appetizer (noun): food served before the main course - For our appetizers we'll have spring rolls and fish cakes, please.

aroma (noun): a nice smell, especially from food, wine, coffee, etc. - I love the aroma of freshly-baked bread.

bake (verb): to cook in an oven - Have you ever tried baking a cake?

bland (adjective): having little taste; tasteless - Most people think British food is bland.

course (noun): one part of a meal - French meals usually have three courses; the hors d’oeuvre, the entrée and the dessert.

cuisine (noun): a country or region's style of cooking - There's more to Italian cuisine than pizza and pasta.

cutlery (also silverware) (noun): knives, forks, and spoons used for eating - We only use our best cutlery on special occasions.

dairy product (noun): a food made from milk, like butter, cheese, yoghurt, etc. Dairy products are becoming more popular in Asia.

delicious (adjective): tasting very good - The food in this restaurant is really delicious.

dessert (noun): sweet food eaten at the end of a meal - Have you ever tried Middle-eastern desserts like baklava?

diet (noun): all the foods a person or animal usually eats - My doctor said a vegetarian diet rich in protein is best.

dish (noun): 1. a deep plate for cooking or serving food - I baked the pie in a special pie dish. 2. food prepared and cooked in a particular way - What's your favourite French dish?

entrée (noun): 1. the main course of a meal 2. a course before the main course (Br English) - What did you order for your entrée?

fast food (noun): quickly served food like burgers, French fries, fried chicken, etc. - I only get fast food if I don't have time to cook.

flavour (or flavor in US spelling) (noun): the taste of food or drink - Japanese people think how food looks is as important as the flavour.

fry (verb): to cook something in hot oil or fat - Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onions for five minutes.

grain (noun): seeds used as food like wheat, rice, lentils, etc. - Grains like wheat and rye are used to make different kinds of bread.

grill (verb): to cook something just above or below a heat source - Grilling a fish is better than frying it.

heart disease (noun): disease caused by damage to the heart or nearby blood vessels - Eating fatty food increases your risk of developing heart disease.

ingredients (noun): all the foods used to make a dish or meal - What ingredients do we need to make spaghetti sauce?

junk food (noun): foods and food products that are unhealthy because of all the fat, salt or sugar they contain - People who love junk food soon get fat and unhealthy.

kitchenware (noun): things used for preparing food like knives, spoons, pots, dishes, etc. - Our kitchen cupboards are full of kitchenware we hardly ever use.

menu (noun): the list of foods and drinks served in a restaurant, café, pub, etc. - Let's check the menu before deciding whether to eat here.

nutritious (adjective): having nourishing substances we need in order to be healthy - Thai food's nutritious as well as being delicious.

obesity (noun): the unhealthy condition of being very fat or overweight - Obesity wasn't a serious problem here until Western companies opened fast food outlets.

poultry (noun): Birds that people eat, like chickens, ducks, geese, etc - Factory farms keep poultry in tiny cages and the birds never see the outside world.

recipe (noun): instructions for cooking a dish or a meal - My mum has a great recipe for chocolate pudding.

seafood (noun): anything from the sea that can be eaten - If you eat vegetarian food plus fish and seafood, but not meat or poultry, you're a pescetarian.

tableware (noun): things used for serving or eating a meal such as knives, forks, plates, glasses, etc. - Most of our wedding gifts were tableware of one sort or another.

tasteless (adjective): having very little flavour - Vegetarian food can be a bit tasteless, but it can also be really delicious.

tasty (adjective): having a good taste; delicious - Bob thinks Indian food is tastier than Chinese food.

Here are some words and phrases to help you talk about food, methods of cooking and diets in English.

Types of food

meat (or “red meat”) = lamb, pork or beef

poultry (or “white meat”) = chicken, turkey, goose, duck

game (“wild” meat) = rabbit, hare, partridge, pheasant

fish = salt water fish / sea fish or fresh water fish

seafood = prawns, shrimps, lobster, scallops, mussels, crab

vegetables = leafy vegetables (such as broccoli or spinach), root vegetables (such as carrots and onions) etc

fruit = soft fruit (such as plums and peaches); berry fruit (such as strawberries or raspberries) etc

You can also talk about the different food groups: fats and oils (such as olive oil, butter etc); fruit; vegetables; protein (such as meat); dairy (such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt); grains (such as wheat, or corn); and sugar.

How food is cooked

boiled – cooked in boiling water

steamed – cooked over a saucepan of boiling water

fried / sauteed – cooked in oil in a frying pan

stir-fried – fried fast in hot oil

pan-fried – fried in a frying pan

roasted – cooked in oil in the oven

grilled – cooked under a grill or on a ridged pan

baked – cooked in the oven

stewed – cooked for a long time on a low heat

casseroled – cooked slowly in juices

Dishes

Here are some of the names of dishes you can see in restaurant menus:

starter / hors d’oeuvre / appetiser = the first thing you eat as part of a more formal meal

main course = often a meat, fish or vegetarian dish

dessert / pudding = a sweet course at the end of the meal. You might also see cheese or fruit offered.

Diets

If you are overweight or obese, your doctor will probably recommend that you “go on a diet”. Here are some words and phrases that we use to talk about dieting, body size and putting on weight.

watch what you eat = be careful about what you eat, and the quantities you eat

watch your figure = refuse certain food because you want to stay slim

go on a crash diet = start a radical diet to lose weight quickly

count the calories / a calorie-controlled diet = a diet where you measure the calories of each item of food you eat

snack between meals = to eat between meals (avoid doing this if you are on a diet!)

cut out certain foods altogether (i.e. stop eating bread or pasta, for example)

cut down on = reduce the amount of (fatty or sugary foods, for example)

Body size and putting on weight

“You are what you eat!” = a common expression meaning that your body shape is directly related to what or how much you eat.

middle-age spread = where you put on weight especially around your waist and hips.

put on / gain weight = become heavier

pinch an inch = where you can measure at least an inch worth of fat around your middle (an inch is approximately 2.5 cm)

pile on the pounds = gain a lot of weight (a pound is approximately half a kilo)

lose / shed weight = become lighter

go up a size = become one size larger (the opposite is to drop a size = become one size smaller)

Other expressions

have a sweet tooth = like eating sweet or sugary things like cakes, sweets or chocolate

eat sensibly = eat moderate quantities of food, and not over-indulging in unhealthy food

five a day = five portions of fruit or vegetables every day