Dutch people eat it a few times a week on average, most commonly as a quick breakfast or lunch. It is not a daily staple for everyone, and frequency varies widely by age, region, and personal routine. For many households, it is a convenient option rather than a fixed tradition.
What exactly is "it"? In the Netherlands, the most likely referent is bread with cheese, cold cuts, or chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag), or possibly stamppot, herring, or another Dutch food. Since the question is ambiguous, here is a practical breakdown for the most common Dutch foods people ask about.
Bread-based meals (broodmaaltijd): Most Dutch people eat bread for breakfast and lunch several times a week. A 2019 national food consumption survey found that bread is still the foundation of breakfast for about 60 to 70 percent of adults, and lunch for a similar share. That means bread with toppings appears 5 to 10 times per week for many, but not always the same topping. Cheese is the most popular topping, followed by cold cuts and sweet spreads like hagelslag or peanut butter.
Hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles): This is a breakfast and lunch topping, not a dessert. Children eat it more often than adults. A reasonable estimate is 1 to 3 times per week for kids and less for adults. It is considered a treat, not an everyday necessity.
Stamppot (mashed potatoes with vegetables): This is a hot dinner, typically eaten once a week or less in winter. Many Dutch people report having it every other week or a few times a month. It is comfort food, not a daily dish.
Herring (haring): Raw herring with onions is a seasonal snack, mostly eaten in spring and summer. Frequency ranges from a few times a year to a few times a month for enthusiasts. It is not a weekly habit for most.
Cheese (kaas): As a topping or snack, cheese is eaten almost daily by many Dutch people. A slice on bread at breakfast or lunch is standard. So if "it" means cheese, the answer is close to daily for a large share of the population.
Practical next steps: If you want to know how often a specific Dutch food is eaten, check national food consumption surveys from RIVM or the Voedingscentrum. These give reliable averages. For everyday observation, ask a Dutch friend or colleague about their own routine. You will get honest, varied answers. If you are learning Dutch and want to discuss food habits in the language, a structured course like Dutch Fluency can help you build the vocabulary for meals and daily routines. But the simplest path is to ask directly and listen for words like "meestal" (usually), "soms" (sometimes), and "elke dag" (every day). Those frequency words will tell you more than any single statistic.