Everyday food vocabulary for elementary learners: cooking basics, restaurant orders, meals, and describing taste and freshness.
Free Food & Drink vocabulary flashcards at the A2 level — all 35 words with definitions and examples. Study them with spaced repetition and start using these words in everyday conversation.
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breakfast
the first meal of the day, eaten in the morning
lunch
the meal eaten in the middle of the day
dinner
the main meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening
snack
a small amount of food eaten between main meals
menu
a list of food and drinks available in a restaurant
recipe
a set of instructions for preparing a dish
ingredient
one item of food used to make a dish
bake
to cook food in an oven using dry heat
fry
to cook food in hot oil in a pan
boil
to cook food in very hot water
cook
to prepare food by using heat
order
to ask for food or drink in a restaurant
bill
a written list showing how much you must pay at a restaurant
tip
extra money left for a waiter as a thank-you
waiter
a person who serves food and drinks in a restaurant
portion
the amount of food served to one person
flavour
the taste of a particular food or drink
sweet
having a taste like sugar
salty
having too much salt or tasting of salt
spicy
having a strong hot taste from spices
fresh
recently made or picked; not old or processed
frozen
kept at a very low temperature to preserve it
vegetable
a plant or part of a plant eaten as food
fruit
the sweet or sour part of a plant that contains seeds
cereal
a food made from grain, often eaten with milk at breakfast
yoghurt
a thick creamy food made from fermented milk
sauce
a thick liquid poured over food to add flavour
dessert
a sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal
starter
a small dish eaten before the main course
main course
the largest and most important dish of a meal
takeaway
food bought at a restaurant and eaten somewhere else
diet
the food a person regularly eats
hungry
feeling the need to eat food
thirsty
feeling the need to drink something
serve
to give food or drinks to people at a table