Guide to Buying Veg & Green Food in Sweden

Sometimes finding veg and environmentally-friendly food can be hard in a new country. We've written a short guide to help you navigate your way through your local grocery store.

This is the symbol for Fair Trade products.

KRAV - This is the traditional symbol for organic products which will soon be replaced by the symbol below.

The leaf made of stars is the new EU symbol for organic products.  Here's more information about the introduction of this symbol

This symbol is for the EU and means that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic.

The swan label is for products which are environmentally friendly in Nordic countries. Here are the standards they use.

Sound environmental choice (bra miljöval) is the symbol from the Nature Protection Society which brands products which are less harmful to the environment. Found mostly on household products such as laundry detergent. Find more information in English here.

Okay, that's enough about eco-labels! Now for a Swedish lesson...


 

Ingredients to watch out for

anything with kött (meat)

fläskkött, griskött (pork)

fisk (fish), torsk, sill, lax

nötkött (beef)

kyckling (chicken)

kalkon (turkey)

Vegans:

smör (butter)

ägg (egg)

mjölk (milk)

grädde (cream)

ost (cheese)

And some brands to pick up...

Vegetarian food brands

 -Hälsans kök (green packaging, freezer section) - replacement meat, including fake hamburgers, hot dogs, filées, bacon, meat balls, falafel and lots more. Tastes great!

-ICA Gott Liv (freezer section) - veg minced meat, veg hot dogs and veg filées

Vegan food brands

-Veggo (meat replacement, freezer & dry sections)

-Tzai (spicy soy meat, available at ICA, freezer section)

-Vegogården (pure soy products, available at ICA Malmborgs, dry food)

-Quorn (meat replacement, freezer section)

-Oatly (dairy replacement, soy section)

-Tofutti (ice cream)

-TofuLine (ice cream)

-Carlshamn Mejeri Mjölkfritt (margarine)

-Alpro Soja (dairy replacement, soy section)

-GoGreen (dairy replacement, soy section)

-Tartex (sandwich spreads, toppings section)

-Carlshamn Soygurt (yoghurt)

-Expensive vegan cheese, mayonnaise and caviar can be found at Konsum

For more details check out (in Swedish) http://www.djurensratt.se/portal/page/portal/djurens_ratt/sidor/vegoresurser/Vegolistan%20juli%2008.pdf for more info

For super cheap fruit & veggies go to the store in the alley beside Ahléns/Dinsko

 

Got any more recommendations? Leave them in the comments section!