Food and meals – A1 English Vocabulary

Food and meals

In this A1 Elementary Vocabulary lesson, you will learn essential vocabulary to talk about food and meals. Check the pictures and read the texts and definitions below.

Meals, breakfast and snacks

Meals

People usually have three main 1 meals every day. They eat 2 breakfast in the morning before they go to school or work. Then they have 3 lunch around midday, usually from 12 pm to 2 pm. In the evening, it’s common to have 4 dinner with family, which is often between 6 pm and 8 pm. If people get hungry between lunch and dinner, they might have a small meal or something to eat. In the UK, this small meal can be called 5 tea and often includes a cup of tea with food. In the US, they usually call this a 5 snack. The word snack is also used in the UK to describe a small amount of food that you eat between meals.

Breakfast

People often eat 6 cereal with milk for breakfast. Some people like to eat 7 bread with 8 cheese or 9 ham. Fried 10 eggs are also a very common breakfast option. People who like sweet food often eat 10 toast with 11 butter and 12 jam. Strawberry jam is very popular for breakfast. And people who like to eat healthy food often have 14 yogurt and 15 fruit.

Snacks

For a snack, many people like 16 chips (or crisps) because they are crunchy and salty. People often eat chips while they watch TV on the sofa. Kids love 17 cookies with milk after school. If you are very hungry, you can take some bread and make a 18 sandwich. Ham and cheese sandwiches are very popular. Sometimes, at a party, you can have a piece of 19 cake. And for a quick sweet snack, some people eat a 20 candy bar.

Food and drink

Food

1 Rice is white and it’s a very popular food in Asian countries.

2 Pasta comes in shapes like spaghetti and macaroni.

3 Pizza is round with cheese, tomato, and other toppings on bread.

4 Meat comes from animals, like cows and chickens.

5 Fish live in water, and people can cook and eat them.

6 Vegetables are plants like carrots and broccoli that are good for your health.

7 Soup is hot and liquid, and you eat it with a spoon.

8 Salad is a mix of cold vegetables, sometimes with dressing.

9 You eat dessert at the end of your lunch or dinner. Common desserts are fruit or cake. In the UK, people often use the word pudding to mean ‘dessert’.

Drink

10 People drink water when they are thirsty. Water is the healthiest drink.

11 Milk is white, comes from cows, and is rich in calcium.

12 Juice is a sweet drink made from fruits like oranges and apples.

13 Tea is a hot drink, and in the UK, people often drink it in the afternoon.

14 Coffee is a hot, dark drink that contains caffeine.

15 Beer is the most common drink in British pubs.

16 Wine is made from grapes and is an alcoholic drink.