In this article, azVocab has compiled IELTS phrases related to the “Food and Drink” topic, which you can easily apply to IELTS Writing Task 2 or the Speaking section. We also provided you with full meanings and examples of these phrases to make it easier for you to apply.
PHRASE | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
A heavy meal | A meal with a lot of rich food | After a heavy meal, you should take a little more rest than usual. |
A light meal | A meal with not a loy of food | Our light meals and dinner recipes are perfect if you fancy a light lunch or maybe even a quick snack. |
A scrumptious meal | A meal that tastes extremely good | After finishing the flan and settling the bill, we head off home, satisfied that we have enjoyed a scrumptious meal. |
A ready meal | A meal that you buy already prepared and which only needs to be heated before you eat it | I had no desire to cook, so I bought a ready meal in a nearby supermarket. |
A slap-up meal | A very large enjoyable meal | I feel like making a slap-up meal tonight. |
Main meal | Breakfast, lunch, dinner | For many children, the school dinner is their main meal of the day. |
Quick snack | A small amount of food that is eaten between meals, or a very small meal | Eating quick snack instead of main meal can be harmful for stomach. |
A balanced diet | A diet contains all of the essential elements that the human body needs | I realize though that it is necessary to include nutritious food as part of a balanced diet. |
A craving for food | An intense desire to consume a specific food | If it’s a craving for Italian food, Capitol Hill’s eatery choices will satisfy every appetite. |
A fussy eater | Someone who does not like many foods | My husband is a fussy eater, and he’s never pleased with my cooking. |
To cut down on | To use or do less of something | I’m trying to cut down on the amount of sugar I eat. |
A healthy eating plan | An eating plan that gives your body the nutrients it needs every day while staying within your daily calorie goal for weight loss | These 8 practical tips cover the basics of a healthy eating plan and can help you make healthier choices. |
To eat like a horse | To always eat a lot of food | These hamburgers are so delicious that she eats like a horse. |
To follow a recipe | To follow instructions to make a certain dish | I followed a soup recipe yesterday evening and it was so amazing that my son kept asking for more. |
Food additive | An artificial substance added to food to give it taste or colour | Food additives are substances added to food to maintain or improve its safety, freshness, taste, texture, or appearance. |
Food consumption | The process of taking food into the body through the mouth (as by eating) | Fifty-two percent said they had reduced their food consumption as a result. |
Food deprivation | A lack of food | With this, she enters into a painful lapse that turns into despair that brings her to sleep and food deprivation. |
Food production | The process of transforming raw materials into edible food products | Each nation needs to balance local food production with imports and consider environmental and economic impact. |
Food source | A living plant, animal, bird or fish from which food is intended to be derived, whether by gathering, harvesting, slaughtering, milking, collecting eggs or otherwise | Their usual food source is not available because worms, beetles and other prey are hidden away at this time of year. |
Food safety | The conditions and practices that preserve the quality of food to prevent contamination and food-borne illnesses | Restaurants must guarantee food hygiene or food safety. |
Food shortage | A situation in which there is not enough of food | Food shortages have continued into 2022 after a difficult few years. |
Food poisoning | An illness usually caused by eating food that contains harmful bacteria | There was no such thing as an epidemic of food poisoning. |
Fresh produce | Fruits and vegetables that have not been processed in any manner | My grandparents lived on the farm and they only served fresh produce on plates. |
Nutritious products | Food contains substances which help your body to be healthy | We ought to make cheap, healthy, and nutritious food as much an everyday supply as clean air and pure water. |
Gourmet food | Any food of high quality and/or rarity, crafted to deliver exquisite taste and presented in a pleasing fashion | Treat yourself to some delicious gourmet food and ingredients at London’s best delicatessens and specialist restaurants. |
To grab a bite to eat | To seek out or prepare some food to eat | Do you want to grab a bite to eat before we see the movie? |
Health conscious | Having an active interest in one’s health | In our increasingly health-conscious society, we tend to seek out the best of the best food. |
Home-cooked food | Food that is cooked at home or is similar to food cooked at home | Many families have stopped sitting down for meals together despite the fact that home-cooked food offers both social and health benefits. |
Insatiable appetite | Always wanting more food | He has an insatiable appetite for food all the time. |
Leftover food | Surplus foods remaining unconsumed at the end of a meal | People should at least separate paper, packaging, leftover food and hazardous waste from other waste in order to save natural resources. |
Nutritional benefits | All the substances that are in it which help you to remain healthy | We use a shortlist of high-quality ingredients that have some nutritional benefits. |
Organic food | Foods that are grown, handled and prepared in a way that is safe for the environment | Organic food is now a regular feature at most supermarkets. |
Perishable food | Food that is likely to spoil, decay or become unsafe to consume if not kept refrigerated at 40 °F or below, or frozen at 0 °F or below | Perishable food includes meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, and fruits. |
Processed food | Any food that has been altered in some way during preparation | Jack is so lazy that he often consumes processed food which is extremely unhealthy for his health. |
Raw food | Food that is eaten uncooked, that has not yet been cooked, or that has not been cooked enough | With raw food, the contestants would be able to eat anything they liked, provided it was not cooked or heated in any way. |
To run out of food | The food originally planned for the event is eaten | They ran out of food and potable water, and some of them died. |
Serve food | To carry and distribute (portions of food or drink) to a patron or a specific table, as a waiter or waitress | Go with your family to a community kitchen to help serve food. |
Staple food | A food that makes up the dominant part of a population’s diet | A food staple is a food that makes up the dominant part of a population’s diet. |
To store food | To put or keep food in a special place such as fridge for use in the future | The cellar is an ideal place to store food. |
To have a sweet tooth | To like eating things that are sugary or taste sweet | You can always please Nell with cake or ice cream, she has a big sweet tooth. |
Uncooked food | Food that is raw or not treated with heat to prepare for eating | In addition, thoroughly wash your hands, cutting boards, counters, and knives after handling uncooked foods. |
Whole food | Food that has not had any of its natural features taken away or any artificial substances added | Kale’s so hot because it packs in more nutrition than practically any other whole food. |
To wine and dine | To entertain someone with food and drink, esp. expensive food and drink | The company wined and dined us, hoping to convince us we should accept the job. |
To work up an/the appetite | To become hungry after engaging in some activity, typically one that is physically strenuous | I went for a walk to work up an appetite for breakfast. |
To have ravenous appetite | To be literally hungry like the wolf, snarling and growling (stomach) included | After working all day, I had a ravenous appetite. |
To spoil one’s appetite | To make someone not feel like eating a meal | Johnny, stop eating the candy! You will spoil your appetite before dinner! |
To calm the hunger pangs | To reduce sudden strong feelings of hunger | Usually, by the time we get there, I am really hungry so we order a starter to calm the hunger pangs. |
To be dying of hunger | To die from lack of enough food, to starve to death | I haven’t eaten all day. I’m dying of hunger! |
To restrain one’s hunger | To avoid eating when you really want to | John couldn’t restrain his hunger anymore and went to the nearest fast-food restaurant. |
Processing industry | Companies that extract, transport and process raw materials to manufacture semi-finished or high-quality end products by means of physical, mechanical and/or chemical processes | There are 2,282 employees offering engineering, construction, and maintenance for the energy and process industries. |
My mouth is watering | The feeling of being excited to eat something | My mouth is watering every time I think about my grandmother’s apple pie. |
To be starving hungry | To be very hungry | I woke up starving hungry yesterday and ate the whole roast chicken. |
To bolt something down | To eat something very quickly | Don’t bolt your food down like that, it’s very rude! |
To have no nutritional value | Calories that are not matched by nutrients; poor nutrition | Sugary drinks have no nutritional value and contribute significantly to weight gain. |
To be full up | If you are full up you have eaten or drunk so much that you do not want to eat or drink anything else | I usually order Tiramisu or Strawberry Panna Cotta. I’m always totally full up by the end. |
azVocab hopes that these phrases for the topic of “Food and Drink” will help you easily approach these two subjects. Wishing you good study and success in your upcoming IELTS exam!
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