nutritious – Phlox Pro – Business 2 Demo

2026-02-24T14:00:35.447Z

As empty nesters who work from home, my husband and I love shopping at Aldi.
The Elevation energy bars and Summit Popz prebiotic sodas are good substitutes for pricier brands.
I love snacking on the Simply Nature coconut clusters and Southern Grove trail mix.

As empty nesters who both work from home, my husband and I try our best to choose nutritious food options while keeping our grocery costs low.

Luckily, shopping at Aldi helps us achieve both of these goals. Here are some of our favorite products to buy.

My husband enjoys the peanut butter Elevation energy bars.

Elevation energy bars are a great afternoon pick-me-up.

Amy Barnes

My husband recently stopped buying Clif Bars and replaced them with the more budget-friendly Elevation energy bars from Aldi.

These come out to just about $1 per bar, and he says the taste and texture are great.

He likes to enjoy them as a snack or an afternoon pick-me-up.

I love snacking on the Simply Nature coconut clusters.

Bags of Simply Nature coconut clusters on display at Aldi. — The Simply Nature coconut clusters are made with pumpkin, sunflower, and hemp seeds.

Amy Barnes

The Simply Nature coconut clusters satisfy my sweet tooth, with only 160 calories per serving.

These crunchy clusters are made with a mix of pumpkin, sunflower, and hemp seeds.

Southern Grove trail mix is great for when I’m hiking.

Boxes of Southern Grove trail mix on display at Aldi. — This Southern Grove trail mix is made with cranberries, sunflower kernels, almonds, edamame, chocolate, and peanuts.

Amy Barnes

Whenever I head to Aldi, I like to grab snack-size portions of trail mix. I especially love the Southern Grove version because it doesn’t include raisins.

Packed with cranberries, sunflower kernels, almonds, edamame, chocolate, and peanuts, this mix is easy to snack on at home or when we’re hiking with our dog.

I prefer Aldi’s egg bites to the Starbucks version.

Boxes of Whole & Simple omelet breakfast bites on display at Aldi. — The Whole & Simple egg bites are easy to heat up in the morning.

Amy Barnes

I’m always hunting for delicious protein options to start my day, and I often find myself craving the egg bites from Starbucks. However, my wallet doesn’t love them as much as I do.

So, I’ve switched to Aldi’s Whole & Simple version, made with bell peppers, uncured ham, and cheddar. I think they taste similar to the Starbucks version and they’re easy to heat up at home.

We love the Happy Farms spreadable cheese wedges.

Containers of Happy Farms spreadable cheeses on display at Aldi. — There are lots of different varieties of Happy Farms spreadable cheese.

Amy Barnes

Since we both work from home, my husband and I are always looking for quick lunch options. We like the Happy Farms spreadable cheese wedges, which cost less than $3 each, and taste great on their own or in wraps.

Simply Nature popcorn is great for movie night.

Bags of Simply Nature popcorn on display at Aldi. — Each cup of Simply Nature sea-salt popcorn contains 35 calories.

Amy Barnes

At only 35 calories per cup, I like to have Simply Nature popcorn with my lunch or as a movie-watching snack when the kids come back home. It’s also a good source of fiber and is gluten-free.

Aldi’s steamed vegetable medleys make dinner easy.

Bags of steamed vegetables on display at Aldi. — I love the Season’s Choice Asian-seasoned vegetable medley.

Amy Barnes

Whenever I take a trip to Aldi, I look for the Season’s Choice steamed vegetable medleys. These bags of brightly-colored veggies are reasonably priced and easy to make.

I like to season my veggies with Burman’s stir-fry sauces.

Bottles of Burman's sweet and sour stir-fry sauce on display at Aldi. — Burman’s stir-fry sauces are a great way to add flavor to steamed vegetables.

Amy Barnes

Instead of ordering take-out, I like to season my steamed vegetables with Burman’s orange or sweet and sour sauces. I just add some chicken to create an easy stir-fry meal.

Aldi sells a great substitute for brand-name probiotic sodas.

Cans of Summit Popz prebiotic soda on display at Aldi.

I love the Summit Popz prebiotic sodas.

Amy Barnes

Staying hydrated while working from home is a necessity, and I love sipping on the Summit Popz prebiotic sodas. I think they’re a great alternative to the more expensive Poppi sodas.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

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2025-12-10T14:41:18.483Z

I’m a dietitian and mom who relies on Costco staples to make healthy meals for my family of four.
Taylor Farms salad kits and raw veggies help me prep dinner in under 30 minutes.
I also use Amylu meatballs and proteins from Kevin’s Natural Foods to make easy weeknight meals.

Even though I’m a registered dietitian, the question “What’s for dinner?” always weighs heavily on my mind.

Getting a decent dinner on the table quickly can be a challenge, particularly when I factor in late work meetings and my two kids’ after-school activities.

No matter how busy I get, though, I always try to prepare a balanced, nutritious dinner with a high-quality protein and at least one vegetable for my family.

Here are seven products I get at Costco to prep flavorful weeknight dinners I feel good about serving my kids.

I rely on Amylu chicken meatballs for quick meals.

Amylu chicken meatballs are versatile enough to eat with a variety of cuisines.

Ana Reisdorf

Amylu chicken meatballs are a versatile option for a weeknight meal, packing about 3 ½ grams of protein per meatball.

I can prepare them on their own or pair them with sides like brown rice and veggies. I’ve also served them over pasta, zoodles, or crusty bread for a filling weeknight dinner.

These meatballs reheat well and don’t require any time-intensive chopping or prep. They’re also great for nights when my kids need something quick and satiating before rushing out the door.

I keep at least one pack in the freezer for backup dinners. They’re reliable, kid-friendly, and take all the pressure off when I need something quick.

Rao’s Homemade marinara sauce is a staple in my house.

Rao's Marinara sauce — Rao’s marinara tastes better than any jarred alternatives I’ve tried from grocery stores.

Ana Reisdorf

A good jar of marinara sauce can actually taste homemade, and Rao’s version is proof. I can’t beat its quality for the price, so I stock up on it whenever I see it at Costco.

I like that it has no added sugar (unlike many jarred marinara sauces). The flavor is also rich enough that I can use it without adding any spices or seasonings.

I often pair this marinara with the Amylu chicken meatballs and spaghetti, but I can also use it in my baked chicken recipe or as a quick pizza sauce.

It’s one of the few items in my pantry that consistently saves me time while still tasting fresh and flavorful.

Heat-and-serve entrées, like Kevin’s Natural Foods’ roasted-garlic chicken, require barely any effort.

Kevin's Roasted Garlic Chicken — The packaging around the roasted-garlic chicken keeps the meat fresh for longer than I expected.

Ana Reisdorf

Costco offers a wide range of heat-and-serve protein options. Kevin’s Natural Foods’ roasted-garlic chicken is always a staple in our fridge, serving up 21 grams of protein per 5-ounce serving.

I find that each package lasts a long time, so I always keep one on hand for a quick weeknight meal. It’s easy to pair with my veggies and other sides of choice.

Cuisine Solutions’ sliced grass-fed beef sirloin makes steak nights a breeze.

Sliced Grass Fed Beef Sirloin from Costco — Cuisine Solutions’ sliced grass-fed beef sirloin comes cooked perfectly.

Ana Reisdorf

My husband loves beef, but I sometimes have trouble preparing it just the way he likes.

Thankfully, Cuisine Solutions’ sliced grass-fed beef sirloin comes fully cooked and feels impossible to mess up.

It has 19 grams of protein per 3-ounce serving, and is versatile enough to add to dishes like tacos, salads, or soups.

Getting my greens in is easy thanks to Taylor Farms salad kits.

Taylor Farms Salad Kit at Costco — Taylor Farms salad kits taste delicious and keep me from having to waste time chopping.

Ana Reisdorf

To get a quick meal on the table, I throw a protein over a Taylor Farms salad kit, which comes with everything I need to make a tasty salad in less than five minutes.

The Costco near me carries a wide variety of kits in the produce section, so I get different ones each week to mix up the flavors and ingredients.

Raw vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, come together to make delicious side salads.

Cucumber package from Costco — I snag the three-pack of cucumbers from Costco every time I shop at the store.

Ana Reisdorf

My kids prefer their vegetables raw rather than cooked, so a cucumber and tomato salad is a staple side dish on weeknights. Every time I put a batch on the table, my family finishes it.

A three-pack of cucumbers from Costco lasts me the whole week, and I feel good about serving them to my family since they’re a source of fiber and vitamin K, which supports bone health.

The store also tends to sell a wide variety of tomatoes, which I use to add a dose of immunity-boosting vitamin C to the salad.

My tomato and cucumber salad is so easy to throw together. Just chop some cucumbers and halve the tomatoes. Then, mix them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and vinegar.

I heat up Kirkland Signature’s chicken-tortilla soup on the busiest nights.

Kirkland Chicken Tortilla Soup — The chicken-tortilla soup has white meat and vegetables inside.

Ana Reisdorf

If the week is especially busy, everyone is ravenous, and I have to get dinner on the table in less than 10 minutes, I have premade soups, like the Kirkland Signature chicken-tortilla soup, on standby.

Admittedly, some soups have more sodium than I prefer, but at least the Kirkland Signature chicken-tortilla soup also contains tomatoes, corn, and peppers — and 12 grams of protein per cup.

It’s a nourishing, cozy meal that keeps everyone’s bellies full.