I'm a military wife who drives 90 minutes with my toddler to shop at Aldi. Here are 12 things I always buy there.

We go through a lot of avocados in our house. Whether we're making avocado brownies, chocolate-avocado mousse, or just adding a topping to tacos, they're very versatile.

Avocados can get pricey at some grocery stores, but Aldi stocks perfectly-sized ones for just $0.49 each.

Fans of Chick-fil-A are constantly on the hunt for chicken-sandwich dupes, and Aldi nails it with the Kirkwood breaded chicken-breast fillets (fondly referred to by fans as "Red Bag Chicken").

The fully-cooked, perfectly seasoned filets have just a hint of spice and pickle flavor.

To get a perfect crunch, place one in an air fryer for 15 minutes, or cook it in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes — I switch to broil for the last couple of minutes to get that perfect fast-food crunch.

A 24-ounce bag with five to six pieces of chicken sells for $6.29.

Our little man loves Danimals mixed-berry yogurt smoothies, and I love that they have a healthy dose of probiotics.

If you're trying to be mindful of sugar consumption, these might be better as a dessert as they have 9 grams per bottle. It's fine for a snack, but the sugar adds up when my kid has no problem downing two or three at a time.

A six-pack of smoothies costs $1.99.

Our toddler is obsessed with hot dogs, so we try to sub in healthier alternatives whenever we get a chance.

I love the Never Any! brand at Aldi. Its chicken sausages come fully cooked, so they're fast and easy to prepare. I was thrown at first by the idea of apple-flavored chicken sausage, but they taste great and have just a hint of sweetness.

My 3-year-old loves eating these sliced in half-coin pieces for lunch alongside an apple and some peanut butter.

A 12-ounce pack costs $2.89.

The Simply Nature string-cheese sticks are satisfying and delicious whether you like to pull them apart or bite right into them (which is a constant debate at our house).

I keep them on hand for lunchboxes, afternoons at the park, and long trips in the car. I love the boost of protein and that they're a cost-effective, organic snack.

A 6-ounce package goes for $2.65 at Aldi.

My child ate two pints of blueberries in one afternoon recently.

We work hard to encourage him to choose fruits and vegetables often, so it's important to me to always have fresh fruit on hand.

Luckily, the pints of organic blueberries at Aldi are only $3.49.

Blue Bell ice cream is a hallmark of summer in the South, and there's no better flavor than the sweet, salty perfection of pecan pralines 'n cream.

My whole family likes to have a scoop about once a week, so I love that it's often on sale at Aldi.

If you're not in the South, we send our regrets as it's a regionally stocked product.

A 64-ounce container of Blue Bell ice cream sells for $6.97, and I've found it on sale for $5.97.

Now that we're living in West Texas, we're more obsessed with tacos than ever before.

Aldi sells packages of precut and pre-marinated chicken breasts that we love to toss with sautéed peppers and onions, toasty corn tortillas, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, and a few slices of avocado.

The marinated pieces are $2.69 a pound.

The Little Salad Bar southwest chopped salad kit has roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds); seasoned tortilla strips; and a crunchy mix of cabbage, green onion, cilantro, carrots, and lettuce.

I've been enjoying the different salad-kit options at Aldi for years, and I've yet to get a bag that's anything less than perfectly crisp.

It also makes a great base for taco or fajita salad, and I love to add sliced avocado to the mix for freshness.

The salad kit costs $3.29.

As a military family, we move around a lot, and I'm constantly looking for ways to provide my toddler with a sense of continuity (like enjoying the same snacks across the country). It's also important for me to have non-perishable snacks on hand to stash in places like the car.

The Savoritz little penguins fulfill both needs, and they've saved my toddler's mood more times than I can count. He prefers them to any other cracker-type snack.

They also come in an easy-to-reseal package that's simple for little hands to open.

A bag costs $1.49.

Fit & Active is by far the most flavorful brand of rice cakes I've ever tasted. They're salty and savory with just the right amount of cheese flavor.

Sometimes I toss a handful of them into a bag with pretzels and penguin crackers to make a little snack pack before we hit a hiking trail.

A bag of the rice cakes retails for $1.99.

My favorite pre-workout meal is a half cup of steel-cut oatmeal topped with cinnamon, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.

Oatmeal is also our little guy's preferred breakfast, and I love that the quick steel-cut option at Aldi doesn't take an hour on the stove to make.

A 25-ounce container costs $3.09.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.