An analysis of 29,000 dinners eaten by over 5,000 Volkskrant readers shows that the traditional meat, potato, and vegetable meal is still a popular part of the Dutch menu but no longer tops the list.

Instead, pasta in all shapes and sizes leads as the favourite meal. Stamppot – or potatoes and vegetables mashed together – remains as popular as ever, while  curry is on the rise, the paper said.

The VK asked readers to keep a dinner diary for a week and then categorised the meals into 10 different groups. The research was carried out in the second week of December.

The paper found pasta is more than just spaghetti and macaroni, although Bolognese remains the favourite sauce, followed by pasta with mushrooms and lasagne.

When it comes to meat, potatoes, and vegetables, broccoli tops the list of vegetables, chicken is the most popular meat, and meat replacements are becoming increasingly common, the paper noted.

Rice-based meals come third on the list, including both the rice, meat, and vegetable combination as well as single-pot meals like risotto and paella. The Indonesian staple nasi remains a favourite.

Erwtensoep (pea) is by far the most popular soup, followed by pumpkin, which has now overtaken tomato, vegetable, and chicken. The Dutch classic brown bean soup was mentioned by only a couple of readers.

Stamppot made with curly kale (boerenkool) leads the mashed food category.

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A wide variety of curries – lentil, chickpea, cauliflower, and aubergine – have made inroads into Dutch kitchens. The paper noted that 35 years ago, the Albert Heijn supermarket magazine Allerhande introduced curry as “spicy stews”.

Places seven to ten on the list are taken up by French fries, pizza, noodles, and bread-based meals.

Volkskrant readers were also least likely to cook on Friday and Saturday, and dinner is most often served, as it has been for decades, between 6 pm and 7 pm, the paper said.