Restarting in the Netherlands

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Fattack
Fattack Posts: 666 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello! I've restarted today and am looking for some new friends. I'm thoroughly annoyed with myself as due to several lifestyle changes I overate and gained 24lbs... I beat myself up about it a lot, and the realised that since I started losing weight I've still lost 47lbs including the regain, so I shouldn't really be so hard on myself.

ANYWAY... I'm looking for some new friends - particularly restarters who have been successful, active people, and people living in the Netherlands. I've recently emigrated from the UK to live with my boyfriend in Holland (Zuid-Holland) and am finding shopping here quite bizarre after being spoilt in the UK with about 6 different types of brown basmati rice in Tesco. So few good products in the supermarkets, I'd love some tips as to where to shop and particularly any health food shops (in Dordrecht / Rotterdam).

Thanks!

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  • ifeelsqueaky
    ifeelsqueaky Posts: 193
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    Wow it must be so tough starting somewhere all over again.

    My family lives in Holland (I am Dutch but live in the UK) and I visit them regularly so I know what the supermarkets are like and I must say I agree with you!

    I'm sorry I can't be too much help right now but I will ask my sister and mom whether they have any suggestions :smile:
  • PetraSvdT
    PetraSvdT Posts: 13
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    Hey, I live also in the Netherlands and get about everything I want. You just need to know where to get it. Do you have a health store in the area or a 'De Tuinen"? What is it you are looking for? Lidl had good fruits and veggies. Their 'kipfilet à la minute' is good. (Chicken), they have light mozzarella, roast beef, rookvlees (very lean smoked beef thin sliced) The little 'Toko' shops operated by Armeens or Turkish have cheap veggies.

    Let me know what you are looking for, maybe I can give you some tips. My name is Petra and I live in Driebergen, near Utrecht.
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    Thank you both!!
    Petra - I live in Dordrecht, I've not yet discovered a Health Shop near us sadly, but plently of Tokos! The things I've had difficulty finding are mostly spice related - turmeric, cumin, tarragon, curry powder (as in the Indian version rather then the Kerrie), Tahini paste (I'll try the Toko) and milk that's non-fat (my boyfriend has only ever had half fat milk and full fat milk and when I asked him about non-fat milk he was a bit confuesed). Frozen yoghurt / sorbet also appears to be in short supply (although that's something I can make myself!). I also miss my low fat organic greek style yoghurts in various flavours (especially coconut!).
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    And yes, I'll definitely take a look at Lidl - we have it in the UK too, but I never really checked out their products (apart from generic things like fruit / veg / tinned beans) because I didn't need to with huge supermarkets selling everything nearby!
  • PetraSvdT
    PetraSvdT Posts: 13
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    Lidl has fatfree milk. 1 liter cost 55cents. There is a healthfood store in Dordrecht Brouwersdijk and on Van Eesterenplein. They'll have the tahin. The toko's have the spices you want.I also buy greek yogurt at the toko, it's not fatfree, it has 3,5%fat, but it tastes good. You can always add coconut protein powder to it...I order that at the bodyandfitshop online. Or coconut essence. (toko) Just check out a couple, see what they have and compare. We have like 5 of them here in this tiny town, I went to all of them and favor the furthest away one. Lots of luck! Let me know if you need anything!!
  • ingies2011
    ingies2011 Posts: 127 Member
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    I know what you mean, I live in NZ but spent 8 weeks in the netherlands this year, love their yummy food, but they don't have much that isn't preprepared and processed. I do like all their yummy biscuits and cakes....
    Am back in New Zealand again and love how we can bulk buy lots of beans and other basics, but unfortunately our milk and yoghurt here are much more expensive then there, we pay around NZ$2.25 for a litre of calcitrim milk, which is around euro 1.12 so twice as much as you pay in Europe, no farmers subsidies here and we pay the world market rates supposedly and have GST on food.... :(
  • inge88
    inge88 Posts: 184 Member
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    I'm originally from the Netherlands and moved to Australia about 1.5 years ago. Never tried dieting in Holland though (having to walk stairs all day and the cycling everywhere keeps you so much fitter). Have you tried going to Albert Heijn? I love that supermarket, they have so much stuff! Most buchers also have lots of spices, maybe tried that?
    Good luck!
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    Thank you ever so much Petra, you're a star! Inge - I am going to try to use Albert Heijn online ,we have a Bas Van der Heijden (spelling!) near me and an Em-Te - the latter of which is really small - thanks for the tip about the butcher too, I'll definitely try that :)
  • runlaugheatpie
    runlaugheatpie Posts: 376 Member
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    Yay! you are here! I'm so excited :) I am sure you will find your way through things - I can help you find what you are looking for as well - Dordrecht isn't that small, it should be possible! (I have a friend from the Sweden/US who has lived there for over a decade and she LOVES to cook!)
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    So far so good! Going to try to find an Indian shop so I can buy Indian spices, and hopefully some brown rice - it's such a staple of mine and proving so elusive - hoping the health shop will have it when I try it sometime this week - until then it's lots of brown pasta and all-bran (thank god they have that here!) as my starchy carbs!
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    I'm in Uithoorn, near Amsterdam. I agree, the tokos and health food stores are what you need. I disagree that much of the food in the NL is processed - in fact, compared to the UK I find you have to be a good cook to live here as there is very little pre-made food that you can buy in the shops that is not a pizza or a fish finger. An Indian shop is a good thing - I have one near me that I just found. For brown rice try 'zilvervlies rijst' in the supermarket and as far at the yoghurt goes, try the Optimel kwark, it's quite thick, more like greek yoghurt has 0% fat and comes in lots of flavours. I make my own yoghurt at home though as I just like plain.

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