Trader Joe's Vs Aldi: Which Is Better For Vegan Grocery Shopping?

Meat alternatives

Let's begin with meat alternatives. While not all vegans consume them, those who do appreciate having a variety of options available in grocery stores. How do Aldi and Trader Joe's compare? During our visit to Aldi, we discovered only two types of veggie burgers in the frozen section. While we were pleased to find these options, we were disappointed that the wider range of meatless products listed on Aldi's website was not available in this particular store. In addition to the two veggie burgers, the website features six items from the Earth Grown brand: two varieties of meatless meatballs, breakfast patties, breakfast links, chickenless patties, and chickenless tenders, though we are uncertain about their availability in individual locations. We did manage to find a box of Plant Based Meatless Crumbles made from pea protein in the specialty aisle.

In contrast, we had an easier time at Trader Joe's. In the refrigerated section near the entrance of our local store, we found packages of Trader Joe's Impossible Burgers, Beefless Ground Beef, Soy Chorizo, and Vegan Italian Style Sausage-less Sausage, along with sliced vegan pepperoni. In the frozen aisle, we came across Trader Joe's Meatless Breakfast Sausage Patties, Impossible Chicken Nuggets, Meatless Meatballs, and Korean Beefless Bulgogi. There were also two varieties of veggie burgers in the freezer: Trader Joe's Quinoa Cowboy Veggie Burgers with Black Beans and Roasted Corn, and Trader Joe's Vegetable Masala Burger featuring Authentic Indian Spices.

Frozen food

In our exploration of frozen food options, we concentrated on vegan items that were not specifically meat substitutes or specialty non-dairy products. We carefully examined the ingredient lists, as these products often lack clear vegan labeling. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate any vegan pizza at either Aldi or Trader Joe's, whether in-store or online. However, we did discover two vegan options at our local Aldi: the Whole And Simple Tahini And Chickpea Protein Bowl and two flavors of Season's Choice Veggie Fries: Crunch Ranch and Crunchy Black Bean.

Finding frozen vegan products was simpler at Trader Joe's. We came across Trader Joe's Vegetable Biryani (noting that other Indian dishes contained dairy), Cauliflower Gnocchi, Penne Arrabbiata, Spanish Style Rice, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Vegetable Pad Thai, Vegetable Fried Rice, Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry, Thai Vegetable Gyoza, Kimbap (Korean vegetable and tofu rice rolls), Crispy Potato and Poblano Pepper Tacos, Falafel, and the Mango Blueberry Chia Bowl made with coconut cream.

Additionally, vegans often consume frozen foods that aren't explicitly labeled as vegan but are essential staples, such as frozen fruits and vegetables. Both Aldi and Trader Joe's offered a solid variety of these items. At Aldi, we found four shelves stocked with frozen fruits like berries, mangoes, and mixed blends, along with a wide range of basic frozen vegetables, including organic choices. While Aldi's prices were generally lower than those at Trader Joe's, we noted that Trader Joe's provided the aforementioned options as well as more unique products like dark cherries, wild blueberries, both white and fire-roasted corn, and frozen edamame—an often-overlooked vegan gem.

Refrigerated specialties

We discovered four types of hummus (classic, pine nut, spicy, and olive tapenade) in the refrigerated dips and spreads section at Aldi. However, Aldi's online shopping site offered a wider selection, featuring additional hummus flavors like roasted red pepper and garlic, as well as various guacamole options. We were intrigued by a few spreads listed online, such as Park Street Deli Buffalo Style Cauliflower Dip, but since Aldi doesn't provide ingredient information online, we couldn't confirm if they were vegan. A separate search revealed that the cauliflower dip contains Neufchâtel cheese.

Shopping at Trader Joe's was a more straightforward experience. We found numerous vegan options in the refrigerated section, and the ingredient lists were readily available on the product pages when shopping online. This was particularly helpful for vegan items that aren't explicitly labeled as such, like Trader Joe's Garlic Spread Dip. In addition to the garlic dip, our local store also offered Trader Joe's Almond Chipotle Dip, four varieties of hummus, vegan tzatziki dip, and guacamole. We also found vegan pesto made from kale, cashews, and basil, which was not available at Aldi, either in-store or online.

Trader Joe's went beyond just spreads, offering a wide range of refrigerated vegan soups and salads. These included Trader Joe's Lentil Soup with Ancient Grains, Organic Hearty Minestrone Soup, Vegetable Rolls, Peanut Udon Noodle Salad, Chickpea Kale and Crispy Red Rice Salad with Avocado Herb Vinaigrette, Creamy Hummus and Vegetable Wraps, Balela (a Middle Eastern chickpea salad), and Tabbouli salad.

Pantry items

Pantry staples encompass items found on store shelves, such as soups and dressings. We searched for vegetable bouillon, vegan macaroni and cheese, and vegan mayonnaise, but unfortunately, we couldn't locate any at either Aldi or Trader Joe's, including their online offerings. However, we were pleased to discover Chef's Cupboard Vegetable Cooking Stock available at Aldi (they also provide Simply Nature Organic Vegetable Broth online), while Trader Joe's stocked Organic Hearty Vegetable Broth. At Aldi, we found two varieties of Specially Selected brand vegan soups: Hearty Vegetable and Southwest Style Tomato and Black Bean, but no additional vegan soups were available online. Trader Joe's featured Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup and Garden Vegetable Soup.

Both stores offered vegan dressing options. Aldi had a diverse range of dressings available in-store and online, including Little Salad Bar Apple Thyme Vinaigrette, Little Salad Bar Ginger Vinaigrette, Simply Nature Organic Aged Balsamic Dressing, Specially Selected Greek Vinaigrette Dressing, Simply Nature Organic Oil and Vinegar Dressing, and Tuscan Garden Zesty Italian Dressing. For a creamy option, we found Simply Nature Organic Poppyseed Dressing online, which is thickened with organic mustard flour and xanthan gum.

At Trader Joe's, it was easy to identify their Vegan Creamy Dill Dressing and Vegan Caesar Dressing due to the clear vegan labeling, and we appreciated the availability of creamy options. Other selections included Trader Joe's Thai Style Peanut Dressing, Green Goddess Salad Dressing, and French Vinaigrette with Shallots. One aspect we liked about Trader Joe's was the variety of dressings beyond just vinaigrettes.

Non-dairy dairy

We were unable to find any dairy-free ice cream, yogurt, or cream cheese at our local Aldi. However, Countryside Creamery Homestyle Vegetable Oil Spread was available, along with a solid variety of almond, oat, soy, and coconut non-dairy milks, including chocolate almond milk and organic almond and soy milk options.

The main Aldi website lists three flavors of Earth Grown non-dairy frozen desserts made with almond milk, but these were not available on our online shopping page. We did find two non-dairy cheese alternatives online: Vegan Mozzarella Style Shreds and Cheddar Style Shreds from Earth Grown. Aldi also offers non-dairy whipped toppings online (both almond and coconut), which we couldn't find at Trader Joe's, although Trader Joe's does carry a vegan heavy whipping cream alternative for those interested in making their own.

At Trader Joe's, we discovered their Hold the Dairy! mini cones made with coconut milk, and we found Oat Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert Sandwiches available online. They also have a wide range of non-dairy products, including a yogurt alternative in three flavors made from cashews, a vegan cream cheese substitute, Earth Balance Vegetable Oil Spread, and even overnight oats made with almond milk. Additionally, we noticed a cheddar-style sliced cheese alternative, shredded Parmesan, shredded Mexican blend cheese alternatives, and a Babybel plant-based cheese option. Lastly, Trader Joe's offers a diverse selection of non-dairy milks, including coconut, oat, chocolate oat, almond, rice, cashew, and macadamia nut milk, along with seasonal offerings like their Non-Dairy Pumpkin Oat Beverage.

Staples

Vegans often consume a variety of staple foods that are inherently vegan and don’t require special labeling, such as rice and beans. Our local Aldi had a solid selection of these essentials, including oats, multiple types of rice and pasta, and quinoa. The cereal aisle featured a wide range of vegan cereals and granola options. We spotted four types of dried beans along with a 16-bean soup mix. Additionally, there was a respectable assortment of canned beans and vegetables. Their offerings of nuts, dried fruits, and trail mixes were also commendable, featuring both basic options and some specialty varieties like Southern Grove Salt & Pepper, Everything Bagel, and Dill Pickle Cashews. Unfortunately, we were unable to find tofu in the store. While Earth Grown Firm or Extra Firm Organic Tofu is available for online purchase, the description indicates it may not be stocked in all locations.

Trader Joe's offers a good selection of grains, cereals, and canned beans, but it seems they do not carry dried beans or canned vegetables. We discovered a wider variety of nuts and dried fruits compared to Aldi, including unique options. Their nut selection featured items like Garlic and Onion Pistachios, Sesame Honey Cashews, and Garlic & Black Pepper Almonds. The dried fruit section included coconut strips, coconut chips, baby pineapple, Ataulfo mangoes, orange slices, and sweet apple slices from New Zealand. We were also pleased to find tempeh and two types of tofu available in the store.

Snacks

We discovered a variety of vegan snacks in Aldi's aisles, including pretzels, chips, and popcorn. While many fruit snacks contain gelatin, Aldi offers Simply Nature Fruit Strips, which are vegan-friendly. After checking the ingredient lists on several granola bar boxes, we found a suitable option: Elevation Kids Chocolate Brownie Baked Oat Bar. The selection of vegan cookies at Aldi featured Simply Nature Double Chocolate Coconut Cashew Crisps, animal crackers, graham crackers, Benton's Fig Bars, Oreos, and Benton's striped fudge cookies. Additionally, they had seven varieties of vegan Moser Roth dark chocolate bars.

At Trader Joe's, the snack offerings included not only vegan chips, popcorn, and pretzels but also Trader Joe's Papadums Lentil and Chickpea Crisps and Inner Peas, a crunchy baked green pea snack. The vegan cookie selection featured Trader Joe's Fig Cookies, Soft-Baked Sunflower Butter Cookies with Roasted Sunflower Seeds, Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles, Organic Animal Crackers, and Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Sandwich Cookies. We easily found two vegan granola bar options: Trader Joe's ABC Bars and Organic Chocolate Chip Granola Bites.

While most dark chocolate snacks at Trader Joe's contained milk, we found a vegan option: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups. We also came across three types of vegan dark chocolate bars: Belgian dark, dark chocolate with almonds, and a dark coffee-flavored variety. Notably, Trader Joe's Oat Chocolate bars provide a milk chocolate alternative, available in both a plain version and one with crispy rice and cocoa nibs.

Produce

The Aldi we visited offered a solid variety of budget-friendly produce. We found items like lettuce and salad kits, potatoes, onions, garlic, apples, oranges, lemons, and bananas, along with portabella mushroom caps, plantains, mangoes, kiwis, pineapples, berries, grapes, and various packages of fresh herbs. Most of the produce was packaged in bags, making it difficult to purchase just a single item.

Trader Joe's features an extensive produce section with a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables, available both loose and in packages. Their packaged offerings include salad kits and leafy greens such as romaine, butter lettuce, arugula, and kale. While Trader Joe's produce is often perceived as pricey—frequently higher than that of other supermarkets—their bagged options tend to be more economical. For instance, a single Honeycrisp apple at our local Trader Joe's is nearly the same price as a pound of the same apples sold in a bag at Aldi. However, a three-pound bag of Cara Cara oranges costs $1.33 per pound, and a two-pound bag of blood oranges is priced at $1.50 per pound. Murasaki sweet potatoes are priced at $1.29 each, but a three-pound bag of the same variety is $4.99, or about $1.66 per pound.

In contrast to Aldi, Trader Joe's offers some less common produce items, but this often comes with a higher price. For example, pineberries—described on the label as "white strawberries with a pineapple-like flavor!"—are a rare find, priced at $5.99 for a 10-ounce package.

Who does it better?

After exploring our local Aldi and Trader Joe's and reviewing their offerings online, we have to conclude that Trader Joe's excels in vegan groceries. For starters, locating vegan products at Trader Joe's was significantly easier. At Aldi, we had to search much more diligently. While we did find plant-based milk and butter, along with a few dedicated vegan items at our local Aldi, the selection was limited.

Aldi's website showcased a broader range of vegan foods, including meat substitutes and non-dairy options. However, there's no guarantee that these items will be available in-store, and not everyone prefers online shopping. Additionally, Aldi's website lacks ingredient listings, which meant we had to spend extra time researching each product on other sites to confirm their vegan status. In contrast, Trader Joe's website provided a selection that closely matched what we found in-store, with clear ingredient information for each product.

Both stores offered essentials like fresh and frozen produce, grains, beans, and nuts. However, Trader Joe's provided a greater variety and more unique items. While Aldi occasionally had a product not available at Trader Joe's, such as vegan whipped topping, these instances were rare. From the moment we entered Trader Joe's, it was evident that finding vegan products was much simpler. We still appreciate Aldi for its basics and low prices, but when it comes to variety, labeling, unique finds, and the overall number of vegan options, Trader Joe's stands out as the better choice.