IELTS Speaking Vocabulary | IELTS vocabulary for food.

Vocabulary words for IELTS

Cooking and food are cue card topics often comes up in the IELTS speaking exam. Here is a list of the most common food vocabulary you'll need in your IELTS speaking test that can help you achieve a high speaking score.

foodie vocabulary

IELTS vocabulary for food

word / phrase → meaning → example.

to be full up → to eat to the point that you can no longer eat any more → No more food thank you, I'm full up.
to be starving hungry → an exaggerated way of saying you are very hungry → Every time he comes home he's starving hungry.
to bolt something down → to eat something very quickly → Now we bolt down the sandwich at our desk.
to be dying of hunger → an exaggerated way of saying you are hungry → You see kids dying of hunger because they don't have food.
to eat a balanced diet → to eat the correct types and amounts of food → It is important to eat a balanced diet.
to eat like a horse → to eat a lot → He's running around and eating like a horse.
to follow a recipe → to cook a meal using instructions → Follow the recipe for tomato and mozzarella above.
to foot the bill → to pay the bill → It's a business lunch, so the company is footing the bill.
a fussy eater → somebody who has their very high standards about what to eat → My son is a fussy eater and only likes certain types of food.
to grab a bite to eat → to eat something quickly when you are in a rush → If you didn't have lunch yet, let's grab a bite to eat.
to have a sweet tooth → to enjoy sugary food → If you have a sweet tooth, then you will want to go to our chocolate festival.
home-cooked food → food cooked at home from individual ingredients → Mom's home-cooked food always tastes the best!
the main meal → the most important meal of the day (usually eaten in the evening) → The family's main meal was a daily takeaway.
to make your mouth water → to make you feel very hungry for something → The smell of that chicken cooking is making my mouth water.
to play with your food → to push food around the plate to avoid eating it → She was just playing with her food, she didn't eat a mouthful.
processed food → commercially prepared food bought for convenience → I just don't feel all these processed foods are natural for the human body.
a quick snack → to eat a small amount of food between meals → There's enough time for a quick snack.
a ready meal → commercially prepared food bought for convenience → There's a growing reliance on processed food and ready meals.
a slap up meal → a large meal → We went for a slap-up meal on our wedding anniversary.
to spoil your appetite → to eat something that will stop you feeling hungry when it's meal-time → You'll spoil your appetite for dinner if you have a cake now.
a take away → a cooked meal prepared in a restaurant and eaten at home → We ordered some Chinese takeaway.
to tuck into → to eat something with pleasure → She tucked into a breakfast of scrambled eggs.
to wine and dine → to entertain someone by treating them to food and drink → He liked to wine and dine his dates the first few times they got together.
to work up an appetite → to do physical work that leads to you becoming hungry → She went for a long walk to work up an appetite.