Holy Cow! IKEA tries vegan meatball

Bruce Horovitz | USA TODAY

IKEA — almost as well known for its Swedish meatballs as its assemble-it-yourself furniture — is about to give its hungry but socially conscious shoppers a vegetarian option: Veggie Balls.

More specifically, vegan Veggie Balls — made with no animal products whatsoever.

In a bid to appeal to Millennials and those eager for more sustainable food options, the chain on Wednesday said it will add Veggie Balls to its menu at most U.S. restaurants beginning Thursday. A plate of 10 will sell for $4.49. Also, chicken balls will be sold at its restaurants beginning April 27.

Meatballs are no small matter for IKEA. Its U.S. restaurants serve roughly 50 million guests annually — with meatballs ranking as the top-selling menu item. The company first announced plans for the vegetarian meatballs about a year ago.

The move comes at a time a growing number of Americans are buying more vegetarian or vegan foods. About 47% of adults and 32% of youths under age 18 say they eat vegetarian meals at least once a week, according to two recent Harris polls.

"We will continue to serve delicious food ... but with increasing focus on the aspects of food that are really important to people: health and sustainability," said Michael La Cour, managing director of IKEA Food Service AB, in a statement. "Our journey in this direction has just begun."

IKEA is not the first to recognize the nation's increasing interest in both vegan and vegetarian offerings — particularly by Millennials. Late last year, Chipotle completed its national rollout of vegan Sofritas, which currently account for between 3% and 4% of sales, says spokesman Chris Arnold.

"It's definitely a sign of the times," says Anne Dinshah, vice president of the American Vegan Society, of IKEA's move into vegan meatballs. "Big companies like IKEA have noticed that people would like vegan options, and they're changing to accommodate them."

The vegan meatballs are made with chickpeas, carrots, green peas, red pepper, corn, kale, pea protein, onion, rapeseed oil, salt and seasoning. They contain vegetable chunks.

IKEA is working to improve the nutrition of its other food offerings and make them with more sustainable ingredients, says La Cour. IKEA says it will increasingly factor in animal welfare in menu decisions.

Even so, IKEA will continue to sell its Swedish meatballs, made with beef and pork. In 2013, it sold 97.4 million in the U.S., or 268,412 every day. At IKEA restaurants, a plate of 15 Swedish meatballs goes for $5.99. There are 40 IKEA stores in the U.S.