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Netherlands: Cuisine

Dutch cooking rests on simple, filling and often slow-cooked dishes, which adapt well to the treatment period.

Last updated: ~1 min read
On a dark navy background, soup and stamppot.
Figure 1.Dutch table — Netherlands: Cuisine

01Short answer

Everyday meals include bread and cheese, soups (erwtensoep, pea soup), stamppot (potato mashed with vegetables), hutspot, stewed meat and fish, pancakes (pannenkoeken) and poffertjes. The key principle during treatment is the same: well-cooked, hot, freshly made food is safer. Raw herring, filet americain and raw-milk (rauwmelks) cheeses are usually not recommended during neutropenia.

02Simple explanation

Hot and cooked: safer.

Rauwmelks: raw milk, risky.

Raw fish/meat: risky.

03Scientific explanation

Listeria: the FDA advises at-risk groups to avoid raw-milk products.

Hygiene: the WHO five keys apply at home too.

04What happens in the body?

Family table

Stamppot and soups are soft and well cooked.

Slow cooking

Dishes that simmer for hours should be served hot.

On a dark navy background, a pot on a stove.
Figure 2.Steaming pot — Netherlands: Cuisine

Cheese

Hard cheese made from pasteurised milk is usually the safer choice; read the label.

On a dark navy background, slices of hard cheese.
Figure 3.Bread and cheese — Netherlands: Cuisine

05Choosing a dish

Four questions.

Cooked? — Fully.1Cooked?Fully.
Raw? — Haring: no.2Raw?Haring: no.
Hot? — Steaming.3Hot?Steaming.
Label? — No rauwmelks.4Label?No rauwmelks.
FlavourHome dishes stay.
SafetyRisky ones set apart.

06Key points at a glance

TopicIn brief
Family tableStamppot and soups are soft and well cooked.
Slow cookingDishes that simmer for hours should be served hot.
CheeseHard cheese made from pasteurised milk is usually the safer choice; read the label.

07Key terms

Stamppot
Potato-vegetable mash.
Erwtensoep
Pea soup.
Rauwmelks
Made from raw milk.
Haring
Herring.

08Key points

  • Eat food hot.
  • Read the label.
  • Avoid raw herring.
  • Chill leftovers quickly.
  • Reheat leftovers once.

09Frequently asked questions

Is Gouda allowed?

Hard cheese made from pasteurised milk is usually possible; ask your team.

Bitterballen and kroketten?

Safer when freshly fried and hot.

Ready-made stamppot?

Heat it through and check the date on the label.

10Questions for your doctor

Take these questions to your appointment. The ones you save are collected on the “My questions” page and stay on this device only.

  1. Is Gouda allowed?

  2. Bitterballen and kroketten?

  3. Ready-made stamppot?

My questions

12Sources

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food
  2. FoodSafety.gov (U.S.). Food Safety for People with Cancer
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
  4. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Infection and Neutropenia during Cancer Treatment
  5. Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre). Official website (in Dutch)
  6. News.com.kg. The first bone marrow transplant in Kyrgyzstan was successfully completed, 2024 (in Russian)
  7. Tajik State Medical University. Autologous bone marrow transplantation for adult patients, 2026 (in Russian)
  8. Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan. Central medical institutions
  9. News Central Asia (nCa). Scientific and Clinical Center for Maternal and Child Health, Ashgabat, 2022
  10. Government of Turkmenistan. Construction of the International Scientific-Clinical Center of Oncology, 2026 (in Russian)
Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
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