Names of Foods in English
Teaching your child the names of foods in English can be a great way to expand their vocabulary and love of English. Food is something universally shared across cultures and countries. So, it is a natural choice for a vocabulary lesson that your child will love to learn.
On this page, you can find each of our food-related posts: vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy, grains, and drinks. Each post comes with a list of foods, pictures, food flashcards, and ideas on how you can practice this vocabulary with your child.
Although we try our best, there are always topics we can’t quite cover in our articles. If you have more questions, feel free to send us a message by clicking on the picture below. We are always happy to help however we can.
Vegetables in English
Vegetables are some of the tastiest and healthiest things that your child will ever eat. Not all children like their veggies, but maybe they just haven’t found their favorite one yet. Use this guide to explore the colorful and exciting world of vegetables with your child. This post includes vegetable flashcards and activity ideas that can help you get the most out of this vocabulary.
Fruit in English
Everyone loves fruit. From the humble apple to the exotic dragon fruit, fruit is a part of everyone’s diet. Help your child learn about the fruit of the world in English. This post includes free fruit flashcards and ideas on how you can practice fruit vocabulary with your young one.
Meat in English
Meat is a special part of most people’s diets, and it is often a favorite among children. Meat in English can also be a bit tricky as the animals we eat have a different name when they are food. Help your child learn how to speak about their favorite dishes by working with them on meat vocabulary.
Dairy Products in English
Dairy products include all of the foods that come from milk. This includes ice cream, cheese, and yogurt. Our dairy flashcards and vocabulary lists can help your child learn their dairy vocabulary like a pro.
Grains and Drinks in English
Our final lesson on food vocabulary is about grains and drinks in English. Grains are sometimes forgotten because they are less exciting than other foods, but they are possibly the most important food group. Grains are generally in every meal and make up the bulk of many people’s calories.
Drinks can be just as important. Use our drink flashcards to help your child learn how to ask for their favorite drinks throughout the day.
Food Flashcards
Food flashcards are a great tool to have when teaching your child about the names of food in English. Although it is always good to make your own flashcards, I also understand that not all children like to draw. They may also find drawing different foods to be a difficult task. That is why we have made our flashcards black and white. This way, your child can practice their new vocabulary and make these flashcards their own.
A word of advice, don’t just use these food flashcards to drill English vocabulary. Food flashcards can be used for so much more when you put your mind to it. We encourage you to be creative and bold. Use these food flashcards to play games and engage your child in learning all of the food names.
How to Teach Vocabulary At Home
English vocabulary is one of the most important things your child will need to focus on when becoming a fluent English speaker. Knowing the grammar and perfecting their phonics is undoubtedly important, but without the vocabulary, they won’t get very far.
We want to help you expand your child’s English vocabulary while making it easy to teach them new sentences and grammar. Vocabulary can be fun for children because it is something they can inherently understand from just one look. It lends itself to playing, drawing, and reading. As well, teaching them about the names of food in English can become a vehicle through which you teach them about grammar and sentence structures that they will need to succeed.
To successfully teach your children English at home, we would recommend that you focus on teaching your children systematically. You can take a look at our posts below to see how you can do that.
Frequently Asked Food Questions
In this section, we want to answer some of the more popular questions about food. If you have additional questions, send us a message, and we can update our list to include your question.
How Do You Name Food that You Don’t Know?
Generally, when we want to name food in English, we are going to use a basic pattern of “main” with “sides.” So, first, you need to determine what is the main part of the dish. Is it soup? Noodles? Chicken? After that, you need to describe the sides that make this dish unique. So, if you have noodles that have chicken and vegetables, you could call these, “noodles with chicken and vegetables.”
Some foods are so common that they have their own names. You will just need to learn these. Some names are traditional, like Spaghetti Bolognese (spaghetti with a meat sauce). Others are just common combinations like chicken noodle soup (instead of chicken soup with noodles).
Learning the names of food can be difficult and take time. However, if you are uncertain, the “main” with “sides” formula should be good enough until you learn if the food has a proper name.
What are the Seven Types of Food Nutrients?
The seven types of food nutrients are carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water. Each of these nutrients is important for a healthy body. More advanced food learners could learn about these terms in a food-science lesson.
What are the Two Main Sources of Food?
Generally, we can split our food into two main sources: plants and animals. Meats and dairy products typically fall into the animal category. Fruits, vegetables, and grains fall under the plant category.
What is a Food Staple?
A food staple is a common food in a region or culture that provides the bulk of people’s calories. For example, the main staple in much of Asia is rice. Usually, staples are cheap and easy to combine with other ingredients to make tasty dishes.
What is Fast Food?
Fast food is a relatively new phenomenon. Fast food is food that can be easily and quickly made in mass quantities for a relatively low price. Generally, we think of fast food as being only french fries and burgers, though it can be pretty much anything. Some of the most famous fast-food chains are McDonald’s and Subway.
Want to Learn More English Vocabulary?
The fun thing about English vocabulary is that there is always more to learn. If you are all done learning about food in your English lessons, click below to take a look at our animal lessons.
More Questions on English Vocabulary?
If you have any questions for us, please feel free to message us directly. You can do that by clicking on the image below, and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.
