What A Typical Breakfast Looks Like In The Netherlands

Each morning, we leave dreamland behind us, then wake up and resume our daily activities. And one thing to look forward to each morning is the beloved breakfast, which is not called "the most important meal of the day" without a good reason. When eaten regularly, breakfast helps with weight management, reduces the risk of heart disease, and improves our energy levels throughout the day (via Better Health). However, Kitchen Infinity says that one in five Americans skip breakfast each day, which is not that bad, but if you're that one person that doesn't eat breakfast, you might need to reconsider your options. 

And although there are many different breakfast foods around the world, let's zero in on one specific country — the Netherlands. The country of Gouda cheese, great dams, and clogs takes pride in its food, from breakfast to dinner. Evening meals usually start early, around five in the afternoon (via Amsterdam Canal Cruises). The Dutch like to eat veggies, and stews before they go to sleep. But breakfast is quite different, so let's check out what a typical Dutch morning meal looks like.

The Dutch like to start their mornings with one of many different types of food, such as the usual suspects — cereal and bread (per The Culture Trip). The bread is typically smeared with butter, and then topped with fruit jam, or ham and cheese. Another type of bread, this time sweet, is called ontbijtkoeken, which translates to "breakfast cake," and it's often flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, dried fruit, and peels of lemon. Then there's hagelslag, tiny chocolate sprinkles that are typically used for cakes, but in the Netherlands, hagelslag is used as a topping for buttered bread.

And if you thought that fry-ups don't exist in the Netherlands, think again, because there's the uitsmijter, consisting of bread, fried eggs, ham, and additional foods, such as cheese and sausages. A typical Dutch breakfast is enjoyed between six and eight in the morning, and once it's eaten, locals like to top it all off with yogurt, milk, or coffee (via Amsterdam Canal Cruises). It sounds pretty delicious to us, so the next time you're in the Netherlands, make sure to try their traditional local breakfast.