I follow the DASH diet and love it. Here are 13 of my favorite things to get at Aldi.

I follow the DASH diet and shop at Aldi for pantry staples and meal essentials on a regular basis.
I stock up on frozen vegetables, canned peaches, and fresh raspberries when I shop.
I also buy whole-grain bread, canned chickpeas, and olive oil for easy meals.

I love the DASH diet and it’s made a huge difference in the way I feel.

I began following it after I was diagnosed with angina, a type of chest pain, and learned I had a minor blockage in one artery. The DASH diet, short for Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension diet, touts a few benefits — and it’s supposed to be especially great for heart health.

This style of eating prioritizes vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and poultry and minimizes the intake of salt, saturated fat, red meat, and added sugar.

I buy a lot of my DASH essentials at the budget grocery store Aldi in the UK. Here’s what you’ll typically find in my cart.

I love the flavor of the Dessert Menu raspberry jelly.

Raspberry Jelly at Aldi — Jelly is a nice snack when I crave something sweet.Pritpal Kaur

I miss eating chocolate, which is typically only OK for the DASH diet if it’s very dark with minimal added sugar, so raspberry jelly does the trick to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I have this delicious Dessert Menu jelly once a week as a treat.

Flaxseeds are a solid source of protein, and I’ve made them an important part of my diet.

Aldi display of chia and flaxseed mixes — I add some of the Foodie Market flaxseeds to smoothies.Pritpal Kaur

I like to buy a few packets of flaxseeds, which I add to cereal, porridge, and smoothies. Sometimes I’ll sprinkle them onto my meals to add extra protein, too.

Chickpeas are key for salads and curry.

Cans of chickpeas in cardboard boxes on display at Aldi — As an Indian family, we love making curries with chickpeas.Pritpal Kaur

Chickpeas are delicious in salads or rice, but there’s nothing like mixing them with olive oil, Indian spices, and a very small pinch of Himalayan salt.

I try to buy canned chickpeas in bulk because I can’t always find them at Aldi.

I also buy the Village Bakery wholemeal bread.

wholemeal bread on display at Aldi — Sometimes I have toast for breakfast.Pritpal Kaur

The DASH diet recommends multiple servings of grain per day, so I often have toast for breakfast. I usually prepare my whole-grain toast with olive oil and Manuka honey and it keeps me going when I work out or go for a swim in the morning.

These Village Bakery bread slices aren’t too thick and they also pair well with low-fat cheese and chili.

I love the Worldwide Foods whole-grain brown rice.

wholemeal rice display at Aldi — I add spices and vegetables to the Worldwide Foods rice.Pritpal Kaur

I used to eat a lot of white rice but I began eating whole-grain brown rice instead when I switched to the DASH diet.

The rice we get from Worldwide Foods doesn’t take long to cook and I make it with vegetables and Indian spices. It turns out delicious and my husband and I love it.

I like to buy frozen vegetables in bulk because I eat them so often.

Frozen vegetables section in freezer at an Aldi — Many of my DASH dinners incorporate vegetables.Pritpal Kaur

Veggies are a huge part of the DASH diet so I regularly have a dinner that mostly consists of roasted vegetables and some low-fat halloumi.

I like to have a few kinds of frozen vegetables on hand because they’re easy to boil and eat — and they don’t take long to cook in the oven.

I have Aldi’s bistro salad every day.

bagged bistro salad in green crate at Aldi — The DASH diet pushes me to eat more veggies.Pritpal Kaur

I eat a lot of salad on the DASH diet since it’s full of greens and can be pretty tasty when dressed with extra-virgin olive oil. The bistro salad at Aldi is one of my favorites and I find that it keeps me pretty full.

I use Plant Menu tofu to add a source of protein to my diet.

Plant Tofu in cardboard boxes at Aldi — I love making tofu scrambles.Pritpal Kaur

It’s hard to find protein replacement products as a vegetarian but this tofu is a great way to add protein to my meals.

One of my favorite dishes is a low-calorie tofu scramble with mushroom, tomatoes, green chile, onions, garlic, and ginger with a dash of Himalayan salt.

Raspberries are a breakfast essential.

Raspberies in plastic packages at Aldi — I always keep an eye out for when raspberries go on sale at Aldi.Pritpal Kaur

Fresh fruit is also an important part of the DASH diet. I especially like raspberries.

I buy a few boxes when they go on sale at Aldi and freeze them. I use frozen ones for smoothies and add fresh ones to cereal, which gives some sweetness.

I love buying bananas at Aldi.

bananas in plastic on display at Aldi in boxes — My husband and I go through a lot of bananas.Pritpal Kaur

Bananas are a DASH diet staple for me — and a great source of potassium. I usually pick up two bunches on every grocery trip.

They’re typically reasonably priced at Aldi and I use them in smoothies every morning. In general, I try to eat a banana a day — especially before my morning workouts.

I stock up on almonds for snacking.

Bags of almonds in cardboard display at aldi — Almonds can be more affordable when bought in bulk.Pritpal Kaur

Almonds are great for the DASH diet because they can help lower cholesterol and have healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

I usually soak almonds in water, take the skin off, and have them with my masala tea in the morning. Sometimes I add almonds to low-fat yogurt as a snack.

Nuts can get expensive, so I try to buy them in bigger bags at Aldi.

I use olive oil every day.

Bottles of Olive oil at aldi in boxes on display — Olive oil is a staple of the DASH diet.Pritpal Kaur

The DASH diet prefers saturated fats, like olive oil, so it’s become a staple in my kitchen. I try to avoid butter where I can when I cook.

I use extra-virgin olive oil in salads and olive oil to cook Indian food.

I also pick up the Everyday Essentials peach slices.

Canned peach slices stacked on top of each other at Aldi — I add canned peaches to low-fat yogurt.Pritpal Kaur

Canned peaches come in handy when I want something sweet. I like to add them to low-fat yogurt for a low-calorie dessert that’s DASH-diet-friendly, delicious, and easy to prepare.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

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