If you’re wanting sandwiches, Aldi has a good selection of lunch meats, chicken salad, sliced cheese, bread, condiments, and veggies to put together the perfect lunch or snack. My family often packs Aldi lunch meat in a cooler for camping trips or road trips. We like the Castle Wood Reserve Lunch Meat at Aldi, which is not an Aldi-exclusive brand.
Sometimes we also buy some Aldi-branded lunch meat that comes in reusable, resealable plastic containers. Lunch Mate Deli Selected Finely Sliced Lunch Meats come in multiple varieties. I was able to pick up rotisserie seasoned chicken breast, honey uncured ham, and oven roasted turkey breast from my local store during a recent shopping trip. I saw signage indicating that this product line also includes roast beef (which I’m not sure I’ve ever seen at my local Aldi stores) and smoked uncured ham, but those weren’t in stock at the time of my shopping trip.
Lunch Mate Deli Selected Finely Sliced Lunch Meat is a Regular Buy, which means you should be able to find it at Aldi all year. You’ll find these in the refrigerated aisle alongside other lunch meats, cheeses, and dips.
This lunch meat cost between $4.75 and $5.29 for a 16-ounce tub at my local store at the time of writing. Exactly what price I paid depended on what type of lunch meat I bought. The honey uncured ham was $4.75 (about 30 cents an ounce), the rotisserie seasoned chicken breast was $5.19 (about 32 cents an ounce), and the oven roasted turkey breast was $5.29 (about 33 cents an ounce).
For comparison, the Castle Wood Reserve Lunch Meat I typically buy at Aldi cost about 34 cents an ounce.
These Lunch Mate lunch meats actually look like knockoffs of Hillshire Farm lunch meat. Aldi can be pretty bold about copying name-brand product packaging, and that certainly looks to be the case here. I found some one-pound family-sized reusable plastic tubs of Hillshire Farm lunch meat going for about 47 cents per ounce at Walmart at the time of writing. That makes the Aldi knockoff lunch meat a much better deal.
The labels describe these as 1-pound family-sized packages, with each tub containing two 8-ounce pouches. It is quite a lot of lunch meat, and these last my family a while despite the fact that, according to the nutrition panels, each tub only contains 3.5-4.5 servings. We get a lot more servings than that out of one tub.
These are advertised as containing no artificial preservatives, with no nitrites or nitrates added “except those naturally occurring in natural flavoring celery juice powder and sea salt.”
The packaging recommends using these within 7 days of opening. (I sometimes throw these in the freezer if I know we won’t be able to finish them soon.)
Our taste testers liked these lunch meats just fine. We don’t really have a favorite and, in fact, we often like to put a little of each on our sandwiches for a somewhat deluxe deli experience. Are there higher-end lunch meats out there that cost more? Sure. But these are good for the price.
Of course, these do contain some processed ingredients, and they all have their share of sodium, so they’re best to enjoy in moderation.
Keep reading for more information about each of the lunch meat varieties I was able to purchase at my local Aldi.
As the holidays approach, many of us look forward to enjoying Thanksgiving and Christmas meals centered around a delicious turkey. But turkey isn’t just a once-a-year treat – it also makes for a tasty and nutritious lunch meat choice year round! ALDI offers an excellent selection of convenient pre-packaged turkey lunch meats at affordable prices. Whether you’re packing school lunches making quick sandwiches for dinner or creating an easy appetizer platter, ALDI has you covered. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore all of ALDI’s turkey lunch meat selections so you can find the right fit for your needs and budget.
Overview of ALDI Turkey Lunch Meats
ALDI carries turkey lunch meats from three main brands – Lunch Mate, Simply Nature, and Priano. Here’s a quick overview:
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Lunch Mate – ALDI’s standard turkey lunch meat line, with the widest selection of flavors and styles. Offerings include smoked, roasted, honey glazed, and lower sodium options.
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Simply Nature – ALDI’s organic brand, featuring oven roasted and smoked turkey lunch meats Made without antibiotics or added hormones
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Priano – ALDI’s gourmet brand, offering premium Italian dry-cured prosciutto made from turkey.
Within these lines, you’ll find an array of deli-sliced, shaved, and packaged turkey lunch meat options perfect for sandwiches, roll-ups, or snacks. Now let’s explore some of the specific products in more detail!
Lunch Mate Turkey Lunch Meats
Lunch Mate dominates ALDI’s turkey lunch meat selection. Here are some standout Lunch Mate products to consider:
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Smoked Turkey – Classic smoked turkey breast lunch meat with a delicious hickory smoked flavor. Available in convenient resealable 16oz package.
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Oven Roasted Turkey – Juicy oven roasted turkey breast slices. Provides a simple backdrop to customize sandwiches. Sold in 16oz packages.
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Honey Smoked Turkey – Smoked turkey slices glazed with a sweet and savory honey coating. Sold in 9oz or 16oz sizes.
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Mesquite Smoked Turkey – Mesquite wood smoking provides deeper flavor. Package includes about 10 servings.
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Honey Turkey – Honey-coated smoked turkey for added sweetness. Sold in 14-16oz resealable packs.
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Roasted Turkey – Delicious roasted turkey breast lunch meat. Package contains around 10 servings.
I recommend the Mesquite Smoked Turkey for extra flavor or the classic Oven Roasted Turkey for versatility. The portion-controlled 9oz packs work well for smaller households.
Simply Nature Organic Turkey Lunch Meat
For an organic option, check out Simply Nature. Two excellent turkey lunch meats they offer:
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Organic Oven Roasted Turkey – Juicy oven roasted turkey breast slices with minimal seasoning. Antibiotic-free with no added hormones.
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Organic Smoked Turkey – Classic smoked turkey with smoky hardwood flavor. Contains no artificial ingredients.
Both are available in convenient 6oz packs, providing approximately 5 servings of USDA certified organic turkey. Try them in sandwiches, salads, and more!
Priano Italian-Style Turkey Prosciutto
If you want a gourmet turkey lunch meat, consider Priano’s Dry-Cured Turkey Prosciutto. Prosciutto is an Italian-style dry cured ham, but this version uses premium turkey. The curing process concentrates the turkey’s savory umami flavor. It’s wrapped around the leg, thinly sliced, and packed in 3oz portions. Enjoy on charcuterie boards or as a sandwich topping.
Tips for Enjoying ALDI Turkey Lunch Meats
Here are some tips for putting ALDI’s turkey lunch meats to delicious use:
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Fold slices into wraps with veggies and cheese for an easy, portable lunch.
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Layer turkey on toasted bagels with egg, cheese, and spinach for a hearty breakfast sandwich.
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Bake turkey roll-ups with cheese and pickle and slice into pinwheels to make an party appetizer.
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Toss diced turkey with mayo, celery, and cranberries to create a tasty sandwich spread.
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Add turkey to salads for extra protein.
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Use shaved turkey slices on antipasto or charcuterie boards for hassle-free snacking.
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Craft nutritious turkey lettuce wraps by filling leaves with turkey, avocado, tomato and hummus.
Buying and Storage Tips
When shopping for ALDI turkey lunch meats, look for:
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Bright, clean packaging with no tears or holes
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Well within “Best By” date on package
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Proper refrigeration in the store deli case
Once purchased, refrigerate ASAP – don’t leave sitting in the cart. Store unopened packages in the fridge for 5-10 days max. Once opened, use within 3-5 days.
Lunch Mate Deli Selected Honey Uncured Ham Finely Sliced Lunch Meat:
This is advertised as 97% fat free. The label states the pork was raised with no added hormones, although federal regulations already prohibit the use of added hormones in pork.
Ingredients are ham, water, honey, vinegar (to preserve quality), and 2% or less of salt, sugar sodium phosphates, natural flavoring (celery juice powder), sea salt,
One package contains about 4.5 servings. One three-slice serving has 50 calories, 1.5 grams of total fat (2% DV), 0.5 grams of saturated fat (3% DV), 430 mg of sodium (18% DV), 3 grams of total carbohydrates (1% DV), 2 grams of sugars, and 8 grams of protein.
Lunch Mate Deli Selected Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Breast Finely Sliced Lunch Meat:
This is advertised as 97% fat free. The label also states the poultry used in this was raised with no added hormones or steroids, but be aware that federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones and steroids in poultry anyway.
Ingredients are chicken breast with rib meat, chicken broth, and 2% or less carrageenan, garlic powder, modified corn starch, natural flavoring (celery juice powder), onion powder, salt, sea salt, sodium phosphate, spice extractive, sugar, vinegar (to preserve quality), and yeast extract. The label states that caramel color was added, although Aldi house brands are free of artificial colors.
One package contains about 3.5 servings. One serving is three slices (63 grams), which has 70 calories, 2 grams of total fat (3% DV), 0.5 grams of saturated fat (3% DV), 640 mg of sodium (27% DV), 3 grams of total carbohydrates (1% DV), 1 gram of sugars, and 10 grams of protein.
The Best Lunch Meat To Buy At The Grocery Store…And What To Avoid!
FAQ
Who makes Aldi deli meats?
Appleton Farms, one of ALDI’s 10 billion house brands, focuses on meats. (They’re sometimes paired with Never Any!, the antibiotic- and hormone-free brand.) You can buy whole pre-cooked turkey breasts to slice and dice however you like or whole spiral-cut hams.
Where do Aldi turkeys come from?
Reared on a 30-year-old family-run farm in Suffolk, our Ultimate Whole Turkey is nurtured to exceptional quality. Slow-grown and free range, this ‘self-basting turkey has a handy pop-up timer to take the stress out of roasting up a spectacular centrepiece to be proud of.
Why is turkey lunch meat so expensive?
It is more time consuming to butcher than pork or beef. More time = more labor = higher price.
Does Aldi sell sliced turkey?
Roasted or Smoked Turkey Slices – Lunch Mate | ALDI US.