The Top 5 Things to Buy at Lidl

I live in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and we are not without a great selection of grocery stores (think: Walmart, Target, Costco, Publix, Ingles, the Fresh Market, and Aldi). But a few years ago, when I learned that my hometown was going to be home to one of the first Lidl locations in the U.S., I was extremely excited to add it to the mix.

Read more: If You Like Aldi, You’ll Love This Ever-Expanding Grocery Store

In the years since, Lidl has become one of my favorite grocery stores. (And I’m not alone — Kitchn’s very own, Lisa Freedman, agrees.) Over time, I’ve learned the best things to buy at Lid. Here are my top five.

Lidl has a great veggie wall, as I like to call it, with all of the typical vegetables you see sold in stores. Lidl’s vegetables are extremely well-priced and most of them are better quality than other local stores. What really made these stand out to me was the fact that at least half of these items were organic and still better priced than other stores’ conventional produce prices. The veggie wall alone would be make Lidl worthy of a weekly stop, especially for a larger family trying to eat healthy foods on a tight budget.

Yes, I know that organic sweet potatoes count as fresh veggies, but this deal was so good that I felt like it needed its own entry. When I saw a three-pound bag for $3.99 at Lidl, I immediately put one in my cart. I try to eat organic produce as much as I can, and this same amount would have easily costs me $8 or $10 at Whole Foods and at least $5 at Walmart.

I usually buy at least two pineapples a week which cost $3 each at most stores in my area, or $2.50 when they’re on sale. For $1.99 at Lidl, this was a great buy. Lidl also had a great price on organic bananas which I use to make daily smoothies and non-dairy ice cream. The rest of the fresh fruit at Lidl was also very well-priced, including tomatoes, organic avocados, peppers, peaches, apples, lemons, and fresh berries.

While I wasn’t sure if these spices would be better than familiar name brands, the low prices alone made me purchase them and give them a try. These are a bargain for families, single adults who cook a lot, or college students on a tight budget.

I use Medjool dates to naturally sweeten everything from smoothies to oatmeal and even use them to make raw brownies and cookies. They’re also great to snack on by themselves. Anyone who loves Medjool dates knows they’re not cheap (unless you buy them at Costco where they’re a steal). For just $4.99 for a pound at Lidl, these were a fantastic find that would be worth going back for.

• Chocolate (including organic and dark options)
• Frozen veggies
• Non-dairy milk
• Baking cocoa powder
• Organic maple syrup
• Organic pasta
• Organic applesauce

If you’ve been to Lidl, what are your top five must-have items?