To take the kids to IKEA for lunch/dinner

[Eastie77Returns]

Are the lunch options at IKEA viewed as unhealthy? We don't have a fully functioning kitchen at the moment (renovation work) so if I want to give the kids a hot meal we have to order takeaway or eat out. We live 10mins from IKEA and the kids love the food so I've taken them a few times now (maybe once or twice a week over the last 3 weeks).

In a group chat one of my friends suggested it was really unhealthy and her kids only go there as a treat once every few months as "it's basically McDonalds with a Swedish flag"?!. They occasionally have meatballs or the Salmon with chips, don't ever have the desserts as the cakes seem quite heavy and drink water or one of the Pip Smoothies.

I thought this was all okay but am now second guessing myself!

Your friend is being a nob. The food is perfectly pleasant and healthy.

You don’t have a kitchen, you feed your kids best you can. I don’t have too much knowledge of the ikea food to comment but can’t imagine it’s as ‘bad’ as take away’s and fast food but equally it’s a few weeks, as long as they are fed it won’t harm them even if it was.

For heaven's sake, of course you can go to IKEA 😂, what a strange question, unclench and feed your children what you choose

Its absolutely fine. Your friend's a twat.

Your friend is a nob so snobby. Ikea is fine!

Haha don't worry about it OP IKEA is fine for lunch and dinner and you don't have a working kitchen so what's the problem? I'm sure once you will have one your kids will mostly eat at home.

What's your friends excuse for taking the kids to eat there every month or so? If she has a kitchen 😜 she can't judge

Wow mums are really beating themselves up and putting each other down over everything

you don’t have a kitchen
feed them what you want for a couple of weeks, they’re not going to die young or live a life of obesity because they had one too many Swedish meatballs in that month when they had no kitchen in 2022

Well it’s food - I wouldn’t say it was particularly healthy if you’re not eating any vegetables and eating chips frequently ( I can’t tell from your OP). What options for IKEA have as an alternative? Presumably this is only a short lived issue which is ok. If it’s going to be longer time I’d think about borrowing an electric steamer or microwave / slow cooker if you can to add some healthier options

I love an ikea dinner 😆 !! I wouldn’t consider it horrible but I also wouldn’t consider it healthy either .

We didn’t have a kitchen ( or an entire downstairs for 5 months) . We don’t have family close by and we went massively over budget with house work and couldn’t move out short term . I had a baby and a two year old at the time . I highly highly recommend an instant pot or an air fryer. Both are so handy and it’s pretty amazing what you can cook with them!

Renovations won't be forever (though ours feel it), do what you gotta do!

My kids had toast-based dinners twice this week. It's not ideal, but it's not going to harm them and we can resume me cooking wonderful balanced meals for the kids to eat one mouthful of and declare themselves not hungry once we have a kitchen.

(And I'm very jealous of you having a close IKEA!)

So kind of your friend to offer to give you use of her kitchen,and even kinder for her to cook for you

Your friend sounds a judgemental prat.

Nothing wrong with it at all especially as it's a temporary thing with having kitchen work done.

Not only is eating at IKEA fine, your friend may be shocked to hear they actually serve food at McDonald’s, not steaming piles of turd on a tray.
I’m a vegetarian and I love IKEA’s veggie balls 😁

You 100% should take your kids to ikea, however you should first make use of the free hour in Småland, while you have a cup of tea and one of the cakes in peace.

There are lots of options at IKEA, you can easily pick healthy options. Your friend is a twat. I never really think about going to IKEA just for food but I only live 15 mins from one so maybe I will now!

You're friend is a cow. As if you don't have enough to worry about with kids and home renovations.
Nothing wrong with Ikea food and not too expensive - unless like me you can't leave the place without a million candles!

She seems particularly focused on how unhealthy the meatballs are and everything is “fried and basically junk”! I don’t know why she felt the need to be so judgemental but I’m learning to ignore her:)

Yes it’s thankfully a short term situation, the kitchen is almost done. We had to send back the cooker as our arsehole builder put the switch in the wrong place (I have a whole other thread about him!) so I haven’t been able to cook hot food.

The DC do like the chips I have to admit but will also eat the salmon, lentils, veg etc.

It’s meatballs not poison! They have a meal deal at the moment, kids meatballs meal, a jelly, a drink and a piece of fruit for £1.50. Mine had peas with it so 2 of their 5 a day in the meal.

I’m pretty sure the meatballs are baked not fried anyway

You have no working kitchen. Taking the kids to ikea, McDonald’s, ordering pizza, whatever seems totally reasonable. I mean, it would be anyway, but while you can’t cook anything it’s a straightforward way to eat.

i don’t get the horror.

What did your friend suggest that you do instead of IKEA then without a functioning kitchen ?

Yes there is a kids eat meatballs for £1 deal at our local one at the moment. I mean, the reno works have almost bankrupted us so this makes it all the more appealing😂

Once or twice a week won't kill them. We go a couple of times a month. Generally at home we follow a whole food plant based diet so we are as wanky as they come but who doesn't love chips?! Is she always so rude?

You could all go and eat soup, salad and fruit. Or meatballs. Because anyone acting like that’s some sort of toxic waste is being a total weirdo.

It’s absolutely fine, but why IKEA? I find the food over priced and tasteless.

I would prefer Nandos or somewhere.