A quarter of main meals eaten in the Netherlands are vegetarian

© ANP / Sabine Joosten
One quarter of all main meals consumed in the Netherlands in 2023 were vegetarian. Most people choose to eat a vegetarian main meal once or twice a week. A total of 31 percent never eat vegetarian for their main meal, while 3 percent always eat vegetarian. These are the results of the 2023 National Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor, which Statistics Netherlands (CBS) conducts in partnership with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre. This was the first time that respondents were asked about their seven weekly main meals.

A total of 5 percent of Dutch people eat no meat at all: 2 percent eat no meat but do eat fish (also known as ‘pescetarians’), 2 percent eat neither meat nor fish (vegetarians) and 0.5 percent eat plant-based foods only (vegans). So the vast majority of Dutch people do eat meat, but by no means every day: 22 percent eat meat, but choose a main meal without meat or fish three or more days a week (those in this group are also known as ‘flexitarians’). A further 43 percent eat a vegetarian main meal once or twice a week.

25 percent of all main meals are vegetarian, 63 percent include meat

Dutch people report that 1.8 of their 7 weekly main meals are vegetarian. 4.4 of those meals include meat, and 0.8 of them include fish. In other words, 25 percent of all main meals eaten in 2023 were vegetarian, 63 percent included meat and 12 percent included fish.

People with a university education likely to eat vegetarian more often

How often people eat vegetarian is related (in part) to the type of education they have completed. Among adults with a university education, 45 percent eat a vegetarian main meal every day or at least three times a week. Among those who have completed higher vocational education (HBO) this share is 32 percent, while among those who have completed secondary education the share is 19 percent. Age and sex also play a role. People aged between 25 and 35 are likely to eat vegetarian more often: 32 percent always eat vegetarian or do so at least three times a week. Women are more likely to be vegetarians, pescetarians or flexitarians than men (31 versus 23 percent). The biggest difference between men and women is found in the 18-25 age group.

Climate most frequently mentioned reason for not eating meat or eating less meat

In the Perceptions study, 35 percent of adults aged 18 or over said in 2023 that they had started eating less meat in the past year, either by having meat-free days or by eating smaller portions of meat. The majority, 57 percent, said that their meat consumption had not changed in the previous year. Since 2020, the number of those reducing their meat consumption or avoiding meat altogether has remained virtually unchanged.

In 2023, concern about the climate was the most frequently cited reason for not eating meat or reducing meat consumption. In 2020, the main reason given was health. In 2023, the price of meat was more likely to play a role in this decision than it did in 2020.

The protein transition

In addition to meat and fish, dairy products and eggs are examples of other sources of animal protein. Several organisations, including the Netherlands Health Council, recommend a ratio of 60 percent plant protein to 40 percent animal protein. This is better for people’s health, for the environment and for the welfare of many animals. The RIVM’s Food Consumption Survey monitors the nutritional composition of Dutch people’s diet in detail. The study shows that, on average, 43 percent of people’s protein intake is plant-based.

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