I follow the Mediterranean diet. Here are 16 groceries I love to buy at Aldi and how I use them.

Lemons are a grocery staple for me, as they're often the star ingredient in Mediterranean-inspired meals and drinks.

In addition to using it in recipes, I squeeze lemon juice in my water or tea every morning and put the zest in my nondairy yogurt as a midday snack.

I love that grapes satisfy my sweet tooth without also giving me a sugar high.

Sometimes, I'll put Specially Selected grapes on charcuterie boards alongside manchego cheese, goat cheese, roasted almonds, toasted baguette slices, pine nuts, cucumber slices, bell peppers, and roasted-garlic hummus. 

I also like to slice grapes in half, freeze them, and drop them in my drinks like ice cubes to sweeten them without using sugar. 

Tomatoes are a hit in marinara sauces and Greek salads, but I think the fruits' true magic is their ability to maintain their flavor and texture in pretty much any dish. 

Roma tomatoes are always on my grocery list, whether I use them for minestrone soup or bake them into a puff pastry topped with feta cheese.

They also give me a dose of vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a plant nutrient in tomatoes that researchers have linked to several health benefits.

I didn't always enjoy eating mushrooms, but incorporating more Mediterranean-inspired ingredients into my diet has inspired me to try more foods I thought I'd never like.

Now, I love making mushrooms at home. One of my favorite buys is the South Mill Champs mushrooms stuffed with spinach-and-artichoke filling. Since they're premade, I don't have to worry about following a recipe.

The mushrooms are small enough to serve as a side dish or to eat as a light snack.

Even if I only add a small dollop of goat cheese to my salads and charcuterie boards, I still get a punch of tangy flavor. 

Aldi carries a range of goat cheeses, though I particularly love the Emporium Selection garlic-and-herb variety. It's great to spread on toasted crostini, and I recommend topping it with chopped tomatoes and avocado.

There are so many things you can do with chickpeas, from putting them in salads and stews to making them into hummus and falafel. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is in the Park Street Deli chickpea salad, which has edamame, cranberries, carrots, and bell peppers. The cranberries' sweetness cuts through the vinegar dressing's acidity, and the crisp bell peppers complement the edamame.

I like picking up Specially Selected flatbreads at Aldi, which tend to be large and full of flavor. They're also easy to customize. 

I love topping them with different Mediterranean flavors, like grilled chicken with feta, artichoke, spinach, roasted chickpeas, mushrooms, shallots, and goat cheese with pesto. I usually drizzle balsamic vinegar on top to finish it off.

Pesto makes a great base in so many recipes, and Priano often has different varieties of the sauce.

Its alla Genovese pesto is green, nutty, and garlicky. Its red rosso pesto is more tomato-forward and equally delicious.

I toss warm linguine in the green, basil-based pesto and spread the red, tomato-based pesto on flatbread. Sometimes I mix either into hummus to add some flavor or use them to season chicken, beef, veal, and seafood.

Artichoke hearts and leaves have so many vitamins and minerals. 

Some people eat the Tuscan Garden marinated artichoke hearts straight out of the jar, but I like to experiment with them, whether I'm adding zest to simple salads or using them as a pizza topping. 

I don't focus on limiting or cutting out carbs, but I care about finding delicious alternatives that are better for my health.

Savoritz Parmesan crisps have 13 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs per serving, which aligns with my nutrition goals. I like to crunch Savoritz Parmesan crisps over a Caesar salad or use them as crackers on a charcuterie board.

I use Priano's balsamic vinegar to make a Mediterranean-inspired salad dressing, combining high-quality olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, and Italian herbs and spices.

I pour this mixture over romaine lettuce, tomato wedges, thinly sliced red onions, cucumber slices, and a chunk of Greek feta. Sometimes, I add a roasted marinated lamb leg or chicken breast to the salad for extra flavor and protein. 

Hummus is such a large part of Mediterranean cuisine that it needs no introduction. However, it can be hard to choose which flavor I want to have in my refrigerator until my next grocery run.

Park Street Deli's hummus quartet solves that problem by offering four flavors in one container: classic, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, and cilantro jalapeño. I try to buy this variety pack whenever I can find it. 

Although I'm not a huge fan of jalapeño, I've spread this hummus on turkey wraps and avocado toast, and it isn't the worst combination I've ever tried.

Aldi's delicious Atlantic salmon tends to be affordable and it's the star of many of my meals. I especially like the one seasoned with Mediterranean herbs — they give the fish so much flavor.

I like to pair it with a vegetable medley that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and green beans.

The Mediterranean-herb salmon also goes well with Greek lemon potatoes or pasta in a light sauce with lemon and garlic butter.

As a freelancer running my own business, it can be hard to pull myself away from work. 

Luckily, Bremer's gyro kit has everything I need for a quick lunch, including 16 ounces of fully cooked gyro meat, 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce, and five pieces of pita bread. 

The gyro meat can be warmed in the microwave or on a skillet for a quick, delicious lunch or dinner. 

Spanish paella is typically made using a saffron-and-seafood broth, which gets absorbed into the rice during the cooking process. Then, seafood — like fish, shrimp, clams, squids, and mussels — adds the flavors of the Mediterranean Sea.

Whenever I can find it, I like to pick up Specially Selected's frozen Spanish seafood paella. It's a great meal for busy nights with pollock, shrimp, and calamari. 

When I visited Spain and Greece in 2022, I liked seeing locals use honey to sweeten their meals and desserts. It's a smart, obvious, and natural way to enhance the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.

I like to drizzle Specially Selected raw honey over rich Italian pizza to create a contrast between sweet and savory flavors or dip Greek doughnuts in a honey-and-cinnamon mixture. 

No matter how I use it, raw honey is a delicious way to add sweetness to a dish.

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This story was originally published on March 6, 2023, and most recently updated on January 3, 2025.