This is not a plug for Aldi's because I have no affiliation with them, but I think it's good to pass on info about affordable options for people wishing to eat more raw plant foods but are told it's too expensive to do so. For a long time I didn't even go into Aldi's because I assumed they didn't carry fresh produce, for some reason. And the one nearest me always smelled bad and so I got a bad impression of it. Luckily I visited other stores in the chain and had very different experiences. So the rule is to never base your opinion on a chain on one visit to one store. You might even find better stock available in a different store. I sure did.

I sometimes go weeks without shopping at Aldi's for whatever reason. Sometimes the sales aren't all that. It's really important to be familiar with the prices around you if you have that option. I know what my produce market, larger grocery, and Whole Foods are charging around the same time usually. Then I can make the best decision.

So today's haul for less than $12:

1 large-ish papaya with great color (better than I have seen at the produce market and WF's doesn't even carry papayas!)

2 lbs. strawberries with great color

2 lbs. lemons

1 half pint blackberries

2 large-ish yellow mangoes

6 large Empire avocados

Yes!

I also wanted to address the comparison to Whole Food's. I wrote my local store about the discrepancy in price between CONVENTIONAL produce in the same brand. For instance, the exact same brand of strawberries (must be a large company because I see it everywhere) going for $1.50 one place and $3 at WF's. I was told that WF's pays the growers more money. I didn't want to argue but I call bee ess on that. Because you're not paying the workers--you're paying the corp. And all you would be doing is giving them more money. I believe that WF's has a bigger profit margin.

banana who, I love Aldi's. I cannot usually afford organic so Aldi's is great when they have produce on special for 99 cent or around $1 each. I usually stock up and even freeze if I need. I also like their frozen mixed berries and raspberries. They're great in vegan fruit smoothies. When I had the bad virus that was going around, all I drank all day was the frozen berries blended with purified water. It was super satisfying when I couldn't stomach anything else and it was also hydrating.

I can attest to the staying with status quo behavior. Last night I stopped by Giant Eagle, a 24 hour grocery store locally. I usually don't go because they tend to be higher priced but they were en route from my mechanics to home. I found they had nuts at a reasonable price, avocados at $1 each, and I found kale at $1.99/lb and the kale was super fresh and muscle-tested great. That was a much better price than my closer grocery store which sells it at $2.49/lb and the bunches aren't in such great shape. I've found a new favorite store for kale which is awesome since kale is so nutrient-dense that it is now a staple in my diet.

Thanks for sharing. Now, I'm still on the look out for wild Stinging Nettle that I can forage. Wish me luck or share your ideas. Therese

I went to Whole Foods today and Trader Joe's. I'm really liking Trader Joe's for their great prices on fresh flowers. I bought Alstromeria's for $3.99 for ten stems, and that's a great price. This type of flower lasts for at least two weeks. Also 10 stems of Ranunculus for $5.99, which is a good price. I bought the Kumato Tomatoes for $3.49 for a pound, but I'm not sure how they compare to Whole Foods because I haven't seen any there. I got organic Driscoll's strawberries for $4.49 in Whole Foods.

Driscoll's is the huge corp. I was referring to (there might be others). I don't mind paying 2 or 3X more for organic but if WF's is selling conventional produce at astronomical prices compared to TJ's and other stores, then I wonder what's up. Kumatos were $3 a container at WF's last week--not horrible for them. I like to get them from Aldi's when they're around $1.29 because lots of Aldi's customers don't buy too much fresh produce and probably think Kumatos look "weird."

Therese, great idea about freezing! Sometimes when strawberries are $1 a pound, I forget to freeze a whole bunch

A few days ago I bought a couple of pints of blueberries from Aldi's. I was a bit leery of them because they were only selling for $1.49. When I got home and tried them I couldn't believe how much they actually tasted like blueberries! Some were not very firm (which I prefer) but I found it interesting that I bought a couple of ORGANIC pints from Whole Foods a few weeks ago when they had a one-day sale on them for $2 a container. They were firm but not very flavorful.

That's awesome re: Aldi's. I don't think I've ever set foot in one. I will check it out if I see an Aldi's.