For the health-conscious traveler, there are many good things about Amsterdam and other cities - you can ask for extra vegetables as everyone speaks English; dinner is served early so you don’t go to bed full; water from taps is drinkable; and you walk a lot.
My visit was the best way to go - with a friend who grew up in Holland and his friend who lives there. Another advantage for me is that I speak Afrikaans so enjoyed reading Dutch newspapers, watching local TV news and reading menus.
The negative aspects of Dutch food is that it is rich and there are not always non-smoking areas in restaurants.
Breakfast
I stayed at the centrally located American Hotel. Naturally it had a typical US buffet breakfast – fruit, juices, cereals, eggs, meats, breads, pastries, etc. As I only had fruit, cereal and coffee, it wasn’t worth the cost, even though the room is in a beautiful art deco style.
Instead, I chose a local restaurant to try Dutch breakfasts. They traditionally consist of bread, butter, jam, ham, cheese or chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag) and breakfast cake (ontbijtkoek). With extreme difficulty, I made a healthy choice most mornings – yogurt, fruit, granola and café latte.
Although the Dutch eat pancakes (pannekoeken) for lunch and dinner, tourists enjoy them for breakfast. These pancakes are thicker and larger than a crêpe and can be salty or sweet with ham, cheese, bacon, fruit, spices, cream, syrup and sugar. As portions are large, share one. I tried the peaches and cream pancake once and ate half. Absolutely delicious!!!!
Snacks
Coffee is sold in tearooms and includes espresso, cappuccino, and café latte.
Coffee cafes sell marijuana, which is legal in the Netherlands. I went into an Internet cafe to check my email but could barely breath from the smell. Not to worry, every seat was taken.
Snacks are not the healthiest option: pastries (gebak, pofferties); or thick potato chips (French fries) covered in mayonnaise and sold in cones on the street. We tried that once. With great difficulty I limited my portion to 5 fries.
Lunch
Menus are quite simple with sandwiches, salads, soups and pancakes served in new modern cafes or beautifully restored 17th-century townhouses.
Be careful of portions, as always. Good choices include split pea soup, herring, sauerkraut, local Gouda and Edam cheeses, hearty rye or black bread and salads.
Dinner
This ranges from fast food to world-class cuisine. Dutch food tends to be heavy and unimaginative, relying upon meats, fish, poultry and starches for main courses. You need to request vegetables as an extra.
Dishes include roast duck breast, veal sirloin, lamb, suckling pig and grilled fish. Creative dishes include sautéed monkfish wrapped in Zeeland bacon, grilled Guelders fowl fillet, oven-baked rib of lamb, and stuffed aubergine with ratatouille. I tried a great fish soup. It was lekker (tasty)! No second course was necessary.
Ethnic cuisine is found in many restaurants which include Indonesian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, French, Argentinean, Japanese, Turkey, Greek and Indian.
Our first dinner was Moroccan and I ordered lamb tagine – lamb cooked in pottery with couscous. It was delicious, reasonably priced but too large a serving. Portions are not US sizes but still too big.
Desserts
Pancakes with fruit, ice cream, liqueur and cream toppings, Dutch chocolate and many other options are very tempting. Share with a friend.
Service
The Dutch typically eat out for the evening and are not in a rush. Servers respect this so don’t bother you. However, catching the eye of a server is difficult and you need time to get the check. This is where “Dutch Treat” originated so costs were split. I like that.
Most restaurants in Amsterdam include tax and a service charge of 10-15%. Amsterdammers generally round up small bills to the nearest euro and leave tips as change rather than include them on credit card payments. We left more due to our tipping habits.
Alcohol
I didn’t try any alcohol, but my Dutch friend enjoyed an Amstel with meals. The Dutch are famous for their love of beer, with popular tours by Heineken. Other local drinks include Jenever gin and advocaat licquor. I didn’t try them.
Exercise
People are exceptionally slim (and tall of course). Many ride bikes so there was little traffic. You can hire a bike; we didn’t. Instead we walked eight hours a day! It’s a great city for walking with numerous canals, bridges, churches, old townhouses and art galleries.
Be sure to dress in layers, as the weather can be chilly and damp, and then warm.
When you need a rest, do the canal boat cruise.
Holland is definitely a city where you can eat well, be active and maintain your weight! Visit and enjoy!
