IELTS Vocabulary: Food & Eating Habits

There is a quiz to test what you remember at the end.

dine in

dine at home. Example: We’re dining in tonight.

dine out

dine at a restaurant. Example: We’re dining out tonight.

fussy eater

someone who is very picky about the food and doesn't eat everything. Example: My husband is a fussy eater, and he's never pleased with my cooking.

home-cooked food

food cooked at home, usually implies that food is healthy. Example: Preparing home-cooked food is a good way to make a balanced meal.

in a walking distance of

close to. Example: I usually dine at a restaurant that's in a walking distance of my home.

Italian cuisine

traditional Italian food. Example: I adore pasta, pizza, and Italian cuisine in general.

more of a chore than a pleasure

something you do rather unwillingly. Example: I think that cooking is more of a chore than a pleasure.

mouth-watering

delicious, appetizing. Example: My mouth is watering every time I think about my grandmother's apple pie.

nutritious products

products rich in calories. Example: A nutritious breakfast is a great way to start the day.

processed food

food modified in an unhealthy way. Example: Try to avoid processed foods like flavoured nuts and cereal bars.

quality justifies the bill

when quality makes a high price worth it. Example: Their quality justified the bill.

quick snack

a light and quick meal, usually unhealthy. Example: Eating quick snacks instead of main meals can be harmful.

ready meal

a pre-cooked meal that only needs reheating. Example: I bought a ready meal at the supermarket.

restrain one's hunger

to avoid eating when hungry. Example: He couldn’t restrain his hunger any longer.

slap-up meal

a quick and fatty meal. Example: I feel like making a slap-up meal tonight.

starving hungry

to be extremely hungry. Example: I woke up starving hungry.

take-away

meal bought from a restaurant to eat at home. Example: I ordered a takeaway.

the main meal

the most important meal of the day.

to be dying of hunger

to be extremely hungry. Example: I'm dying of hunger!

to be full-up

to be completely full. Example: No more chips, I’m full-up.

to be ravenous

to be extremely hungry. Example: I had a ravenous appetite.

to be starving hungry

to be very hungry. Example: I wouldn't eat liver even if I was starving hungry.

to bolt something down

to eat very quickly. Example: Don’t bolt your food down.

to eat a balanced diet

to eat correctly and in time. Example: A balanced diet is essential.

to eat like a horse

to eat a lot. Example: She eats like a horse.

to follow a recipe

to cook using instructions. Example: She followed a recipe.

to foot the bill

to pay the bill. Example: Let me foot the bill this time.

to grab a bite to eat

to eat quickly. Example: Let me grab a bite to eat.

to have a sweet tooth

to enjoy sweets. Example: He must have a sweet tooth.

to overeat

to eat too much. Example: If you overeat, you’ll gain weight.

to play with your food

to push food around without eating. Example: He just played with his food.

to spoil your appetite

to lose the desire to eat. Example: You’re spoiling my appetite!

to tuck into

to eat with pleasure. Example: He tucked into the ham.

to wine and dine

to entertain with good food. Example: They wined and dined us.

to work up an appetite

to do something that makes you hungry. Example: He worked up an appetite at the gym.

IELTS Vocabulary: Food & Eating - Quiz Worksheet