English for Conversations about FOOD -

Questions, Answers, Vocab

https://dansrealenglish.com/talk-about-food-drink-english-examples/

Food is probably one of the most common conversation topics

in English.

In this post, we look at some key vocabulary, questions and

natural answers needed for speaking confidently in
conversations about food in English.

Contents

Toggle

Questions about food

Talking about your favourite food
Natural phrases for talking about food and drink
Food: vocabulary and collocations for speaking
Vocabulary for talking about what and when to eat / drink
Having meals with others: polite speech (everyday English)
Language focus: WOULD you like? or DO you like?
Food and drink: Key vocabulary and collocations
Language focus: cake, cakes, a cake, some cake, or some
cakes?
Questions about food

Here are some common questions about food and drink that
you might hear in English:

What’s your favourite food / drink?

When was the last time you felt hungry?
What kinds of food do you enjoy eating?
Are there any kinds of food that you prefer not to eat?
Do you ever go out for meals?
Do you like to cook food at home?
Have you ever eaten something really horrible?
Can you describe a kind of food or drink from your country?
How have food and drink choices changed in the last ten
years?

Talking about your favourite food

A simple – but useful – way to talk about your favourite food

in English is to say it in four sentences:

first mention the kind of food you like (sweet, savoury, etc).
Then, give an example of that food (e.g. cheese). Next, say why
you like it, and finally finish by saying how good it tastes (e.g. It
tastes amazing).

1. Mention general food preferences

Start off your talk by saying what kinds of food you like. Try
to use different ways to say “like” and not just “I really like….”,
all the time. Here are a few examples in sentences of how you
could start talking about your favourite types of food:

Well, if I’m honest, I’d say I’m mostly into savoury things.
(I’m mostly into = I tend to prefer)
Well, on the whole I’d say I’m more of a savoury kind of
person
I love salty foods.
For me, salty foods are more satisfying than sweet foods.
I’m a big fan of sweet things.
I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth.

2. Give a specific example of food you like

In this step, say which actual food you enjoy eating. It can be
any food at all – but the stranger, the better!

So, I think my favourite food has got to be durian. (“has got to

be” is a stronger way of saying “must be….“).
One thing I really love eating is blue cheese.
My all-time favourite food is cookie dough-flavoured ice
cream.

Pronunciation tip: If you want to sound really natural when

giving examples of foods you like, stress the verb (plus the
adverb if you are using one one) and also the food:
“One thing I really love eating is blue cheese.” (make words in
bold sound louder and stronger).

3. Say why you like that food

Next, explain WHY you like that food. Is the the sweet
flavour, the smell, or the feel (texture)? Or is it because that food
reminds you of something else (your mum’s home cooking,
maybe)?

What I like about it is the gooey centre and all the sugar on
top.
the thing I really like about it is the texture.
I love how there are so many different kinds.
I really love the way it melts in your mouth.
I love that cold, sweet flavour.

Sentence structure tip: when native English speakers talk

about why they like certain foods, they often change the order
of information in their sentences. This means they may start
sentences like this:

What I really love about blue cheese is..

or:
One thing I love about blue cheese is..

And then they mention the reason as a noun phrase:

..its strong, salty flavour.

or they may finish with a “that” clause:

..that it’s got such a strong, salty flavour.

4. Say how good it tastes

Lastly, it’s a good idea to finish your “favourite food” talk

with a short sentence about how that food tastes. So, end by
saying something like: “It’s so delicious!”

Here are some more examples of concluding statements:

……………………. is/are just so delicious!

……………………. is/are lovely!
………………………is/are scrumptious!
………………………is/are so tasty!
I love ………………………………………
………………………tastes amazing.
……………….is mouth-watering!

Bring it together

When we put all of the steps together, we get something like

this:

Well, if I’m honest, I’d say I’m mostly into.. you know,
savoury things, and so, one thing I love eating is cheese. I
really love the texture of it, you know, the way it melts in
your mouth. I mean, it’s just so tasty!
Remember to link each step in your food talk with a
conjunction (and, and so, or, but, etc), so that the ideas flow
naturally. And if you want to sound even more like a native
English speaker, you can even add a few fillers, like, “you
know”, “just” or “I mean”, too.

Natural phrases for talking about food and drink

When you’re talking about your food and drink preferences

with English speakers, it’s important use natural language. If
you want to keep saying, “I like” / “I don’t like”, that’s fine. But it
sounds much more natural to say things like “I’m (not) really
into ..” instead. After all, this is what real English speakers
would say.

We’ve already discussed how to talk about things we like eating.

So here are a few natural ways to talk about foods you don’t
like and don’t mind eating:

Talking about food you don’t like

There are lots of natural ways to say “I don’t like that food” in
English. If you dislike a certain food, but you can still eat it, you
can say, “I’m not that keen on it” or “I’m not that into it“. But
if you REALLY hate eating something, then just say, “I can’t
stand it!” or “It’s gross!”

Here are some more examples in sentences:

I’m not that into fatty food.

I’m not really into sweet things.
 Spicy food isn’t really my thing.
I’m not that keen on nuts.
It tastes horrible / awful / really bad.
I hate it.
It’s (absolutely) gross.
I can’t stand the taste of it.

Talking about food you don’t mind eating

Here are a few ways of saying we have no real preference for a

certain food:

Pasta’s OK, I suppose.

I’m not too bothered about cheese.
I can take it or leave it. (standalone phrase) = I can take
cheese or leave it
I don’t mind coffee.

Food: vocabulary and collocations for speaking

Food flavours and textures (adjectives)

sweet / sugary – a sugary dessert / a sweet flavour

savoury – savoury snacks
salty – a salty flavour
sour – sweet and sour sauce
 spicy – a spicy curry / chilli pepper (some people say “hot”
instead of “spicy”)
bland / plain (not much flavour) – plain-tasting food / Boiled
rice tastes very bland.
bitter – Coffee tastes bitter without sugar.
greasy / fatty – foods like chips and hamburgers can be greasy
moist / juicy – a juicy mango
dry – toast tastes too dry without butter
lumpy – lumpy porridge
rubbery / tough – a rubbery steak.
smooth – smooth-tasting chocolate
watery – watery soup
hearty – (rich, filling) a hearty stew

Adjectives + food

raw food – not cooked

cooked food – food that is boiled, roasted, fried, grilled, etc
fresh food – fresh fish / fresh cream
hot food – hot meals, hot soup
fast food / convenience food
frozen food
healthy / unhealthy food
nutritious food
 (un)processed food
natural food

Food and drinks in containers

a cup of tea
a glass of wine / water / milk
a bowl of rice
a plate of sausages
a bag of chips
a bottle of beer

Food in shops and stores

tins – tinned food -a tin of peaches

ready meals / microwave meals
packet – a packet of spaghetti
jar – a jar of pasta sauce
box – a box of breakfast cereal
frozen food – frozen peas
bag – a bag of lettuce
bunch – a bunch of bananas

Mealtimes and breaks

 breakfast (morning meal)
elevenses / brunch / mid-morning snack – anything you eat
between breakfast and lunch
tea break / coffee break
lunch (midday meal)
dinner (late afternoon or evening meal)
supper (late evening meal) *some people call dinner supper

Words for food prepared in different ways

fried (fry) – fried food, fried egg, fried chicken

boiled (boil) – boiled potatoes, a boiled egg
steamed – steamed cabbage
roasted / roast – roast chicken, roasted beetroot
grilled – grilled fish, grilled lobster
baked – baked potato, baked beans
raw (= uncooked) – raw carrots, raw onions

Words and phrases for health choices and diets

have a food intolerance – milk intolerance

have a food allergy – peanut allergy / an allergy to milk
be allergic to (something) – She’s allergic to nuts
be on a diet
be vegetarian
 be vegan
be on a low carb diet
be on a gluten-free diet
be on a high protein diet

Other ways to say: “eat in cafes or restaurants”

Eat out / eating out

Go out for meals / a meal
Go (out) for a drink

Vocabulary for talking about what and when to eat

/ drink

Feeling hungry and thirsty: words and phrases

I often feel a bit peckish at around 11am, and I end up eating

loads of crisps and snacks.
I was starving, so I went and got a burger.
I’m parched (thirsty)– let’s get something to drink!
sometimes I feel hungry at work.
I hadn’t eaten for 24 hours, so as you can imagine, I was
absolutely ravenous! (hungry)
I often fancy a bite to eat while I’m driving.
I thought, “I could do with a bite to eat” (I could do with = I
really want / I feel like…)
 I wanted to eat something, so I had lunch.
She said “I wouldn’t mind having something to eat”, so we
went for a meal.

Talking about mealtimes – example sentences

I usually have breakfast at 7.

Is it lunchtime, yet?
Is it time for lunch, yet?
It must be nearly dinner time.

Deciding what to eat

What shall we have for dinner?

What shall we eat?
Shall we get a takeaway?
I fancy something light.
Let’s have curry tonight.
Why don’t we have some pizza?

Deciding where to eat or drink

Shall we eat out, tonight?

Do you fancy going out for a meal?
Would you like to go for a drink?
 I can’t be bothered to cook ( I don’t feel like…) – let’s go out
for something!
Let’s go to that place on the high street, again.
Shall we try that café on the corner?

Having meals with others: polite speech (everyday

English)

inviting others for meals

A– We were wondering if you’d like to come to ours for a meal.

B– Thanks, that’s very kind of you – we’d love to!
A– Look forward to seeing you, then!
B –Yes, can’t wait!

Before and during a meal

A– Bon appetite! (I hope you enjoy the food – please start eating)
A– Would you like a /some ………………….?
A– Can I offer you a glass of ……………….?
A– Would you like another / some more …………………?

B– Thanks, but I’m really full (you can also say “I’m stuffed”, but
this is very casual!)
B– Could you pass the ………………, please? (I can’t reach it
myself)
B– This ………………….. tastes amazing!
B– Would you excuse me, please? (when you want to leave the
table)
After the meal

B– That was such a lovely meal!

B– What a fantastic / delicious meal!

A– You’re welcome / Glad you enjoyed it!

Language focus: WOULD you like? or DO you like?

Do you like pizza? = Do you enjoy eating pizza?

BUT..
Would you like some pizza? = Do you want some pizza?

Food and drink: Key vocabulary and collocations

Other words for food

a meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner are all different types of

meal
a dish – “Which dish did you enjoy the most?” (after a meal)
something to eat / drink “I need something to drink”.
some grub / nosh (UK slang) “I fancy some grub – let’s eat!”
cooking – “My mum’s cooking is amazing!” (the food my
mum cooks/makes…)
cuisine – (food and dishes from a certain nation, e.g., Turkish
cuisine – NOT kitchen)
items on the menu (in a restaurant)
dietary intake (formal)
 a portion / serving / helping – The amount of food in a dish:
“I ended up with a huge portion of ice cream”

Food categories

fruit – apples, bananas, etc

vegetables – carrots, potatoes, leeks. etc
pulses – beans, peas, lentils
nuts – peanuts, almonds, walnuts, etc
meat – beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, etc
dairy – milk, cream, cheese, yogurt
cereals – oats, wheat, rice, quinoa, etc (“cereal” usually
means “breakfast cereal”, like cornflakes, porridge oats, etc)

Language focus: cake, cakes, a cake, some cake, or

some cakes?

With dividable foods like cake / chicken / pie / pizza, etc:

some cakes = more than one cake

some cake = a piece/part of a cake
a cake = one cake
cake / cakes = general term for this food type

Examples:
 Can I have some cake, please? = I want a slice of cake – NOT a
whole cake.
Can I have some cakes, please? = I want several cakes.
Can I have a cake, please? = I want one cake only.
I like cakes / I like cake = general preference (no mention of
numbers / amounts, etc)

More real English study topics...

Conversation Topics in English – Questions, Answers +
Examples
English for Conversations about TRADITIONS – Questions,
Answers, Vocab
English for Conversations about HOME – Questions, Answers,
Vocab
English for Conversations about HAPPINESS – Questions,
Answers, Vocab
English for Conversations about FRIENDS – Questions, Answers,
Vocab
English for Conversations about ROUTINES – Questions,
Answers, Vocab