What Does a Dutch Diet Consist Of?

December 27, 2025 •

5 min read

Over recent decades, the Dutch diet has evolved to include more plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, and less meat. This shift represents a move toward healthier eating while still embracing the core tenets of traditional Dutch cuisine, which emphasizes dairy, carbohydrates, and simple, hearty meals.

Quick Summary

The traditional Dutch diet is grounded in hearty, simple fare like bread, dairy, and potatoes, with meals structured around distinct components. Key elements include mashed potato stews known as stamppot, an array of cheeses, and an influential Indonesian food culture that adds diverse flavors.

Key Points

Dutch Diet Basics: The diet emphasizes practicality and comfort, with staple foods including bread, dairy products, potatoes, and root vegetables.
Meal Structure: Meals are typically straightforward, with a light, bread-based breakfast and lunch, and a hearty, early dinner that is often a hot meal.
Key Dishes: Iconic foods include mashed potato stews like stamppot and thick pea soup (erwtensoep), popular comfort foods for the cold climate.
Snack Culture: Savory street foods such as bitterballen, haring, and patat are widely enjoyed, as are sweet treats like stroopwafels and poffertjes.
Indonesian Influence: Due to colonial history, Indonesian dishes like rijsttafel, nasi goreng, and satay are a significant part of the culinary landscape.
Dietary Shifts: Modern trends show a move towards healthier, more plant-based eating patterns, with increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and reduced intake of processed meat and sugary drinks.
Social Dining: Dining is often a family-oriented affair, emphasizing communal connection and a cozy atmosphere known as gezelligheid.

The Netherlands is not a country known for a high-end, complex food culture like France or Italy, but it has developed a practical, hearty, and satisfying cuisine that perfectly suits its climate and history. The Dutch approach to food prioritizes nourishment and efficiency, with meals built on staples like potatoes, bread, and dairy.

The Dutch Meal Structure: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

In the Netherlands, the structure of the day's meals is quite distinct and reflects a pragmatic, no-fuss approach.

Ontbijt (Breakfast)

Breakfast is typically a quick and simple affair, eaten early in the morning. The main component is usually bread or rusks (beschuit) topped with butter and a variety of spreads.

Cheese (kaas)
Cold cuts
Sweet spreads like hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles), jam, or pindakaas (peanut butter)
Some might have yogurt or muesli with fruit for a healthier start

Lunch (Lunch)

Lunch is generally a cold meal, similar in style to breakfast, and is eaten around midday. Sandwiches (broodjes) with cheese or cold cuts are a staple for both school and work. Soups, like the thick split pea soup (erwtensoep), are also a popular choice, particularly in colder months.

Avondeten (Dinner)

This is the day's main hot meal, typically eaten early, between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m.. The traditional formula for dinner is potatoes, meat, and vegetables, often served with gravy. One-pot meals, known as stamppot, are iconic and especially common in winter.

Core Components of the Dutch Diet

Several key ingredients and dishes define the essence of Dutch food.

Dutch Dairy and Cheeses

Given the country's extensive flat grasslands, the Netherlands has a long history of dairy farming. Cheese is a source of national pride and is consumed at every meal, from breakfast to snacks.

Gouda: Ranging from young and creamy (jong) to aged and nutty (oud).
Edam: A semi-hard cheese with a mild, salty flavor, often recognized by its red wax coating.

Hearty Winter Foods

To combat the cold, the Dutch turn to hearty, warming meals.

Stamppot: Mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables like kale (boerenkool), sauerkraut (zuurkool), or carrots and onions (hutspot). It's often served with rookworst (smoked sausage) and gravy.
Erwtensoep (Snert): A very thick, hearty split pea soup with sausage and bacon, so dense that a spoon should be able to stand up in it.

Seafood and Street Food

As a seafaring nation, fish is an important part of the Dutch diet. Street food culture also thrives, with specific, beloved snacks.

Haring: Raw, soused herring, often eaten by holding the tail and dipping it into onions.
Kibbeling: Battered and fried chunks of white fish, served with a garlic or remoulade sauce.
Bitterballen: Crispy, deep-fried balls of meat ragout, typically served with mustard in pubs.
Patat: Thick-cut fries, served with a variety of sauces like mayonnaise, curry ketchup, or satay sauce.

Indonesian Influence: A Culinary Legacy

The legacy of Dutch colonial history in Indonesia means Indonesian cuisine has had a significant impact on the Dutch diet. It is common for Dutch families to have Indonesian dishes like nasi goreng (fried rice) and bami (fried noodles). The elaborate rijsttafel (rice table) is a well-known dining experience, featuring numerous small Indonesian dishes served with rice.

Comparison of Dutch and Other European Diets


Feature	Dutch Diet	Mediterranean Diet	Nordic Diet
Staples	Potatoes, dairy, bread, root vegetables	Olive oil, vegetables, legumes, fish, nuts	Berries, fish, rye bread, root vegetables
Key Fats	Historically high in animal fats from dairy and meat	Rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats from olive oil	Source from fatty fish and rapeseed oil
Meal Focus	Simple, practical meals with a heavy dinner	Fresh, seasonal ingredients, often leisurely dining	Local, wild-grown foods and seasonal eating
Cultural Influence	Shaped by trade and Indonesian colonial past	Shaped by southern European geography and history	Shaped by cold climate and foraging traditions

A Recent Shift Towards Healthier Habits

In recent years, the Netherlands has seen a positive shift towards healthier eating habits, though room for improvement remains. According to the RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), Dutch people are now consuming more fruit, vegetables, and plant-based proteins, while reducing their intake of red meat and sugary drinks. Government initiatives and dietary guidelines, such as the Schijf van Vijf (Circle of Five), encourage these changes, promoting a diet with plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. This transition is motivated by both health benefits and a growing awareness of the environmental impact of food consumption.

Conclusion: More Than Just Simple Food

To truly understand what a Dutch diet consists of, one must look beyond the simple stereotypes. While bread, cheese, and potatoes form the backbone of traditional meals, the cuisine is also rich with comforting winter stews, fresh seafood, and surprising Indonesian influences. The practical, nourishing, and community-focused nature of Dutch eating culture is a hallmark of the national identity, reflecting a history of pragmatism and resourcefulness. Modern dietary shifts show a move towards healthier, more plant-based choices, but the core tradition of hearty, satisfying food remains.

How to Experience the Dutch Diet

Experiencing Dutch food is not just about eating; it's about embracing the gezelligheid, a sense of coziness and conviviality, that accompanies shared meals. From enjoying a broodje with cheese at lunchtime to gathering for a warm stamppot on a cold evening, the Dutch diet is deeply intertwined with daily life and social connection. Whether you are at a traditional eetcafé, a market stall, or in a Dutch home, you will find a cuisine that is honest, satisfying, and full of flavor. For those interested in exploring Dutch cooking, experimenting with recipes for stamppot, erwtensoep, or even baking a classic appeltaart can be a rewarding culinary journey.

Outbound reference: For further nutritional information, explore the Dutch dietary guidelines provided by the Health Council of the Netherlands.

What is the most famous type of Dutch food?

Stamppot is often considered the most iconic Dutch food. It is a hearty, mashed potato dish mixed with different vegetables like kale, carrots, or endive, and is typically served with a smoked sausage.

Do Dutch people eat a lot of cheese?

Yes, cheese is a major staple in the Dutch diet and is consumed frequently. It is eaten for breakfast and lunch on bread, as well as cubed with mustard as a popular snack.

Is the Dutch diet healthy?

While historically high in fat and dairy, the Dutch diet has become healthier in recent years, with increased consumption of plant-based foods. However, many Dutch people still do not fully adhere to national dietary guidelines, so there is room for improvement.

What are common Dutch street foods?

Popular Dutch street foods include patat (fries), often served with mayonnaise or peanut sauce; haring (raw herring); kibbeling (fried white fish); and bitterballen (fried meat croquettes).

What is the Indonesian influence on Dutch food?

The Dutch colonial past in Indonesia has led to a lasting influence on Dutch cuisine. Indonesian dishes like nasi goreng and satay are widely enjoyed, and the elaborate rijsttafel is a distinct culinary tradition.

What do the Dutch eat for breakfast?

Typical Dutch breakfast consists of bread with butter and various toppings, including cheese, cold cuts, or sweet spreads like hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles). Muesli or yogurt are also common alternatives.

What kind of snacks do Dutch people eat?

The Dutch enjoy a wide range of snacks, from savory options like bitterballen and cubes of cheese with mustard to sweet treats like stroopwafels (waffle cookies with caramel) and poffertjes (small, fluffy pancakes).

Frequently Asked Questions

Common breakfast foods include bread topped with cheese, cold cuts, or sweet spreads like chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag) or jam, served with coffee or tea.

The main meal is typically dinner, known as avondeten, which is traditionally a hot meal consisting of a meat or fish dish, potatoes, and vegetables.

Rijsttafel is a festive meal with an elaborate selection of small Indonesian dishes, reflecting the Dutch colonial history in Indonesia. While not a traditional daily Dutch meal, it has become a unique part of Dutch cuisine.

The Dutch traditionally eat haring (raw, soused herring) by holding the fish by the tail and eating it whole. It's often served with chopped onions and pickles.

The most famous Dutch cheeses are Gouda and Edam, which are consumed widely. Many varieties exist, ranging from young and mild to aged and firm.

Bitterballen are a popular savory snack, consisting of small, deep-fried meat ragout balls with a crispy breadcrumb coating. They are often served with mustard at pubs.

Yes, dietary habits in the Netherlands have shifted toward more plant-based foods, including more fruit, vegetables, and legumes, and less red and processed meat. However, adherence to national health guidelines is not universal.