Family Encyclopedia >> Food

Dutch dinner habits

Do you recognize yourself in it?

Eating together is important
89 percent of the Dutch consider it important to eat with family or partner, but work and hobbies regularly get in the way.

Six hours at the table
Two-thirds of families eat at six o'clock. A fifth eat around five o'clock and a quarter eat at seven o'clock or later.

Eating in front of the television More than half of people eat in front of the television once a week. Nearly 20 percent eat at least four times a week in front of the television.

Saving food for the latecomers
A third regularly saves a plate of food for someone in the family who comes home later.

Stress factors around dinner
We get the most stress around dinner:thinking about what to eat, making a dish that everyone likes, making a healthy dish, variation between meat/fish/vegetarian, estimating the right amounts.

Two-person households eat at the table less often than families
Where families sit down at the table, two-person households on average more often choose to eat on the couch. 40 percent regularly watches television while eating.