Aldi Doubles Down on Fresh Food, Adding a Bunch of New Products to Its Shelves

Alison Spiegel
Updated
Expect kombucha, veggie noodles and more non-dairy milk alternatives.

Aldi fans, you're about to spend a lot more time in the fresh food aisle. The cult-favorite grocery store, which has more than 1,800 stores across the country, announced today that it's expanding its fresh food offerings by 40 percent, which means 20 percent of its products will now fall under the fresh food category.

Think: more sliced fruits, veggie noodles, organic fresh meats, marinated chicken, and vegan and vegetarian items, like kale and quinoa crunch burgers, meatless hot dogs and burgers, and chickenless patties and tenders.

They're also going to start selling private-label kombucha.

With the addition of organic almond milk and regular coconut milk to its already big roster of dairy-free milk options (soymilk, chocolate almond milk, vanilla almond milk and the list goes on), Aldi also says it now carries more private-label milk alternatives than any other supermarket.

If you're an Aldi superfan, you may have already seen some of the new products, which the stores have been testing out through limited-time Aldi Finds. Take the PurAqua Belle Vie sparkling waters or liveGfree product line: "They are great examples of Aldi Finds products that were so popular they became part of our everyday selection," a PR representative told Food & Wine.

Of course, Aldi isn't the only megastore that's doubling down on fresh, vegan and vegetarian options. Earlier this year, Ikea added a vegan hot dog to its menu, and Costco removed some unhealthier items like barbecue and chocolate frozen yogurt (RIP '90s) to make way for acai bowls and vegetarian salads. (You probably heard about Costco removing its beloved Polish hot dog.)

Aldi's new items will roll out throughout the year as part of a nationwide expansion. The German-based company plans to open 800 new stores in the next four years, which would make it the third-largest grocery store chain in the U.S., after Walmart and Kroger, Business Insider reports. More stores, even more fresh produce and non-dairy milk. Let's just hope the orange wine that UK Aldis just started selling comes stateside next.