7 Fruit Juices To Buy At Aldi, And 5 To Skip

From lunchboxes to wellness routines, Aldi has a juice for all reasons. It's actually quite surprising that a grocer known for its lighter inventory carries such a flow of options in this category. And we're not just talking about staples like orange juice and apple juice, either — although those are readily available. We're talking about unique fruit mash-ups, natural 100% blends, and even elixirs promising a burst of nutritional value like antioxidants and immune support.

It's a colorful collection, but today we're taking a closer look at what's really hiding underneath all those vibrant hues. I recently weighed down my 25-cent Aldi cart with 12 different juice options to try. The majority came from Nature's Nectar — the store's exclusive juice and beverage brand. And the rest came from Simply Nature — the store's brand focused on organic and natural products.

As I sipped my way through the bunch, I focused on finding genuinely juicy, flavorful blends, but I also prioritized juices that felt like the real deal — made with real juice rather than processed mixes or artificial ingredients. The two tend to go hand in hand anyway; when something is fresh and natural, it just tastes better. Simple as that. Based on that simple equation of great ingredients plus great taste, I determined which Aldi juices are truly worth the squeeze.

The Nature's Nectar pineapple juice is 100% juice and isn't made from concentrate. It's also free from any kind of preservatives, artificial flavors, or any other add-ins for that matter — just what we like to see. And even without any aids, it still manages to deliver a genuinely yummy flavor. The juice tastes as though it were made from extra-ripe pineapple, and the carton notes that they came straight from either sunny Costa Rica or Guatemala. It offers plenty of sweetness to balance out the tang, and it even gives your tongue a slight tingle, just like fresh pineapple does — a result of the bromelain in the fruit.

After a while, it does start to feel a little like you're drinking the syrup out of a Dole fruit cup, but for the most part, it's a solid juice that feels pure. It's also plenty versatile. I could picture myself blending it into smoothies, splashing it into a bubbly mimosa, or even adding it to a sweet and savory teriyaki marinade for chicken or pork. Of course, drinking it straight is always an option, as well, which can provide you with plenty of great benefits.

Don't mind the pinched neck on this OJ bottle. It must have been crunched during transportation. It doesn't affect the taste, but it did seem like a good hint that something was slightly awry with this product.

The ingredient list does start off strong. There is just one component listed: orange juice. That means it truly is 100% juice with no artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. This was a relief to see, and it immediately signals a higher-quality product. Now, we just have to work on the flavor a bit. Even though the color is bright orange and completely opaque, it comes off more watery than I would have liked and a tiny bit metallic. I couldn't help but pit it against fresh-squeezed orange juice bottles that I've purchased before from stores like Fresh Thyme Market, and it simply doesn't compare. It's missing that raw sweetness and bright tang.

It's also worth noting that this particular bottle of OJ is completely pulp-free, and I was left wishing I had grabbed a different variety. I actually prefer the pulp. I think it adds to the juice's authenticity. So, I think next time I would pick up the brand's high-pulp version to see if that makes a difference in taste.

Kids would really like this one. It's sweet like candy and has that taste of golden, sun-ripened grapes that's delicate but also crisp and juicy at the same time. I think the parents would be on board, as well. They would be satisfied in knowing that there are zero added sugars in the bottle and nothing funky in the ingredient list. Grape juice concentrate makes up the majority of the recipe — it's 100% juice. Then, citric acid is thrown in just for tartness, ascorbic acid for an extra dose of vitamin C, and potassium metabisulfite for flavor and freshness. Similar to Welch's, Nature's Nectar is creating real grape goodness, which is why I would say it's a good buy.

However, for adults, this might not be the kind of juice you're looking for. It almost leans into cloying territory for a more grown-up palate with a consistency that's thicker and more nectar-like. I struggled to think of a good use case for it. I can't see myself drinking an entire glass of it in the morning, during the day, or at night. So, while I do think it's a solid juice, it may not be for everyone.

This juice comes pouring out of the carton in a light and pleasing shade of strawberry lemonade pink. I thought I was in for an easy, breezy summer sip, but that wasn't the nature of this Nature's Nectar product. The flavor is somehow uber-sweet yet washed out at the same time, and what are supposed to be the two main flavors (aka guava and mango) are not obvious on the palate. I didn't pick up on that hybrid strawberry-pear taste of guava at all — even with extra pear juice concentrate added into the blend. The mango puree is slightly more recognizable, but even that's trumped by more of a tinny grapefruit flavor.

Beyond the taste, I wasn't impressed by the ingredients packed into this juice either. Between the juice concentrates, 24 grams of added sugar per 8-ounce serving, and the fact that it contains only 5% real juice, it's not a winner in my eyes. Plus, the website's description of the product even notes that it's made with high fructose corn syrup. My carton didn't have the ingredient listed, but it's something to watch out for. 

Needless to say, the guava mango wasn't my favorite. I was even tempted to take advantage of Aldi's Twice as Nice guarantee with this one.

Aldi levels up its juice selection with a few better-for-you options from Simply Nature. They stand out thanks to their oddly shaped glass bottles, but also because of their certified organic label and slew of nutritional promises.

For example, this particular bottle touts its non-GMO status and also notes that it's packed with superfoods, making it a great source of the antioxidant vitamin C. It's 100% juice, made with a blend of seven different red and purple fruits, and nothing else. It certainly looks the part in a deep shade of purple, and the best part is that it actually backs up all of its wellness talk with a well-rounded taste. Red grape is one of the strongest upfront flavors, and I could also pick out the cranberries and tart cherries. There's definitely a sour element to this beverage, but it's not overbearing. I didn't taste much strawberry or fig, though I know they're still working to provide their benefits behind the scenes.

I did think it was a bit of a miss to not add blueberries into this juice — they are one of the most antioxidant-rich super fruits, after all. But that wouldn't stop me from picking up this bottle again.

Okay, I openly admit I'm not the most zealous cranberry juice fan. I've never quite acquired a taste for it, even though I know it comes with a great wave of benefits like antioxidants, vitamins, and immune support. That being said, I don't think pure cranberry juice lovers would gravitate towards this bottle either.

Yes, it does contain 100% juice, and no high fructose corn syrup, giving it an automatic leg up against something like the guava mango drink. But if you read the fine print, you'll see that it's not 100% cranberry juice. It's actually a "cranberry flavored blend of 4 juices" — these four include cranberry, apple, grape, and pear juice. It doesn't contain added sugars or sweeteners, so it doesn't lean into cranberry juice cocktail territory, but it is more of a fruit punch than anything else. To me, the flavors of apple and grape are more prominent than cranberry, though it does leave you with a tart cranberry aftertaste.

It seems as though this Aldi juice is having somewhat of an identity crisis, and I don't love the somewhat misleading labeling. I wouldn't go back for seconds, and I would even think twice before letting it anywhere near a late-night vodka cran.

This looks like a copycat of the Simply Nature super food juice. It comes in the exact same bottle and dark plum color. It even shares many of the same ingredients — pomegranate, tart cherry, red grape, and cranberry all overlap. However, this one doubles down on its antioxidant powers while providing a richer, more intense flavor.

The swap of strawberry, mulberry, and fig for blueberry and purple carrots is clearly a smart one. One of the strongest flavors is still grape, but everything around it feels like it has more body and a deeper, more grounded taste rather than light, delicate ones. You get that sweet blueberry note along with hints of pomegranate and cranberry, as well. And don't worry, you really can't taste the earthy carrots with everything else going on. It feels like a cross between Welch's grape juice and a more adult wellness beverage — just sweet enough, but nothing too over the top.

The all-natural profile and added benefits are really what sell this one. The purple carrots bring in a boost of vitamin A, and it also contains significantly more vitamin C than the super food variety — which is funny, because this one doesn't even highlight its vitamin C contents on the front of the bottle.

The Nature's Nectar tropical punch is riddled with many of the same problems as the guava mango and cranberry beverages. This is why I can't give it my stamp of approval despite its decent flavor. 

Like the guava mango beverage, this one is also made up of a very small percentage of juice. Only 7% to be exact. It also contains both added sugars and the artificial sweetener sucralose — I think we may have solved the mystery of why it tastes pretty good. It's almost syrupy sweet, and the flavor is more like a melted popsicle than real juice.

Additionally, like the cranberry juice, it doesn't fully taste like its title. It's missing some of those obvious tropical notes, so it comes off more like classic fruit punch. What's especially odd is that pineapple and orange juices are the only two actually listed, yet I don't get much of either. There's none of that bright citrusy pop from orange or the sharp juiciness you'd expect from pineapple. Instead, it lands somewhere closer to a blend of cherry and mango. It's extra sweet, heavy, and a touch artificial — to the point that it could turn from refreshing to full-on sugar buzz in the time it takes to plop your stuff down in the sand.

Pomegranate and plum are meant to be the two main players here. But this is another fruit medley kind of elixir with a few hidden ingredients. In addition to real pomegranate and plum juice concentrate, you'll also find apple juice, grape juice, and aronia juice (made from aronia berries, also known as "chokeberries") squeezed in. On top of that, there are a few natural flavors rounding out the taste.

There's a lot going on in every sip. But it's not a flavor I turned my nose up at. Pomegranate and apple are the two fruits that initially stand out, and then I felt like it leaned much more toward peach than plum — still in that stone fruit family, but with a much different, much softer flavor profile. Overall, it tastes bright and juicy, not overly sweet, with a nice amount of tartness that makes you think plums are still in there somewhere.

It does have a floral element to it, which threw me off a bit and knocks it down a few pegs for me personally. That said, it's still not a bad choice by any means. I also appreciate the lack of added sugars or artificial sweeteners, which makes it feel a little more natural.

Apple juice is dripping in sweet nostalgia. It always reminds me of simpler times and those childhood drinks that somehow still tasted so good and fresh even out of a paper carton. For these reasons, it always brings me a small rush of joy, but with this bottle, that joy quickly dissolved into a more muted emotion.

Nature's Nectar presents one of the most commonplace bottles of apple juice I've ever tried. The ingredient list is small and straightforward: water, apple juice concentrate, and ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C). There's also a stamp on the bottle noting the concentrate is from Chile/Turkey. I'm not entirely sure if that means it's sourced from one or the other, or a blend of both. Either way, it ultimately shapes up to be a very standard apple juice.

It's not overly sweet, but it also doesn't taste like the purest, most vibrant apple juice out there. It's clearly filtered and lacks the boldness you'd get from something like apple cider. It doesn't quite have that clean, crisp appeal of something like Martinelli's apple juice either. So, it ends up sitting somewhere in the middle — familiar and fine, but not necessarily worthy of a spot in your cart.

The first words that came out of my mouth when I tried this bottle were, "Oh, that one's good." It's not one of the more wholesome Simply Nature recipes, but it still won me over with its bright and surprisingly smooth flavor.

The combination of mango and tangerine isn't one I've seen all too often, but this beverage makes me wonder why not. It tastes just as advertised and like a perfect one-to-one blend of sweet citrus and the honeyed tropical fruit. Better yet, it reminded me of Hi-C swirled with ripe mango juice, so it has both a sense of freshness and that element of nostalgia going for it (like I was hoping for from the apple juice).

I do have to mention that there are a few other ingredients in the mix. Aside from water, the first two listed are actually apple juice concentrate and white grape juice concentrate, both of which come before the tangerine juice and mango puree. I couldn't really taste either of them in the final product, though I would have preferred a simpler makeup. But hey, at least there are no added sugars in this tangerine dream of a juice.

The Simply Nature immunity blend tastes like waking up in the morning with the sun on your face. Okay, that may be a little dramatic, but it is pretty dang good. So simple yet so tasty.

It's only made up of three ingredients, all of which are organic. They include apple juice (from both green and red apples), orange juice, and carrot juice. Judging by the hue, you can probably tell that orange juice plays a large role in the flavor. That splash of citrus is what took over my taste buds first, before the tart and crisp notes of apple start to come into the picture. As was the case with the antioxidant blend, the carrots don't really make a large impression here. They mostly fly under the radar — more present for the benefits than for the flavor. Overall, it's very similar to a classic orange juice, just not as sweet since it relies entirely on natural sugars from the fruit.

This actually ended up being the best flavor I tried — even better than the antioxidant power bottle. It's 100% juice and delivers that immunity boost through doses of vitamin C and vitamin A while still tasting like something you'd be handed fresh at a tropical resort.

As I stared down the wide range of juices available at my local Aldi, I picked a hearty selection that felt like it covered all bases. I gathered up classics like apple, orange, and grape juice, as well as organic antioxidant-packed drinks and a few fruit medley blends that swirled together multiple flavors. I specifically left out anything labeled as a fruit juice "cocktail," aiming to avoid anything with an overload of added sugars or high fructose corn syrup. I ended up with 12 juice bottles and tried them all at home.

As I went through, I determined whether to buy or skip based on a combination of ingredients, taste, and benefits. Before even sipping each drink, I noted whether they were made from real juice, whether they used concentrate, and if there were any additional ingredients. Naturally, I gave preference to those with a purer profile. From there, flavor was just as important. I looked for something naturally bright and sweet, but not cloying, and something that actually tasted like the fruit listed on the front of the bottle (it seems obvious, but it doesn't always work out that way). 

Finally, added benefits were a nice-to-have bonus. I would still pick up a juice just for the sake of drinking it. But if a juice is natural, tastes good, and offers an extra boost of vitamins, then I'm all for it.