Ikea Predicts the Future of Sustainable, Healthy Fast Food Includes Spirulina and…Bugs

Photo: Twenty20/@alexandrahraskova
While we can't know exactly what we'll be eating years down the line, it's becoming more and more clear that food trends will skew sustainable, environmentally friendly and be, well, different from a culinary standpoint. Bananas will be extinct, we could all be eating faux meat (or maybe cantaloupe), and a go-to protein source could be mealworms—at least according to Ikea.

Two years ago, the Swedish brand known for its minimalist, affordable furniture announced Space10, an innovation lab in Copenhagen that, among other things, explores sustainable and healthy food ideas, according to Bustle. Space10's test kitchen is where Ikea initially rolled out its "visual" alternatives to meatballs. Now the company has reimagined the actual fast foods of the future—and its composed meal ideas are reportedly healthy, sustainable, and tasty.

Five dishes from the scientific test kitchen include a meatless hot dog featuring dried and glazed carrots, roasted onions, greens, and condiments in a spirulina bun (which alone contains more protein than a regular hot dog, according to Space10); a burger made of root vegetables and mealworms.

For these healthy (and super-colorful) fast-food forecasts, Space10 used ingredients like spirulina (AKA algae AKA blue majik), insects (a protein source that is growing in popularity), and sustainably grown greens. Five dishes from the scientific test kitchen include a meatless hot dog featuring dried and glazed carrots, roasted onions, greens, and condiments in a spirulina bun (which alone contains more protein than a regular hot dog, according to Space10); a burger made of root vegetables and mealworms (yes, really); and three variations of a salad made with hydroponically grown microgreens, AKA grown in water without soil.

While these futuristic foods aren't set to grace Ikea menus anytime soon, they do paint a colorful profile of what our nutrition might look like in the future. In the meantime, you might consider choosing a more sustainable nut milk to do your part for the environment.

Make the most of the world's banana supply while it's still around with this buckwheat loaf and frozen banana recipes.

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