My Aldi paleo shopping list

I have a confession… I don’t grow all of my own food or shop exclusively from farmers markets, organic butchers and fishmongers. With a long commute and long hours, I often just don’t have the time to source my food in the way I’d like. Believe it or not, I've found Aldi can be a fairly good place to buy Paleo friendly food. Whilst it’s clearly not the same as knowing the farm(er) your food came from, I think it can be a good compromise. It also tends to be far cheaper than my other local supermarket options (i.e. Coles and Woolworths).

I thought I’d share with you my Aldi paleo picks…

Meat & Poultry

Aldi sell “Highland Park” beef – it’s grass-fed! We like grass-fed! As you know, I don’t buy mince/ ground beef, but I have tried the Highland Park Steaks ($17.99 – $25.99/kg depending on the cut)

They also stock Willowton free range chicken  (thighs, breast and drumsticks)

Butter

Butter is another good buy (but is it paleo?) as Aldi have an organic butter for under $3 a pack
Aldi organic salted butter paleo

Nuts

Nuts are another staple that I use just for a snack, in a no-oatmeal or occasionally for a bit of paleo baking. I've seen the Forresters brand of natural almonds and also raw walnuts in my local Aldi.

Eggs

I've not actually tried Aldi’s eggs yet, but they do sell free range eggs.

Oil

Whilst I've never seen coconut oil in Aldi, they do have an Australian olive oil that seems quite good for just under $5.

Aldi Australian organic olive oil paleo

Berries

My final paleo in a pinch purchase at Aldi is frozen berries (Sweet Haven brand), which are handy to keep in the freezer for smoothies or even a quick ice cream.

Can You Really Do Paleo at Aldi? Absolutely.

While it’s ideal to source food from farmers markets and local producers, the reality is that many of us juggle busy schedules and tight budgets. Aldi offers a surprisingly solid range of Paleo-friendly staples — from grass-fed beef and free-range chicken to frozen berries, raw nuts, and olive oil.

If you're following a Paleo diet in Australia, Aldi can be a great backup or even your go-to for the basics. It might not stock everything (like coconut oil or bone broth), but for everyday items, it’s a cost-effective and time-saving option that helps you stick to your Paleo goals.

As with any supermarket, the key is label-reading and making conscious choices. Stock up when you find good items, and keep your freezer, pantry, and fridge filled with Paleo staples that work for your lifestyle.

Have you discovered any great Paleo-friendly finds at Aldi lately? Let me know in the comments — I’d love to add them to the list!

Paleo diet aldi shopping list-min

Comforting Oxtail & Veggie One-Pot Dinner

How to Make Braised Wild Rabbit the Paleo Way

Hearty & Colourful Paleo Paella

Paleo Aloo Gobi Without the Potatoes

How to Make Spicy Tilapia Fishcakes with Coconut

How to Make Bajan Mahi Mahi with Caramelised Cinnamon Plantains

Curried Parsnip, Apple & Ginger Soup (Paleo)

Ask the Paleosphere: What’s the Deal with Dairy?

It’s all very well reading the Paleo theory about why we should and shouldn't consume certain foods, but what I find most valuable is finding out how people actually eat – and how different foods affect them.

With over 79,000 followers on the Paleo Network’s Facebook page, it’s become a great place to ask questions. A lot of the questions I've been asking seem to resonate with a lot of people, so I thought it would be useful to share some of the questions here.

Ask the Paleosphere is dairy paleo milk cheese lacto paleo-min

 

Dairy seems to be a source of a lot of controversy in the Paleo-sphere. Whenever I post about dairy, I get equally large numbers of people condemning me for mentioning it, as I do people who comment that they enjoy it regularly in their diet. I don’t agree with taking a dogmatic approach to “Paleo” – surely it’s more important to learn how you tolerate things like dairy and eat accordingly?

So when I asked my Facebook followers for their thoughts on dairy – what did they say?

Out of 218 people who left a comment, I counted 48% of people avoid dairy – and 52% of people do consume it. However, in almost all cases those who consume dairy seem to do so with quite limited constraints.

Limiting dairy

Of those who eat dairy, almost everyone said that they do so “in moderation”, with most people only eating a certain type of dairy, and avoiding others. Some of the responses included:

  • Fermented
  • Only cheese
  • Fermented
  • Yoghurt only
  • Raw & organic
  • Kerrygold butter only
  • Fermented full fat only
  • Butter & cheese minimal
  • Can’t do milk but eat cheese
  • I use cheese as a condiment on occasion
  • Only sour cream, aged cheese and buttah
  • Only raw dairy from grass-fed Jersey cattle
  • I can never give up fine cheese and ice cream!
  • Yes but only pure grass fed! Bio dynamic etc!
  • Only a bit in my Coffee, and only goat's milk
  • I love my cheese so allow a little as a treat and kefir
  • Butter and a very limited amount of special cheeses
  • Only organic butter and a tiny smidge of occasional cheese
  • Grassfed always – raw and local when possible. One serving a day.
  • I'll only ever have a tiny bit of white cheese that hasn't been processed a lot.

Why avoid it?

It seems that most of the people who avoid dairy, do so being aware that their bodies do not tolerate it well. Here are some of the reasons people gave as to why they don’t consume dairy:

  • No, it makes me sick
  • Cannot handle the casein.
  • My tummy doesn't tolerate it
  • Gives me pimples but I love it.
  • Gives me bloating & bad skin.
  • I break out with eczema and asthma.
  • It gives me Brain fog and belly aches!
  • My heart says yay, but my tummy says nay
  • Hot flashes stopped when dairy was eliminated!
  • My body does not like and it causes inflammation
  • Never did work well with me – since childhood.
  • I may love dairy, but it definitely sets off my auto immune disorders.
  • I dream of cheese  but unfortunately the casein protein in it burns my GI tract
  • In very small amounts. It causes acne for me. I'm 40 and just figured this out!
  • Yay for me but nay for my 20 months old. Makes him as constipated as anything.
  • Allowed it to creep back in last year, felt crap and body composition/weight plateued.
  • Quitting dairy is the only thing that cured my skin condition I've had since childhood (keratosis pilarus)
  • I've learned the hard way after a dose of post surgery pancreatitis. It's extremely alarming that people would suffer like I have at their own hand.
  • I didn't worry about my normal no-dairy or no-grain for about ten days over Christmas and now my forehead and chin have lots of pimples. Yuck!

Alternatives?

Quite a few people commented on alternatives that they use instead of dairy, with the most common being:

  • Almond milk
  • Coconut milk/ cream
  • Coconut Yoghurt
  • Hazlenut milk
  • And, er, Soy (I think this person maybe didn't realise they were on a Paleo page?)

It’s not dairy…

There were also quite a few comments from people who only have almond milk, or eggs – and others pointing out that eggs aren't dairy – and that almonds don’t have udders…

I’d love to hear your perspective on dairy. Do you consume it – and why? Please share in the comments below. Also, if you have a question that you’d like a broader perspective on, please let me know and I’ll post it on Facebook.

Cardamom Spiced Chai Tea (Paleo)