Grocery Store Guides
In an attempt to keep a continuous theme for this week’s blog posts flowing, I’d like to offer up a nice alternative to the dining hall food! While there are many really, really delicious restaurants around us (reviews to come, I’ll never pass up an offer to try new restaurants) it’s no secret that they can be a bit pricey. But what do you do when you’re craving food that isn’t offered in the dining halls, and don’t want to spend $8 on a plate of chicken fried rice?
You make it.
Or, if that’s not your thing, you make some other dish that you’re craving. At Loyola’s lakeshore campus, near the Granville stop on the red line, there is an Aldi’s. Say what you want about the chain, but their prices cater to college students’ budgets. I go shopping there once every one and a half weeks, and for staples like bread, chips/snack items and treats like guacamole and super delicious greek yogurt popsicles the prices are completely right. While they very from week to week and I cannot give you a set price for the products, I can tell you that my last trip cost me $18 for 13 items.
The water tower campus is only a few blocks away from Trader Joe’s. While their prices tend to run a little higher, there are certain items that I will buy there and not at Aldi’s. They feature a larger and (most of the time) healthier, cleaner selection.
So, here’s a list of things to buy at each grocery store, respectively.
Aldi’s:
(Loaf) Bread
Premade guacamole (seriously, this is the best price for the amount you get that I’ve ever seen.)
Regular/general flavored ice cream
Microwaveable frozen meals
Instant pasta or rice, all you have to do is add water and microwave it
Yogurt
Cheese sticks/snacks
Chips/pretzels/crackers
Pop
Toiletries
Frozen fruit
Trader Joe’s:
Fresh fruit
Mochi
White cheddar popcorn
Meat (whether raw or precooked)
Hummus
Sparkling Water
Wanting fresh ‘homemade’ food isn’t always the easiest things while you live in a dorm. While you have to make some sacrifices, you can have a healthy meal in your own room with little to no effort.
Side Note: Aldi’s accepts only debit or cash. Trader Joe’s accepts major credit cards, debit, and cash.