Food helps us live and gives us energy. Learning these basic food words helps you talk about food, order at restaurants, and understand recipes. Practice these words when you eat, cook, or go shopping for food.

Let’s learn about common food words in English! Here are the most important food groups and common items you eat every day.

Main Meals

Breakfast is the first meal of the day. People often eat it in the morning and say “Have a good breakfast” or “What’s for breakfast?” Common breakfast foods include eggs, bread, and cereal.

Lunch comes in the middle of the day. People eat lunch usually between 12:00 and 2:00 PM. You might say “Let’s have lunch together” or “It’s lunch time.” Common lunch foods include sandwiches, salads, and soup.

Dinner is the evening meal. Most people eat dinner with their family. You can say “What’s for dinner?” or “Dinner is ready!” Common dinner foods include meat, fish, rice, and vegetables.

Common Foods

Bread is a basic food many people eat every day. You can make sandwiches with bread or eat it with butter.

Rice is a white grain that many people eat with other foods. You can cook rice and eat it with meat or vegetables.

Meat includes chicken, beef, and pork. Chicken is white meat from birds. Beef comes from cows. Pork comes from pigs.

Fish is food from the sea. Some common fish are salmon and tuna.

Vegetables are healthy plants we eat. Common vegetables include: Carrots are orange and long Potatoes are brown and round Tomatoes are red and round Onions make you cry when you cut them Lettuce is green and goes in salads

Fruits are sweet foods that grow on trees or plants: Apples are red or green Bananas are yellow and long Oranges are orange and round Grapes come in purple or green Strawberries are red and sweet

Drinks

Water is the most important drink

Milk comes from cows

Coffee is a hot, brown drink Tea can be hot or cold Juice comes from fruits

Basic Tastes

Sweet like candy or sugar

Salty like chips or sea water

Sour like lemons

Bitter like black coffee

Spicy means it has a hot taste that can burn the tongue

Cooking Words

To Cook means to prepare food with heat Bake means to cook in an oven

Fry means to cook in oil

Boil means to cook in hot water

Cut means to divide food with a knife

When you eat at a restaurant, you need these words:

Menu shows the food choices

Order means to ask for food

Waiter/Waitress brings your food

Bill shows how much to pay

Tip is extra money for good service

Remember these phrases: “I’m hungry” means you want to eat “I’m thirsty” means you want to drink “It’s delicious” means the food tastes good “Can I have…” is how you ask for food “More please” is how you ask for extra food