Food

waste food

It’s a shame to waste all this food when so many people go hungry in the world.

eat food

No wonder he’s so fat. He eats vast amounts of junk food.

prepare food

A food processor makes the job of preparing food a lot easier.

be off your food

Ever since the stomach upset I had last month, I’ve off my food.

pick up food

We stopped at the supermarket on the way home to pick up some food.

serve food

Try the hotel restaurant. It serves good food at affordable prices.

delicious food

The sight of all that delicious food on the table makes my mouth water.

fresh food

Having a garden means that we get a lot of fresh food to eat.

raw food

I bought some Japanese food, but I don’t know if I eat it raw or cooked.

disgusting food

The food was absolutely disgusting. I was almost sick.

frozen food

You should defrost frozen food completely before you cook it.

hot/spicy food

Indian food is too hot/spicy for me. I can only eat it if I drink lots of water.

a portion of food

Avoid the Raj if you’re very hungry. You only get tiny portions of food there.

a variety of food

There’s a greater variety of available today than there was fifty years ago.

a shortage food

The harvest has failed again, so there is a desperate shortage of food in the area.

the consumption of food

The increasing consumption of junk food is worrying health officials everywhere.

Notes   

Note this expression:

• She described her operation at the dinner table and it put me right off my food.

Note these types of food:

• ‘Junk food’ is unhealthy food which contains a lot of fat, salt, and sugar.
• ‘Convenience food’ is quick to prepare. It only needs to be heated as it is already cooked.
• ‘Fast food’ is food that you can get quickly in a restaurant or which you take away.
• ‘Organic food’ is food produced without the use of artificial chemicals.

Note that we talk about food in the following ways:

• Who eats it – pet food, baby food, plant food
• The country of origin – Italian / Chinese / Indian food
• Its purpose – healthy food

‘Food poisoning is an illness you get from eating food that contains harmful bacteria:

• Poor hygiene is the most common cause of food poisoning.

 

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Drink

order a drink

Tom went to the bar to order another round of drinks for the group.

spill your drink

Try not to spill your drink. We don’t want to ruin the carpet.

offer somebody a drink

Can I offer you a drink? I’ve got beer, wine, or a soft drink if you prefer.

have a drink

He’d had a few drinks, and it was difficult to make out what he was saying.

sip your drink

He gulped down his drink, then ordered another one. I took my time and just sipped my drink in order to make it last.

a farewell drink

We’re having a farewell drink for Harry tomorrow night. He’s moving to a new job next week.

a quick drink

How about a quick drink after work? We’ll only be ten minutes or so.

a celebratory drink

When we heard that his wife had given birth to their first child, we all went for a celebratory drink.

a free drink

There’s free drinks at the bar tonight. The company is paying!

a stiff drink

After the accident, he poured himself a stiff drink to calm his nerves.

a relaxing drink

Before dinner we had a long, cool, relaxing drink on the balcony, watching the sun go down over the sea.

a hot drink

I had a cold, so I made myself a hot drink and went straight to bed.

a refreshing drink

Water makes a refreshing drink when served with ice and a slice of lemon.

soft drinks

We’re not licensed to serve alcoholic drinks. I have tea, coffee, and soft drinks.

a long drink

I needed a long drink of water to quench my thirst. I had at least a liter.

Notes   

Note how we describe our level of drinking:

• I’m a heavy/light drinker. (I drink/don’t drink a lot of alcohol.)
• I’m a moderate drinker. (I drink a sensible amount.)
• I’m not much of a drinker. (I don’t drink much alcohol.)
• I’m teetotal. (I never drink alcohol.)

Note the following ways of saying you want a drink:

• I’m desperate for a drink.
• I’m dying for a drink!
• I could do with a drink.

 

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Meal and Dish

have a meal

He’s so thin. He looks as though he hasn’t had a square meal for weeks.

serve a meal

My local pub serves excellent bar meals. You should try them.

make a meal

The meals my mother made for us were good for us, but not that tasty.

go out for a meal

We’re going out for a meal to celebrate my birthday tonight.

order a meal

Every time she flies, my wife has to order a vegetarian meal.

miss/skip a meal

It’s not a good idea to miss/skip meals and replace them with snacks like biscuits.

a proper meal

You ought to eat proper meals instead of snacking all the time.

a delicious meal

He threw together a delicious meal out of a few leftovers. It was wonderful.

your main meal (of the day)

When do you have your main meal of the day? We have ours in the evening.

a ready meal

Lots of students have little time to cook, so they live on ready meals.

a hot meal

We’re only serving sandwiches. We stopped serving hot meals at 6 pm.

a heavy or light meal

I usually have a light meal of bread and fruit at lunchtime. If I eat a heavy meal, it makes me sleepy and I find it difficult to work.

a vegetarian dish

If you don’t eat meat, there are several vegetarian dishes on the menu.

an expensive dish

In the restaurant, I ordered the most expensive dish, a large sirloin steak.

a rice dish

I don’t have a lot of money so I mainly cook pasta and rice dishes.

a local dish

We sampled all the local dishes while we were on holiday in the Algarve.

the national dish

The national dish of Scotland is ‘haggis’ – a kind of spicy meat sausage.

Notes   

A ‘dish’ is an individual type of food (lamb curry, steak and chips, mushroom soup).

Note this expression:

• The restaurant wasn’t that expensive. The meal worked out at £20 a head / £20 per person.

A ‘square meal’ is a large meal that satisfies you.

• I haven’t had a square meal in over a week. I’ve lived on nothing but sandwiches and biscuits.

A ‘buffet’ is a meal where people serve themselves.

• Come and try our buffet – all you can eat for only £8.

A ‘side dish’ is a small amount of food that you order with your main meal.

• We had curried chicken with a side dish of fried vegetables.

The ‘dish of the day’ is a special meal in addition to the rest of the menu.

• I had the dish of the day – cod fillet in a cheese and mustard sauce.

 

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Diet and Appetite

a healthy diet

Fruit is an essential part of a healthy diet. Try to eat two or three pieces a day.

a balanced diet

It’s important that children eat a balanced diet. They need a variety of foods.

a poor diet

His diet consists mainly of fried food. Such a poor diet will lead to illness.

a low-fat diet

If you eat a low-fat diet, you’ll live longer. So, no more butter for me!

go on a diet

I’ve decided to go on a strict diet to see if I can lose a few kilos.

cut out of your diet

I’ve been advised to cut sugar out of my diet if I want to shed a few kilos.

follow a diet

If you follow this low-calorie diet, you’ll lose weight. But you must stick/keep to it rigidly.

watch your diet

He’s got an ulcer, so he has to watch his diet. He’s got to keep off fatty foods.

give you an appetite

All this exercise has given me an appetite.

lose your appetite

I’m sorry I don’t feel like eating just now. I’ve lost my appetite.

work up an appetite

I went for a long walk to see if I could work up an appetite.

spoil your appetite

Don’t eat snacks between meals. You’ll spoil your appetite.

sharpen your appetite

All that fresh air has sharpened my appetite. I could eat a horse.

Notes   

Note these verb + ‘on a diet of’ expressions:

• When we were lost in the jungle we survived on a diet of insects and wild fruit.
• Children in the West seem to exist on a diet of burgers and chips.

Note these expressions:

• The children have all got healthy appetites. They eat more than their parents do!
• Although she’s over eighty she still has a hearty appetite.

‘Loss of appetite’ is common among people who are ill.

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Party

invite (you) to a party

She invited a lot of people from her office to her birthday party.

go to a party

I didn’t really want to go to my neighbors’ party but I thought I’d better put in an appearance in case they felt offended.

plan a party

We’re planning a farewell party for Marion. She’s retiring next week. Any ideas?

arrive at a party

I try not to be the first to arrive at parties. I’m not very good at small talk.

come away from a party

We came away from the party early after a phone call from our babysitter.

throw a party

After the final performance, the director threw a huge party for everyone involved in the production of the play. Champagne all round!

a surprise party

We’re organizing a surprise birthday party for my husband next week. Do you think you can manage to keep the party a secret until then?

a fantastic party

Thanks for a fantastic party. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

an all-night party

Dad, can I go to an all-night party at Darren’s at the weekend?

>No way! You can go to the party, but make sure you’re home by midnight.

a noisy party

There was a noisy party going on next door which kept me awake most of the night. Unfortunately, it didn’t break up until 5 am.

a house-warming party

Our new neighbors threw a housewarming party after moving in.

a farewell party

Andy’s leaving so we’re planning a farewell party.

a fancy-dress party

I’m going to the fancy-dress party dressed as a carrot.

a street party

Street parties were held to celebrate independence day.

a dinner party

Should I take some wine to their dinner party?

Notes   

Note these expressions:

• When we arrived, the party was just starting to warm up. When we left, the party was in full swing.
• He’s having a party to celebrate his 84^th birthday.

A ‘celebration’ is a party for a special occasion:

• I didn’t feel like joining in the celebrations.
• Peter got the job. I think that calls for a celebration!
• They planned a special celebration for her homecoming.
• As part of the celebrations, they staged a big, open-air concert in Hyde Park.