NINE HEALTHY STAPLES FROM ALDI AND LIDL (THAT BEAT THE POSH COMPETITION)
In recent years, you might have noticed it is getting increasingly difficult to get round the supermarket without being bombarded with health messaging. A rise in health-conscious shoppers has sparked competition among the supermarket brands, whose “better basket” health campaigns, gut health ranges and products promising health benefits are coming at us thick and fast.
It used to be that the higher-end supermarkets were the go-to shops for health foods, but thankfully it’s low-cost ones such as Lidl and Aldi that come up trumps for nutrition staples. As a nutritionist, I find that all too often the latest health fashion translates to “more is more”. We’re seeing unnecessary additions to products in the name of health, when what I want are decent, well-produced essentials without the gimmicks.
Cost is an important factor when it comes to staying healthy, so here are the products I rate more highly than the expensive competition.
1. Vitamin-enriched smoothies
While smoothies cannot replicate the nutritional advantages of eating whole fruit, they can be a great way of consuming a range of fruits conveniently. The more in the mix, the better, ideally with a vegetable or two thrown in. Vitamin-enriched smoothies tend to come at a price, which is where Lidl’s Naturis range is to be recommended.
For instance, its Rejuvenate with cucumber, apple, grape, mango and kiwi includes niacin, B6 and riboflavin in addition to matcha and linseed. Aldi’s Enliven is another rich-in-vitamins contender.
At nearly three times the price, M&S’s Revitalise smoothie also includes chicory root fibre, which contains inulin, an ingredient that can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) sufferers such as bloating, stomach pain and distension. As such, it is not Fodmap-friendly (the Fodmap diet is designed for those with sensitive digestion).
Best buy
Lidl Naturis Rejuvenate 750ml, £1.75
Aldi The Juice Company Enliven Super Smoothie 750ml, £1.59
The competition
M&S Revitalise Super Smoothie 350ml, £2.50
2. Granola
As a blend of unrefined plant-based food groups, granola has the nutritional edge over plain porridge. My preferred mix comes enriched with nuts and seeds (but minus dried fruit) and is low in sugar. Lidl’s version is virtuously free of unwanted extras, and high in fibre (6.5g per 100g), including soluble fibre from wholegrain oats, which can aid in lowering bad cholesterol.
In addition it contains more protein (14.2g per 100g) than its near rival from Waitrose (11.9g per 100g), whose Low Sugar Nutty Granola comes with the unnecessary addition of maize starch, as well as chicory fibre (see Smoothies). For me, that’s overkill in a cereal naturally high in fibre that would not usually contain it.
Best buy
Lidl Crownfield Low Sugar Granola Original 500g, £1.99
The competition
Waitrose Low Sugar Nutty Granola 500g, £2.50
3.Pre-cooked rice and grain pouches
Convenient pre-cooked grain and rice pouches vary hugely in their nutritional profile, ranging from refined grains stripped of their fibre, with multiple additives and preservatives, to the simplest pre-cooked wholegrains with no flavouring additions or salt, which are my own cupboard staple.
I struggled to find one with less than 20 ingredients at M&S, for instance its Fruity Moroccan Inspired Grain Mix. Lidl’s White and Red Quinoa hits the spot with just three ingredients. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids that our body cannot make, making it a complete protein. M&S Microwave Wholegrain Basmati Rice and Red and White Quinoa seems overdone and contains 0.78g salt per 100g, compared with Lidl at 0.02g.
Best buy
Lidl Taste of White & Red Quinoa 250g, £1.05
The competition
M&S Microwave Wholegrain Basmati Rice and Quinoa, 250g, £1.50
M&S Microwave Fruity Moroccan Inspired Grain Mix, 250g, £1.50
4.Organic eggs
While free-range eggs are a step up, this category encompasses a broad range of production methods with too much room for bad practice to satisfy the discerning consumer. Organic eggs offer an improved standard of welfare, with studies supporting nutritional advantages relating to their higher beneficial carotenoids and a reduction in the inflammatory potential. Lidl, Aldi and M&S all produce organic eggs in accordance with OF&G (Organic Farmers and Growers) certification.
Best buy
Lidl Woodcote six organic eggs, £1.45
Aldi Six Merevale British Organic Mixed Weight Eggs, £2.25
The competition
M&S Organic British Six Medium Eggs, £3.00
5. Nut butter
The uses for nut butter go well beyond a slick of it on toast. A smooth peanut butter is the gold standard here, with the best nutritionally being 100 per cent nut and nothing else – which makes Lidl and Aldi’s bumper 1kg tubs a steal, Aldi’s The Foodie Market version being the winner with its pleasingly creamy texture.
Waitrose Essential peanut butter has palm oil, cane sugar and 0.68g salt per 100g, compared with Lidl’s trace of 0.01g per 100g. The M&S smooth peanut butter has the same ingredients plus sunflower oil. These 100 per cent butters also come in lower in saturated fats: 6.2g per 100g in Lidl and 5.9g in Aldi, compared with 8.6g in Waitrose and 8.3g in M&S.
Best buy
Aldi The Foodie Market Smooth Peanut Butter 1kg, £3.99
Lidl Maribel Smooth Peanut Butter 1kg, £3.99
The competition
Essential Waitrose Smooth Peanut Butter 340g, £1.80
M&S Smooth Peanut Butter 340g, £1.70
6. Plain tofu
A good, plain tofu without added flavourings is a cornerstone for vegetarian eating but also a good source of protein for anyone wanting to cut back on red meat.
Lidl’s tofu has the advantage of containing 52 per cent soya beans compared with Waitrose 34 per cent, making it richer in nutrients, with 1-2g fibre per 100g in Lidl tofu compared with Waitrose’s 0.8g. There is 13.1g of protein per 100g in Lidl tofu, compared with 11.3g at Waitrose. Lidl also uses calcium sulphate as a firming agent, a source of dietary calcium that is especially beneficial to those not eating dairy; Waitrose tofu uses magnesium chloride.
Best buy
Lidl Vemondo Plant! Organic Tofu 400g, £1.75
The competition
Waitrose Plant Living Organic Firm Tofu 300g, £1.90
7. Extra virgin olive oil
Both Lidl and Aldi’s PDOTerra Di Bari extra virgin olive oil, grown in the Castel Del Monte region of Puglia, have the recognisably elegant, grassy and gently peppery scent of so many oils from this region. PDO (or DOP) stands for protected designation of origin, and guarantees the oil is produced, processed and packaged locally. It’s the difference between knowing what you are eating and not knowing, which is why M&S Italian extra virgin olive oil from unspecified regions (as opposed to its Toscano extra virgin olive oil), coarse and clunking by comparison, gets the thumbs down.
Best buy
Lidl Deluxe Puglian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, £4.19
Aldi PDO Castel Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, £5.59
The competition
M&S Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml, £7.50
8. Tinned mackerel
Mackerel in spring water gets my vote as the best tinned fish for nutrition. There is little-to-no mileage in mackerel being tinned in oil or tomato sauce over the purity of spring water; it’s much better to jazz it up yourself. Fished in the North Atlantic, this mackerel is low in mercury compared with king mackerel and some Spanish fish (also salmon and tuna), while boasting the highest levels of heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids.
Lidl’s Nixe Mackerel Fillets in spring water is well ahead of its rivals in quality, with the discernible sweetness of the sea, and an excellent succulent-yet-meaty texture. It advertises a lower energy content of 200kcal per 100g, drained compared with 237kcal in Waitrose.
Best buy
Lidl Mackerel Fillets in Spring Water 125g, 89p
The competition
Essential Waitrose Mackerel Fillets in Spring Water 100g, £1.00
M&S Danish Mackerel Fillets in Spring Water 125g, £1.10
9. Cider vinegar
One of the contradictions of modern food is having to pay more for a process that “hasn’t” been performed, and unpasteurised and unfiltered cider vinegar containing the mother is not alone in this category. The mother’s absence means no natural bacteria and yeasts, nor probiotics, which support our gut biome and immunity. Lidl’s Batts Organic Apple Cider Vinegar ticks all the boxes, unless you want to pay twice the price at M&S for the equivalent, or the same for Waitrose Essential Cider Vinegar, minus the mother.
Best buy
Lidl Batts Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) 500ml, £2.09
The competition
Waitrose Essential Cider Vinegar 500ml, £2.20
M&S Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) 250ml, £4.50
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2025-04-24T16:15:00Z