The Sweet Aldi Lunch Buddies Snack We Ranked The Absolute Best

Aldi offers great snacks at affordable prices, and in times like these, that's one of the most important things to look for. Its Lunch Buddies brand is filled with snacks that are great for packing into a school lunch, supplementing a busy day, or just enjoying for the love of good flavors. However, one of them takes the crown for the best of the options: mandarin oranges in 100% fruit juice.

These oranges took the top spot when we ranked Aldi's Lunch Buddies snacks, and for good reason. Being packaged in 100% fruit juice is always a major factor in determining the quality of a snack, both in terms of its healthiness and its taste. Nobody wants to eat fruit that's packaged in something that doesn't taste remotely like fruit, so these have the added benefit of tasting like they should.

The texture of the oranges is properly maintained in these. The lowest spot on our ranking actually went to mandarin oranges as well, but those were packaged in gel as opposed to fruit juice. Not only did the gel taste more artificial than the juice, but it also completely ruined the texture of the oranges. They were soggy and disappointing, unlike the ones preserved in juice, which maintained a pleasant texture and flavor.

While the mandarin oranges in fruit juice ranked the highest of all the Lunch Buddies snacks, Aldi has some other hidden gem snacks that are easy to overlook. It has a massive collection of snacks that kids and adults can enjoy, featuring items like pudding cups, applesauce, and a variety of fresh fruits, both in gel and juice cups. From lunchroom staples to fun-shaped fruit snacks, Lunch Buddies covers all the bases to pack into a lunchbox.

The fruit snacks are a great option for both some extra vitamin C and flavor, and Aldi sells both regular and dragon-shaped ones. The regular ones are going to be a better value for the price, but for younger kids (or anyone who prefers their snacks in the shape of a mythical beast), the dragon ones are a great option. They're made with real fruit juice, meaning the taste won't be as artificial as some other kinds on the shelf.

It would feel like a crime not to mention all the different varieties of fruit cups on the list as well. In addition to mandarin oranges, you can choose from peaches, pineapples, or various mixed fruit combinations, such as tropical and cherry mixed fruit. These all come in 100% fruit juice, so there is no artificial-tasting gel surrounding them. However, if that is your style, you can get their Lunch Buddies fruit in gel in both orange and strawberry flavors. Don't limit yourself, though. Even though Lunch Buddies is a great brand, there are plenty of must-have snacks at Aldi that are worth trying.