Moving to the Netherlands is an adventure. You figure out the bike lanes (eventually), learn to love stamppot (maybe), and discover that "gezellig" is a feeling, not just a word. But somewhere between figuring out your BSN number and trying to understand why the Dutch eat hagelslag for breakfast, something sneaky happens: your eating habits take a detour.
I know this firsthand. I'm Tuğba — a Turkish dietitian who moved to the Netherlands and built a practice here in Tilburg. I've lived the expat nutrition struggle personally, and I work with expats from all over Europe who are dealing with the same thing. So let's have an honest conversation about what actually happens to your diet when you move abroad and what you can do about it.
Why Moving Abroad Messes With Your Diet (It's Not Just You)
First, let's normalize this: almost every expat I work with has experienced some version of nutritional chaos after moving. And it's not because they lack willpower or knowledge. It's because food is deeply tied to culture, comfort, and identity — and when everything around you changes, food becomes either a lifeline to home or a source of confusion.
Here's what typically happens:
Comfort eating kicks in. You're dealing with loneliness, culture shock, a new language, maybe a new job — and food becomes your most accessible source of comfort. Nothing wrong with enjoying food, but when every evening ends with emotional snacking because you miss your family, that's worth paying attention to.
Familiar ingredients disappear. Where's the good quality sumac? Why does the yogurt taste different? Where do you even find decent bread? The supermarket becomes an overwhelming puzzle instead of a routine stop.
Social eating changes completely. Back home, meals were social events. Here, your colleague eats a broodje at their desk at 12:00 sharp and calls it lunch. The communal, lingering meals you're used to? They don't really exist in Dutch work culture. And that loneliness at the table affects not just your mood but your relationship with food.
Weather impacts everything. If you moved from a sunny climate (hi, fellow Mediterranean transplants), the gray Dutch winters hit different. Less sunlight means lower vitamin D, which affects mood, energy, and even appetite regulation. Suddenly you're craving heavy, carby foods and you don't understand why.
Sound familiar? Good. Let's fix it.
Your Dutch Supermarket Survival Guide
One of the biggest challenges is navigating the supermarkets. Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl — they're all fine once you know what you're looking for, but the adjustment period is real.
Produce: better than you think. Dutch supermarkets actually have decent produce sections. But here's the trick: shop seasonally. In summer, the tomatoes, strawberries, and bell peppers are genuinely good. In winter, lean into root vegetables (sweet potato, beetroot, parsnip), cabbage varieties (which the Dutch do very well), and frozen vegetables — which are often flash-frozen at peak freshness and are nutritionally excellent.
The Turkish/Mediterranean store is your friend. Most Dutch cities have Turkish supermarkets (Tanger, Dogan, or local shops). These are goldmines for spices, legumes, bulgur, quality olive oil, dried fruits, and fresh herbs that you won't find at Albert Heijn. If you have one nearby, make it a regular stop.
Protein sources. Eggs in the Netherlands are excellent quality. Fish is available but can be pricey — check the frozen section for more affordable options. Chicken is widely available. For plant proteins, the Dutch legume selection is decent: lentils, chickpeas, and white beans are easy to find.
Dairy. The Netherlands is a dairy country, and the quality shows. Greek-style yogurt, kwark (similar to quark — great for protein), and a wide variety of cheeses are all solid options. If you're missing Turkish-style yogurt, the full-fat options at Turkish stores come closer to what you're used to.
Whole grains. Look for volkoren (whole grain) bread — the Dutch bread culture is actually a nutrition win if you lean into the denser, seed-packed breads rather than the soft white options. Oats, bulgur, and quinoa are available at most stores.
Building a Routine That Actually Works
The biggest shift I see with expat clients isn't what they eat — it's the complete loss of eating routine. Back home, meals had a rhythm: breakfast at home, lunch with colleagues at a local restaurant, dinner with family. Here, everything is unstructured, and that lack of structure leads to skipped meals, late-night snacking, and irregular eating patterns.
Create your own meal rhythm. It doesn't have to match Dutch culture — it just needs to be consistent. If you thrive on a big breakfast, make that your anchor. If you prefer a lighter morning and a larger lunch, do that. The key is predictability. Your body (and hormones) function better on a regular schedule.
Meal prep is your secret weapon. I know "meal prep" sounds like an Instagram cliché, but for expats it's genuinely transformative. Spending a couple of hours on Sunday making a big batch of lentil soup, roasted vegetables, and some protein means you have real food ready during the week — instead of defaulting to delivery apps or cheese sandwiches every night.
Don't abandon your food culture. This is huge. I see expats try to fully adopt Dutch eating habits and end up miserable. You don't need to eat bread for every meal. Keep cooking the foods you love. Turkish food, Mediterranean food, whatever you grew up with — it's often healthier than you think, and the comfort it provides is nutritionally valuable in itself.
The Vitamin D Situation (Yes, You Need a Supplement)
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the Dutch weather. If you moved from Turkey, Southern Europe, the Middle East, or anywhere with actual sunshine, your vitamin D levels are almost certainly lower than they should be.
The Netherlands sits at a latitude where from October to March, the sun isn't strong enough for your skin to produce adequate vitamin D — even on the rare sunny days. Add to this the fact that people with darker skin tones need more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D, and you've got a perfect storm for deficiency.
Low vitamin D is linked to fatigue, low mood, weakened immunity, muscle aches, and even weight gain. Sound like symptoms every expat complains about during winter? Exactly.
What to do: Take a vitamin D supplement. The Dutch Health Council recommends 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily for adults, but many healthcare providers now suggest higher doses, especially for those from sunnier climates. Talk to your huisarts (GP) or dietitian about getting your levels tested. Meanwhile, include vitamin D-rich foods: fatty fish, eggs, fortified dairy, and mushrooms exposed to UV light.
Beating the Emotional Eating Cycle
Here's where I get personal with my clients, because the nutrition advice alone doesn't cut it if you're eating your feelings.
Expat life is emotionally intense. Homesickness is real. The pressure to "have it all figured out" in a new country is relentless. And food — especially the foods from home — becomes a coping mechanism.
I'm not here to judge that. A bowl of your mom's lentil soup recipe on a gray Tuesday evening isn't emotional eating — it's self-care. But ordering takeaway every night because you're too lonely to cook, or finishing a box of cookies because you had a frustrating day at work in your second (or third) language? That's a pattern worth gently exploring.
A few things that help:
Build a social eating routine. Even if it's just one meal a week with other expats or friends. Cooking together is even better — it combines the social connection and the act of nourishing yourself.
Find your "feel-good" foods that are also nourishing. Not in a restrictive way, but in an additive way. What are the dishes that make you feel connected to home AND leave you feeling physically good? Double down on those.
Address the underlying emotions. Sometimes what looks like a nutrition problem is actually a loneliness, adjustment, or identity problem. If you're struggling, talking to a therapist familiar with expat issues can be as valuable as seeing a dietitian. (And sometimes both at the same time.)
Your Practical Starter Plan
If you're reading this thinking "okay, but where do I actually start?" — here's a simple framework:
Week 1: Establish a consistent eating routine. Three meals a day, roughly the same times. Don't worry about what you're eating yet — just build the habit of regular meals.
Week 2: Add a protein source to every meal. Eggs at breakfast, chicken or legumes at lunch, fish or beans at dinner. This alone will stabilize your energy and reduce cravings.
Week 3: Start a simple meal prep. Pick one day to batch-cook something you love. A big pot of soup, a tray of roasted vegetables, some cooked grains. Set yourself up for the week.
Week 4: Evaluate how you feel. More energy? Fewer cravings? Sleeping better? These are signs your body is responding to the consistency.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Moving to a new country is hard enough without your nutrition falling apart. And as someone who's lived this experience — as both a Turkish expat in the Netherlands and a dietitian specializing in exactly these challenges — I understand it in a way that goes beyond textbook advice.
Whether you're in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, or anywhere in Europe, I offer online consultations in both English and Turkish. We'll build a plan that respects your cultural food preferences, works with what's available in your local supermarket, and supports your health goals without asking you to give up the foods that connect you to home.
Let's make this transition easier. [Book a consultation with HANZI Nutrition →]
Written by Dyt. Tuğba Kaslıoğlu Yürik — Dietitian & Founder of HANZI Nutrition and Diet Counseling Center. Turkish expat turned Netherlands-based dietitian. Available for online consultations in English and Turkish across Europe.
