Vocabulary/ B1 Vocabulary lessons and / Food and cooking – B1 English Vocabulary
Food and Cooking Vocabulary
Learn essential terms for fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and cooking methods
About This Lesson
In this intermediate vocabulary lesson, you will learn about a wide range of foods, from fruits and vegetables to different types of meat and seafood, and cooking methods. Check the pictures below and read the definitions and sentence examples to expand your culinary vocabulary.
Fruit and Vegetables
Colorful fruit and vegetable vocabulary chart for Intermediate English learners.
1 Grapes are used to make wine.
We picked fresh grapes from the vineyard.
2 Cherries are small, round fruit with red skins, often used in desserts.
She baked a cherry pie for dessert.
3 A peach is a sweet summer fruit with pinky-orange skin.
I love eating peaches straight from the tree.
4 Apples and pears are two very common fruits.
He packed an apple and a pear in his lunchbox.
5 Mango is a tropical fruit with sweet orange flesh.
We added mango slices to our smoothie.
6 Watermelon is a big and refreshing fruit with green skin and red flesh.
We ate watermelon to cool down on a hot day.
7 Raspberries are often used in desserts.
The cake was topped with fresh raspberries.
8 Carrots are long, thin vegetables with orange skin and flesh.
Carrots are great for your eyesight.
9 Broccoli is a nutritious green vegetable.
She steamed broccoli as a healthy side dish.
10 Spinach is a vegetable with large dark green leaves packed with vitamins.
He added spinach to his morning omelette.
11 Green beans are long narrow beans that are eaten as a vegetable.
We had green beans with our roast dinner.
12 Peppers are green, red, or yellow vegetables that add flavour and colour to many dishes.
Stir-fried peppers and onions taste delicious.
13 A courgette (UK) or zucchini (US) is a long thin vegetable with dark green skin and white flesh.
She grilled courgettes for the barbecue.
14 An aubergine (UK) or eggplant (US) has a smooth, dark purple skin.
We made aubergine parmigiana for dinner.
15 Cabbage is a round vegetable with white, green, or purple leaves.
Coleslaw is made from shredded cabbage.
16 Cauliflower is white and similar in shape to broccoli.
Roasted cauliflower has a nutty flavour.
Meat, Fish & Seafood + Cooking Methods
Intermediate English vocabulary chart on Food featuring types of meat, fish and seafood, and types of cooking.
Meat
1 Beef is the meat of a cow.
We grilled beef steaks for dinner.
2 Turkey is a popular dish for Thanksgiving dinner.
They roasted a whole turkey for the holiday.
3 Chicken is white meat from a bird, and it’s considered to be healthy.
Grilled chicken is high in protein.
4 Duck is meat from a bird and is popular in Asian dishes.
We tried Peking duck at the new restaurant.
5 Pork is the meat of a pig.
Pork chops are delicious when marinated.
6 Lamb is the meat of a sheep.
Lamb curry is a family favourite.
Fish and Seafood
7 Salmon is a popular fish with pink meat.
Smoked salmon goes well with cream cheese.
8 Tuna is a large fish with red meat. We often buy it in tins preserved in oil or water.
I made a tuna salad for lunch.
9 Squid is commonly served as calamari.
The calamari was crispy and tender.
10 Prawns have a tasty, soft meat inside.
We cooked garlic prawns as an appetizer.
11 Crabs have a hard shell and large claws.
Steamed crab is a delicacy in coastal towns.
12 A lobster has a hard shell and claws and it’s an expensive food.
They celebrated with lobster and champagne.
13 Clams have a smooth shell and live in the sand in the sea.
Clam chowder is a creamy soup.
14 Oysters are considered a luxury food. They can also produce pearls.
He ate oysters raw with lemon juice.
15 Mussels have a smooth black shell and orange flesh.
We steamed mussels in white wine and garlic.
Types of Cooking Methods
16 Steamed means cooked in vapour over boiling water. Steamed food is thought to be healthy, as it is cooked without oil or fat.
I ordered steamed fish with vegetables.
17 Boiled means cooked in very hot water. Boiling is a healthy way of preparing vegetables or eggs. Pasta is always boiled too, then served with a tasty sauce.
Boiled eggs are healthier than fried eggs.
18 Fried means cooked in oil or fat in a frying pan. Many people fry eggs and bacon to make a quick and tasty meal.
I had a fried egg for breakfast.
19 Baked means cooked in the oven. Common baked foods include bread, cakes, biscuits, and muffins.
I could smell the freshly baked bread.
20 Roasted means cooked for a long time in the oven or over a fire. Meat is often roasted, surrounded by potatoes and vegetables, for a special meal.
The chicken was served with roasted potatoes.
Food-Related Phrasal Verbs
There are also many phrasal verbs that we use when talking about food.
To eat out means to eat away from home, in a restaurant or other establishment serving food. Many people eat out as a social activity or because they don’t have time to cook.
We often eat out at the weekend.
To cut down on something means to consume less of something. Doctors often advise patients to cut down on salt, fat, or sugar for health reasons.
I’m trying to cut down on red meat.
To go on a diet means to follow a special eating plan to lose weight or for health reasons. People who go on a diet often cut down on certain foods or stop eating them altogether.
Tom went on a diet because he needed to lose a few kilos.
To put on weight means to become heavier and to lose weight means to become lighter.
I put on all the weight that I had lost.