The Netherlands is known for many things, but not really for its culinary delights. Foreigners are often amazed by our eating habits and occasionally wonder how we can stay healthy at all. Fries with mayonnaise, for example, have been known since Pulp Fiction. Herring and licorice are also the biggest causes of head-shaking movements by visitors. I can still imagine that. I am not a big fan of herring and licorice myself. Stroopwafels and croquettes can often count on sympathy, fortunately. But what foreigners are most surprised about is our love for…. chocolate sprinkles. Yes, a sandwich with sprinkles, so normal for us and so special for someone else.
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This does not leave many a visitor's eyebrows just frowning. No, the eyebrows actually fly up in disbelief. The phenomenon is not unknown in itself, many countries have a variant of it.
But sprinkles are mainly associated with decoration for cakes and cupcakes and therefore with a children's delicacy. It is therefore surprising that it is consumed by young and old alike. On bread!
I love sprinkles myself, especially chocolate sprinkles. Delicious with fresh white bread and a layer of butter. I have often eaten this for breakfast. Nowadays I eat a nice bowl of yogurt and muesli for breakfast. My kids eat it mostly for lunch. A sandwich with sprinkles goes well in it! And of course we not only have chocolate sprinkles, but also chocolate spread and flakes with animals in them. But we do have a rule that one sandwich with a chocolate spread is allowed, no more. And they don't get chocolate spread to school. I liked my rules, that way they don't get too much chocolate. Well done I thought.
Recently there was an international study into breakfast habits in various countries. Children were given a plate of usual breakfasts and the reactions of (American) children were filmed.
From coffee and unknown Asian hot rice meals to soup, for breakfast. This often caused dirty faces on the children. And not all breakfasts are equally healthy. But then came the sandwich with sprinkles.
What surprised me most is that the children began to salivate at the Dutch breakfast of gilded chocolate sprinkles on bread. And almost unanimously they said:“oh chocolate for breakfast, my mother really wouldn't let me eat that”.
And then I had my ah-ha moment. You are indeed just eating chocolate for breakfast/lunch. If I say I feed my kids a bar of chocolate for breakfast/lunch, I would be called crazy. But when I say I gave the kids chocolate sprinkles for breakfast or lunch, nobody is surprised. It even seems to be part of the Dutch tradition. Any proposal from the government or the nutrition center to limit sprinkles intake is invariably met with anger. Stay away from our sprinkles, the people seem to want to say. But so unnoticed, a lot of chocolate enters our bodies – and those of our children. And that in addition to all the other chocolate cookies or real bars of chocolate that sometimes slip in.
Time to think differently about sprinkles. Because my new intention not to eat chocolate sprinkles at all will indeed be received with disbelief and/or anger, I will at least try to reduce it and no longer put it on the table as standard. But….
Then such a delicious fresh white slice of bread is staring at me and it seems to shout:'pick me, pick me'. Let that endorphins flow! And then I can't resist… it's so delicious….but I also have to set a good example.
Well, one can't hurt, right? And then I'll leave that chocolate bar in the cupboard tonight…. I think…..probably…well at least just a small piece instead of the whole bar. It makes me so happy too! And a happy mother is also important, I tell myself 😉 .
Oh well, I'll try again tomorrow….
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