--- title: Ikea Developing Bug Burgers and Mealworm Meatballs for Menu description: Ikea is developing bug burgers, mealworm meatballs, and other food offerings that they're calling the "fast food of the future." canonical: https://time.com/5196724/ikea-developing-bug-food-meatballs/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-03-12T22:36:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:51:20.894Z og:title: Ikea Developing Bug Burgers and Mealworm Meatballs for Menu og:description: Is this the fast food of the future? og:url: https://time.com/5196724/ikea-developing-bug-food-meatballs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3a3e1c005b43800/69892a98fb4eacd478895feb/ikea-makes-bug-meatballs.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Vegan Meatballs on the menu at IKEA og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ikea Developing Bug Burgers and Mealworm Meatballs for Menu twitter:description: Is this the fast food of the future? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3a3e1c005b43800/69892a98fb4eacd478895feb/ikea-makes-bug-meatballs.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Don't Bug Out But Ikea Is Working on 'Mealworm Meatballs' and 'Bug Burgers'  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Mar 12, 2018 10:36 PM UTC  \- Lancement des boulettes végétariennes d'IKEA: IKEA proposera les boulettes végétariennes dans ses restaurants du monde entier, mais la Belgique a été choisie pour le lancement - IKEA lanceert de vegetarische balletjes in haar restaurants over de hele wereld, België is uitverkozen voor de lancering Brussels, April 8, 2015 World premiere: Vegan 'meatballs' on the menu at IKEA pict. by Bert Van den Broucke © Photo News (Photo by William Van Hecke/Corbis via Getty Images) \- Lancement des boulettes végétariennes d'IKEA: IKEA proposera les boulettes végétariennes dans ses restaurants du monde entier, mais la Belgique a été choisie pour le lancement - IKEA lanceert de vegetarische balletjes in haar restaurants over de hele wereld, België is uitverkozen voor de lancering Brussels, April 8, 2015 World premiere: Vegan 'meatballs' on the menu at IKEA pict. by Bert Van den Broucke © Photo News (Photo by William Van Hecke/Corbis via Getty Images)William Van Hecke—Corbis via Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Mar 12, 2018 10:36 PM UTC [Ikea meatballs](http://time.com/70650/ikea-vegetarian-meatballs/) are almost as much of a draw for customers as their furry, [_Game of Thrones-_approved rugs](http://time.com/4901655/ikea-game-of-thrones-rug-cape-diy/) or their [iconic Fratka shopping bags](http://time.com/4772650/ikea-bag-fashion/), but now the Swedish home goods giant will be offering a bug-filled alternative to their famous viand: the “Neatball.” According to a [blog post](https://medium.com/space10-the-farm/the-fast-food-of-the-future-a3d17c02b42c) by Space10, their sustainability lab in Copenhagen, Ikea is “reimagining” five of its beloved dishes to be less wasteful of the earth’s resources, which means swapping meat out for plants and bugs. In addition to mealworm and vegetable “neatballs,” Ikea will also offer a vegan hot dog with a blue-green micro-algae bun, a “bug burger,” a loaded salad, and an herbacious ice cream, food that they’ve personally dubbed as “the fast food of the future.” If the idea of “neatballs” seems daunting, however, rest assured that Ikea will still be serving them with their traditional mashed potatoes, gravy, and ligonberry sauce. 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