Food and Meals in Spanish: A1 Vocabulary Guide
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Key Takeaways
- Learn essential vocabulary for meals, common foods, and cooking
- Master phrases for talking about food preferences and meals
- Understand meal times and typical Spanish eating schedules
- Practice ordering food and describing what you eat
Daily Nutrition Vocabulary
Now that you know fruits and vegetables, let’s expand your food vocabulary to include meals, proteins, dairy, and other essentials. This vocabulary will help you talk about your daily eating habits, understand menus, and have basic conversations about food.
Meals of the Day (Las Comidas del Día)
Understanding Spanish meal times is key to understanding the culture.
| English | Spanish | Typical Time in Spain | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | el desayuno | 7:00 – 9:00 AM | Tomó el desayuno a las ocho. (He ate breakfast at eight.) |
| Lunch | el almuerzo / la comida | 2:00 – 4:00 PM | El almuerzo es la comida principal. (Lunch is the main meal.) |
| Dinner | la cena | 9:00 – 11:00 PM | Cenamos tarde en España. (We eat dinner late in Spain.) |
| Snack | el tentempié / la merienda | 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Como un tentempié por la tarde. (I eat a snack in the afternoon.) |
🇪🇸 Cultural Note: In Spain, meal times are generally later than in other countries. “La comida” (lunch) is the main meal around 2-3 PM, and “la cena” (dinner) is light and late, around 9-10 PM.
Common Foods and Ingredients
Essential vocabulary for everyday eating and cooking.
Proteins (Proteínas)
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | el pollo | El pollo asado es delicioso. (Roast chicken is delicious.) |
| Meat | la carne | La carne roja tiene hierro. (Red meat has iron.) |
| Fish | el pescado | Como pescado dos veces por semana. (I eat fish twice a week.) |
| Eggs | los huevos | Los huevos son para el desayuno. (Eggs are for breakfast.) |
| Ham | el jamón | El jamón serrano es típico. (Serrano ham is typical.) |
Dairy and Grains (Lácteos y Granos)
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Bread | el pan | El pan fresco huele muy bien. (Fresh bread smells very good.) |
| Rice | el arroz | El arroz con pollo es popular. (Rice with chicken is popular.) |
| Cheese | el queso | El queso manchego es español. (Manchego cheese is Spanish.) |
| Milk | la leche | La leche es para el café. (Milk is for coffee.) |
| Pasta | la pasta | La pasta italiana es famosa. (Italian pasta is famous.) |
Other Common Foods
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Soup | la sopa | La sopa calienta en invierno. (Soup warms you in winter.) |
| Salad | la ensalada | La ensalada es saludable. (Salad is healthy.) |
| Sandwich | el bocadillo / el sándwich | Un bocadillo de jamón, por favor. (A ham sandwich, please.) |
| Cake | la tarta / el pastel | La tarta de chocolate es mi favorita. (Chocolate cake is my favorite.) |
| Ice cream | el helado | El helado de vainilla es dulce. (Vanilla ice cream is sweet.) |
Cooking and Preparation Terms
Basic vocabulary for talking about food preparation.
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| To cook | cocinar | Me gusta cocinar para mi familia. (I like to cook for my family.) |
| To eat | comer | Comemos juntos cada día. (We eat together every day.) |
| To drink | beber / tomar | Bebo agua con la comida. (I drink water with the meal.) |
| To buy | comprar | Compro comida en el supermercado. (I buy food at the supermarket.) |
| Hot | caliente | La sopa está caliente. (The soup is hot.) |
| Cold | frío/fría | El agua está fría. (The water is cold.) |
| Delicious | delicioso/deliciosa | La comida está deliciosa. (The food is delicious.) |
Useful Phrases for Eating and Ordering
Practical expressions you’ll use in restaurants and at home.
Expressing Preferences:
- “Me gusta la carne.” (I like meat.)
- “No me gusta el pescado.” (I don’t like fish.)
- “Prefiero el pollo.” (I prefer chicken.)
- “Tengo hambre.” (I’m hungry.)
- “Tengo sed.” (I’m thirsty.)
At a Restaurant:
- “La cuenta, por favor.” (The check, please.)
- “Quisiera pedir…” (I would like to order…)
- “¿Qué recomienda?” (What do you recommend?)
- “Está delicioso.” (It’s delicious.)
- “No como carne.” (I don’t eat meat.)
Describing Your Diet:
- “Como de todo.” (I eat everything.)
- “Soy vegetariano/vegetariana.” (I’m vegetarian.)
- “No como gluten.” (I don’t eat gluten.)
- “Como comida saludable.” (I eat healthy food.)
Putting It All Together: Restaurant Dialogue
Waiter: “Buenas tardes, ¿qué quieren tomar?”
Customer: “Para empezar, quisiera una ensalada y sopa.”
Waiter: “Muy bien. ¿Y para el plato principal?”
Customer: “Yo quiero pollo con arroz, y mi esposa prefiere pescado.”
Waiter: “¿Y para beber?”
Customer: “Agua para los dos, por favor.”
Waiter: “¿Algo de postre?”
Customer: “Sí, la tarta de chocolate, por favor.”
Translation:
Waiter: “Good afternoon, what would you like to have?”
Customer: “To start, I’d like a salad and soup.”
Waiter: “Very good. And for the main course?”
Customer: “I want chicken with rice, and my wife prefers fish.”
Waiter: “And to drink?”
Customer: “Water for both, please.”
Waiter: “Anything for dessert?”
Customer: “Yes, the chocolate cake, please.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- “Tener” Expressions: Use “tener hambre” (to be hungry) not “estar hambre”
- Gender Agreement: “El agua” is feminine but uses “el” – use feminine adjectives: “el agua fría”
- “Gustar” Conjugation: “Me gusta el pescado” (singular) vs “Me gustan las verduras” (plural)
- Regional Variations: “El bocadillo” (Spain) vs “el sándwich” (Latin America)
Quick Reference Chart
| Category | Spanish Words |
|---|---|
| Meals | desayuno, almuerzo, cena |
| Proteins | pollo, carne, pescado, huevos |
| Dairy/Grains | pan, arroz, queso, leche |
| Useful Verbs | comer, beber, cocinar, preferir |
| Descriptive Words | caliente, frío, delicioso, saludable |
Practice Exercise: Plan Your Daily Meals
Try describing your ideal day of meals in Spanish:
- Desayuno: (What do you eat for breakfast?)
- Almuerzo: (What’s your typical lunch?)
- Cena: (What do you like for dinner?)
Example: “Para el desayuno, como pan con queso. Para el almuerzo, prefiero pollo con ensalada. Para la cena, como pescado o sopa.”
Ready to Practice?
Think you can remember your desayuno from your cena? Test your food and meals vocabulary!
Take our Food & Meals Quiz ► to make this vocabulary stick.
What’s Next in Your A1 Spanish Journey?
◄ Fruits & Vegetables | Drinks & Beverages ►
