Diet
Bread or toast with jelly or jam, Dutch cheese, or meats are the most common foods for a Dutch breakfast. Coffee and tea accompany the meal. Open-faced sandwiches are common for lunch, as is kroket (a deep-fried sausage). The main meal usually consists of potatoes, gravy, seasonal vegetables, and meat or fish. Some typical dishes include poffertjes (small puffed pancakes served on special occasions), pea soup, and hutspot (mashed potatoes with carrots and onions). Dutch pastries are famous throughout the world. Pepernoten is a typical candy that Sinterklaas gives to all children.
Mealtime
Breakfast is eaten between 7:30 and 8:15 AM with lunch at about 12:30 PM. Dinner is between 5:30 and 7:30 PM. A parent or host often indicates when to eat. Most families have standard places at the table, just as a consequence of custom and history. It is no longer a rule that the father should sit at the head of the table. Both hands are supposed to be on the table, not in the lap, but it is not a serious violation if they are not. One is not to rest their elbows on the table. Typical table rules include: eat with fork and knife (continental style); no loud screaming or talking and do not start eating until everyone is at the table.
Breakfast and dinner are almost always at home. Lunch is most of the time just a few sandwiches at home, at work or at school. Schoolchildren often eat a snack they buy at school or in a nearby cafeteria (snacks are hot dogs, French fries, and hamburgers). Open-faced sandwiches are standard for lunch, as is kroket (a deep-fried sausage). The main meal usually consists of potatoes and gravy with seasonal vegetables and meat or fish. Some typical dishes include poffertjes (small puffed pancakes served on special occasions), pea soup, and hutspot (mashed potatoes with carrots and onions). Dutch pastries are famous throughout the world. Pepernoten is a typical candy that SinterKlaas gives to all children.