B1 Vocabulary: Food & Drink


Key Vocabulary

English Word/PhrasePart of SpeechSpanish TranslationMeaningExample Sentence
breakfastnoundesayunofirst meal of the dayI have breakfast at 7 a.m.
lunchnouncomida / almuerzomidday mealWe eat lunch at school.
dinnernouncenaevening mealDinner is ready at 8 p.m.
snacknountentempié / meriendasmall food between mealsI have a snack in the afternoon.
starternounentrantefirst courseSoup is a good starter.
main coursenounplato principalbiggest part of mealThe main course is chicken.
dessertnounpostresweet after mealI love chocolate dessert.
ingredientnouningredientepart of a recipeFlour is an important ingredient.
recipenounrecetacooking instructionsFollow the recipe carefully.
cookverbcocinarprepare food with heatShe cooks dinner every night.
bakeverbhornearcook in oven (bread, cake)I bake cookies on Sundays.
boilverbhervircook in hot waterBoil the pasta for 10 minutes.
fryverbfreírcook in hot oilDon’t fry too much food.
grillverbas ar / a la parrillacook under/between heatWe grill fish in summer.
roastverbasarcook in oven with fatRoast chicken is delicious.
freshadjfresco/arecently made/pickedI buy fresh bread daily.
tastyadjsabroso/agood flavourThis soup is very tasty.
spicyadjpicantehot with spicesI don’t like spicy food.
sweetadjdulcesugary tasteCake is too sweet for me.
souradjagrio/asharp/acidic tasteLemons are sour.
healthyadjsaludablegood for your bodyEat healthy food every day.
unhealthyadjpoco saludablebad for your bodyFast food is unhealthy.
dietnoundietawhat you eat regularlyShe’s on a strict diet.
vegetariannoun/adjvegetariano/adoesn’t eat meatHe’s vegetarian.
vegannoun/adjvegano/ano animal productsShe’s vegan and loves tofu.

Common Collocations & Expressions (Spanish in brackets)

  • fast food (comida rápida)
  • home-cooked meal (comida casera)
  • eat out (comer fuera)
  • have a bite to eat (tomar algo de comer)
  • be on a diet (estar a dieta)
  • junk food (comida basura)

Word Formation (with Spanish)

BaseNoun (Esp)Adjective (Esp)Adverb (Esp)
tastetaste (sabor)tasty (sabroso/a)
healthhealth (salud)healthy (saludable)healthily (saludablemente)
spicespice (especia)spicy (picante)spicily (picantemente)

Exercise: Gap-Fill & Multiple ChoicePart A – Gap-FillComplete the sentences with a word/phrase from the table.

  1. I usually _______________ eggs for breakfast.
  2. This curry is too _______________ for me!
  3. We need milk, flour, and sugar – they’re the main _______________.
  4. My sister is _______________ – she doesn’t eat meat or fish.
  5. After the main course, we have ice cream for _______________.

Part B – Multiple ChoiceChoose the correct word (A, B, or C).

  1. Don’t _______________ the potatoes – put them in water.
    A) fry B) boil C) grill
  2. Chocolate cake is very _______________.
    A) sour B) sweet C) spicy
  3. I _______________ a cake for my mum’s birthday.
    A) grilled B) baked C) boiled
  4. Fast food is _______________ and not good for you.
    A) healthy B) unhealthy C) fresh
  5. The _______________ was soup, then chicken, then fruit.
    A) dessert B) starter C) ingredient

Answer KeyPart A – Gap-Fill

  1. cook / boil / fry (cocinar / hervir / freír)
  2. spicy (picante)
  3. ingredients (ingredientes)
  4. vegetarian (vegetariano/a)
  5. dessert (postre)

Part B – Multiple Choice

  1. B) boil (hervir)
  2. B) sweet (dulce)
  3. B) baked (hornear)
  4. B) unhealthy (poco saludable)
  5. B) starter (entrante)