bite.
Then there are the noodles, which are hearty but don't get in the way of the chicken flavoring.
There's also an ample amount of carrots and celery along with a bit of parsley and a hint
of onion.
The next time you feel under the weather, a can of Fit & Active Chicken Noodle Chunky
Style Soup can definitely help with what ails you.
"Chicken soup.
Cures everything, yeah?"
There's a whole lot you can do with the Pueblo Lindo Chipotle Peppers you get from Aldi.
If you have a tolerance for spice, you can eat these peppers right out of the can.
While they're far from the hottest peppers in the world, compared to other brands, you'll
find that these peppers bring considerable heat.
For people with more sensitive palates, you can also use these chipotle peppers to make
everything from taco sauce to a marinade for pork ribs.
Like most canned chipotle peppers, they rest in adobo sauce.
These peppers are also whole, so you don't have to worry about dealing with a lot of
bits and pieces.
Typically, cream of mushroom soup is completely bland, lacks anything resembling a satisfying
texture, and actual mushrooms are somehow an afterthought.
Fit & Active Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup from Aldi breaks that mold.
When you empty Fit & Active Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup into a bowl, you'll notice
a merry band of mushroom pieces swimming around.
The bits of mushroom give this stuff a pleasing texture that you'd be hard-pressed to find
elsewhere.
Once you taste it, the rich mushroom flavors will make you fall in love.
And it's pretty healthy.
It has only 60 calories per serving and is relatively low in carbohydrates.
If you're on a low-carb keto diet, this cream of mushroom soup will fit perfectly
into your daily routine.
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