Why You Should Be Grocery Shopping at Ikea (and What You Should Be Buying)

You know and love Ikea’s affordable furniture, but do you know and love Ikea’s affordable grocery section? Because you should! In addition to treating yourself to  Swedish meatballs in their cafe and those cheap hot dogs near the checkout, you could be doing all your grocery shopping at Ikea and saving a lot of money in the process. If you live near an Ikea, head to their grocery section by the exit and purchase everything (but especially the items listed below).

HUVUDROLL

These bags of frozen “plant balls” are my favorite item at Ikea. The meatless version of their iconic meatball is made from pea proteins, oats, apples, onions, and potatoes. That might sound like it tastes like vegetables, but my meat-loving roommate thought these were the real deal. Ikea claims that their plant-based meatballs are also much better for the environment, stating on their site that “the climate footprint is just 4% of the original.”

BÄSTISAR

This might be the cutest food in the entire world. It’s a $2.99 box of Elk-shaped pasta and it brings me an unbelievable amount of joy. It tastes exactly like regular pasta but it’s even better because each noodle is shaped like a tiny elk’s head. These go great with any sauce, but I often just eat them with butter, salt, pepper, and garlic because a heavy sauce would cover up the details of the precious little elk faces!

ALLEMANSRÄTTEN

Talk about an easy weeknight dinner! These frozen mashed potatoes come together in almost no time with almost no effort. They don’t taste like much, but I think that’s nice because you can add whatever flavors you’d like to these creamy taters. Roasted garlic, cheddar cheese, and scallions would be welcome additions. Whip up a quick colcannon by tossing in some kale. Or use them as the topping to a shepherd’s pie. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

DAIM

Years ago, my best friend wanted me to take her to Ikea for her birthday. I did not understand why she’d want to go to a furniture store on her special day, but I obliged. The reason she wanted to go to Ikea was this cake. After trying it, I understood. This is one of the best cakes in the world. It’s creamy, chocolatey, a little nutty, and utterly perfect.

ROSTAD LÖK

These little fried onions add so much flavor and texture to whatever you sprinkle them on. Ikea tops their incredibly delicious veggie hot dogs with them, which I recommend doing at home. Toss them into a salad. Sprinkle them on mashed potatoes. Heck, make a green bean casserole. Who cares that it’s not Thanksgiving?!

LÖRDAGSGODIS

Ikea is a gummy paradise. They have so many different cute flavors and shapes. Most importantly, all of their gummies are gelatin-free, something that can be hard to find in the gummy world. Vegans, rejoice!