Aldi has been having a moment. The grocery store first came to the United States back in 1976 (Iowa was the lucky first state to get one, for those wondering) and had a slow burn in its first few decades. More recent years have nevertheless seen it expand to become the nation’s third-biggest grocery retailer by store count, with well over 2,000 locations and plans to reach over 3,000 by 2028. A revamped business strategy has played a huge role in that, but customers have long loved the grocery for its efficient store layouts, quality private-label products, and affordable prices. It’s actually the cheapest grocery store in America on average! That said, there’s one thing you don’t want to buy at Aldi, even if you’re feeling like you’re getting a great deal on your shopping trip overall. That would be lunch meat, and there are a couple of good reasons to skip it here.
To start, you may have noticed that Aldi stores don’t have actual delis in them. This means that none of their lunch meat is sliced and packaged in-house, so you can forget getting the freshest stuff. Some shoppers have also criticized Aldi lunch meat as being slimy out of the package and just having a bad taste in general. And while Aldi meat is still fairly affordable at between $3 and $6 a package (depending on your location and the specific brand), other grocery stores tend to offer greater variety, fresher deli products, and regular deals on sliced meats.
Still, Aldi can still offer significant savings on a wide variety of other items for lunch. Never shopped at this popular grocery store before? Here’s what you need to know before your first trip to Aldi to get the best experience.
What are the best grocery stores for lunch meat?
Getting your lunch meat freshly sliced right at a store deli counter (which, again, Aldi lacks) is always a great option for ensuring you’re getting fresh meat for your lunches. Be forewarned that this can sometimes be a more expensive option, and it also doesn’t guarantee that the meat won’t have preservatives or nitrates, if those are a concern. However, it is a way to avoid getting slimy meat or other issues that can come from sitting for a while in a package. If you’re health-minded and looking for the least processed deli meats for your next sandwich, stick to non-cured, less-processed meats like turkey and chicken. Sure, salami and bologna are usually tasty across all brands (though you still may want to avoid them at Aldi), but they are highly processed and contain higher levels of sodium and nitrates.
Applegate Naturals, for example, contains less preservatives, and the good news is that it’s sold at Sam’s Club, Target, and Kroger stores across America. For even more options, again, stick to grocery stores with their own deli counters and freshly-sliced meats or ones with a strong focus on organic and natural foods. With these factors in mind, some of the best stores to buy lunch meat at include Whole Foods and PCC Community Markets. If you’re primarily looking for low-cost alternatives to Aldi meat though, consider Trader Joe’s meat among the best deli meat brands to buy both in terms of price and taste.
