Most people in the Netherlands are ‘mindful’ about the way they eat, making their meals from scratch and eating at the table, according to a survey commissioned by the government’s eating habits agency Voedingscentrum.

Over half the 1,000 survey respondents does not eat breakfast on the hoof and the great majority (75%) still eat their evening meal at the table.

Meals are made from scratch more than five times a week on average, with ready-made food or take-aways only appearing on Dutch tables once a week. And almost a quarter of respondents said they are spending more time preparing meals than five years ago.

Just over half the respondents said they chatted with the other members of the family during meals while 25% said they watched television and 4% checked social media or did something else.

Respondents aged 55 and older are more inclined to cook meals and eat them without the distractions of tv or phone, and families eat together more often than people who live alone.

The Voedingscentrum said mindful eating can be stimulated by cooking from scratch and that home made meals are more likely to be healthy. Distractions such as television and mobile phones also make it more likely people will eat too much, the agency said.