The Aldi Meal Bowls I'll Never Try Again

It's no secret that I do a lot of my weekly grocery shopping at Aldi. It's where I stock up on some of the best Aldi spices, and it's also the place that offers my favorite Emporium Selection cheeses. If I can purchase it at Aldi instead of another grocery store, I will, because it significantly cuts down on my food costs. Usually, the products I find at this discount retailer are fantastic. Occasionally, items I may already be iffy about turn out to be unpalatable, so I end up forgoing them in favor of name-brand options at higher price points. The worst is when something seems fantastic in theory but falls short of expectations; this recently happened to me.

When I first spotted the Whole and Simple meal bowls at my local Aldi in Vineland, New Jersey, I was pretty excited. I adore Southwestern and Mediterranean-style foods, and that was exactly what this brand offered at the time. The bowls appeared to be convenient, contained healthy ingredients, and were affordable. It seemed like I had hit the jackpot — until I tried them. Did I manage to finish the bowls so I didn't waste anything? Yes. Would I eat them again? Absolutely not.

I managed to try two unique Whole and Simple meal bowl options, although I was tempted to stop after the first because it was such a bad experience. These were the Southwestern-style chicken quinoa bowl and the Mediterranean-style chicken quinoa bowl. There are several other options available, but you couldn't pay me to try them.

The Southwestern-style chicken quinoa bowl contains chicken, quinoa, brown rice, black beans, and an assortment of vegetables, including sweet potatoes, which I'm a huge fan of. Unfortunately, the sweet potatoes combined with the rice made for a textural nightmare that had me making a face and struggling to finish chewing. Also, it was quite bland, with no real seasonings or spices to speak of.

The Mediterranean chicken bowl was equally bland and didn't have nearly enough chicken. Instead, the bowl was overwhelmed by the other ingredients. Neither experience was a good one, and I can only make an educated guess that the other available bowls would be equally disappointing.

If you're looking for frozen meal options at Aldi to stock in your freezer for times when you're in a rush, there are plenty to choose from. While I recommend avoiding the Whole and Simple meal bowls at all costs if you value your taste buds, I have found quite a few more reliable options at the private retailer store.

If you're feeding your whole family, the Bremer bistro lasagna with meat sauce is a fantastic option. Not only is it affordable and convenient, but it tastes very close to homemade lasagna options. Or, you could opt for the liveGfree gluten-free General Tso's chicken, which can easily feed three or four people with one bag. Plus, it's ideal for those with certain dietary restrictions.

The Bremer chicken melts are one of my favorite Aldi prepared chicken items. They taste great, smell amazing while cooking, and they're individually portioned to be the perfect snack or quick meal. You might also consider the Casa Mamita cheese quesadillas or beef and bean burritos, depending on your own taste preferences. Any of these options are well worth keeping in your freezer.