Grocery Shopping in Netherlands
Expat help guide on grocery shopping in the Netherlands – tips about Holland supermarkets, Dutch names of common foods, nutritional value labeling.
Supermarkets and grocery stores (‘winkels’) in the Netherlands are laid out and operate much the same as those elsewhere in Europe and the west, with dedicated areas for produce, bread/bakery, meats, dairy products, frozen foods and dry goods.
The selection is typically not as broad as that found in American or British supermarkets. This is especially true of Dutch supermarkets in city centers which are commonly much smaller in size than those found in suburban areas or in shopping centers.
HOLLAND SUPERMARKET SHOPPING
- Shopping bags ARE NOT provided for free. Since 2016, all retailers in Holland, including supermarkets, are required by law to charge customers for shopping bags. The goal is to reduce the amount of plastic being added to the environment by training customers to bring their own bags. The cost of an average size plastic shopping bag is around €.25 and a large one €1.00-1.50
- The majority of Dutch supermarkets now have self-checkout stations. Payment at such stations is generally limited to PIN card or a payment app such as ApplePay or GooglePay. Cash and credit card payments are only accepted at a checkout manned by a cashier.
- Deposits are charged on most glass and plastic bottles. These can be returned to the store when they are empty to receive the deposit back. Most supermarkets have a bottle return machine that are easy to use. Touch the green start button, place one bottle at a time on the moving belt. After the last bottle, touch the red stop button. A receipt with UPC code will generate. Take this to the checkout counter to redeem the amount or use it as a credit toward a current purchase.
- Shopping baskets are usually stacked just inside the entrance.
- Shopping carts are located just outside or just inside the entrance. Carts are typically chained together and require a coin (20c or 50c) or token be placed in the slot to release the chain. After shopping, return the cart to the location and reinsert the chain. The slot will open allowing you to remove the coin or token.
- Customers bag their own groceries.
- Many larger supermarket chains in the Netherlands offer online ordering with the option of home delivery or store pickup. The minimum order amount is typically €50. The delivery charge varies based on the selected time window, generally between €5.00-10.00.
- Supermarket websites are generally only available in Dutch. See below for the Dutch names of specific food items.
FOOD ITEMS IN DUTCH
The following are the Dutch names for common foods (including fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, baking ingredients, etc.) and household items found in supermarkets to assist English-speaking expats in the Netherlands with their grocery shopping.
ENGLISH < – > DUTCH
- almond = amandel
- applesauce = appelmoes
- arugula = rucola
- bacon = spek
- bean sprouts = tauge
- beef = rundvlees
- beer = bier
- blueberries = blauwe bessen
- bread = brood
- brussel sprouts = spruiten
- butter = boter
- cabbage = spitskool
- cake = koek
- candles = kaarsen
- candy = snoep
- carrots = wortelen
- cauliflower = bloemkool
- celery = selderij
- cereal = graan
- cheese = kaas
- cherries = kersen
- chicken = kip
- coconut = kokos
- coffee = koffie
- cookies = koekjes
- corn = maise
- cucumber = komkommer
- dairy = zuivel
- detergent = wasmiddel
- eggplant = aubergine
- eggs = eiren
- fish = vis
- flour = bloem, meel
- french fries = patat frites
- frozen foods = diepvries voedsel
- garlic = knoflook
- grapes = druiven
- green beans = sperziebonen
- ground beef = rundergehakt
- ham = achterham
- ice cream = ijs
- juice = sap
- kale = boerenkool
- leeks = prei
- lettuce = sla
- lemons = citroenen
ENGLISH < – > DUTCH
- limes = limoenen
- milk = melk
- mushrooms = champignons
- napkins = servets
- olive oil = olijfolie
- onion = ui
- oranges = sinaasappelen
- organic = biologische
- ostrich = struisvogel
- paper towels = keukenpapier
- parsley = peterselie
- peas = doperwten
- peach = perzik
- peanut = pinda
- peanut butter = pindakaas
- pears = peren
- piece, unit = stuk
- pineapple = ananas
- pomegranate = granaatappel
- pork = varkensvlees
- potatoes = aardappelen
- prunes = pruimen
- pumpkin = pompoen
- raspberries = frambozen
- receipt = bon, kassabon
- recipe = recept
- rice = rijst
- roast beef = rosbief
- sale = aanbieding
- salmon = zalm
- sausage = worst
- shopping cart = winkel wagen
- smoked = gerookte
- soda, soft drink = frisdrank
- soup = soep
- sour cream = zure room
- sugar = suiker
- strawberry = aardebei
- string beans = snijbonen
- syrup = stroop
- tea = thee
- tuna = tonijn
- vegetables = groente
- whipped cream = slagroom
- wine = wijn
- zucchini = courgette
DUTCH NUTRITIONAL VALUE TERMS
Below are nutritional terms with the equivalent Dutch terminology found on food and drink products in Netherlands.
ENGLISH < – > DUTCH
- average = gemiddelde
- bag = zakje
- carbohydrates = koolhydraten
- fat = vet
- fibers = vezels
- gluten-free = glutenvrij
- monounsaturated fatty acids = enkelvoudig onverzadigde vetzuren
ENGLISH < – > DUTCH
- nutritional value = voedingswaarde
- polyunsaturated fatty acids = meervoudig onverzadigde vetzuren
- proteins = eiwitten
- salt = zout
- saturated fat = verzadigde vet
- sodium = natrium
- sugar = suiker
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