This list was written by BandLadder's authors, Fizza Butool Zaidi and Ali Zaidi. The meanings and example sentences are our own, not taken from model answers or dictionaries.

12 words

Writing Task 2 vocabulary

Formal and neutral items that suit an essay. They work in Speaking too.

a balanced diet
Eating the right mix of different kinds of food for good health.
A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of heart disease.
processed food
Food changed by industrial methods, often with added salt, sugar or fat.
Processed food is cheap and convenient, which explains its popularity among busy families.
nutritional value
How much useful nourishment a food provides.
Many snacks marketed to children have little nutritional value.
dietary habits
The usual pattern of what and how a person eats.
Dietary habits formed in childhood are difficult to change later in life.
calorie intake
The amount of energy a person takes in from food and drink.
Sugary drinks account for a large share of the daily calorie intake of many teenagers.
diet-related illnesses
Illnesses caused partly by poor eating, such as type 2 diabetes.
Diet-related illnesses place a growing burden on public health systems.
food security
Reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food.
Droughts and floods pose a serious threat to food security in poorer nations.
a sugar tax
A tax on sugary products, usually soft drinks, to reduce consumption.
Supporters of a sugar tax argue that higher prices discourage excessive consumption.
locally sourced produce
Fruit, vegetables and other food grown or made nearby.
Restaurants increasingly advertise locally sourced produce to attract environmentally conscious diners.
food labelling
The information printed on food packaging about ingredients and nutrition.
Clearer food labelling would help consumers make healthier choices.
convenience food
Food that needs little or no preparation.
The rise of convenience food reflects longer working hours and smaller households.
portion sizes
The amount of food served to one person.
Portion sizes in many restaurant chains have grown considerably over recent decades.

Use food and diet vocabulary in a Task 2 essay

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10 phrases

Speaking vocabulary

Natural spoken English for Parts 1 to 3. Items noted as informal or as an idiom belong in Speaking only, never in Task 2.

a sweet tooth
A strong liking for sweet food.
I've got a terrible sweet tooth, so I can never say no to dessert.
home-cooked
Made at home rather than bought ready-made.
Nothing beats a home-cooked meal after a long day.
grab a bite
To eat something quickly.
On weekdays I usually just grab a bite near the office.
a takeaway
A meal bought from a restaurant to eat at home.
On Friday nights we normally order a takeaway.
British English; Americans say 'takeout'.
mouth-watering
Looking or smelling so good that you want to eat it.
The smell from the bakery near my flat is absolutely mouth-watering.
a fussy eater
Someone who refuses to eat many kinds of food.
I was a fussy eater as a child, but now I'll try anything.
cut down on
To eat or drink less of something.
I'm trying to cut down on sugar, which is hard with my job.
starving
Very hungry.
By the time I get home from work I'm usually starving.
Informal exaggeration; in Writing 'starving' means lacking food to survive.
a staple
A basic food that people eat regularly.
Rice is a staple in my country; we eat it almost every day.
go out for a meal
To eat at a restaurant.
We usually go out for a meal on birthdays.

Writing Task 2

Use it in an answer

Some people think governments should tax unhealthy food to improve public health. To what extent do you agree?

A tax on sugary and heavily processed food would, in my view, be a reasonable step. Prices shape dietary habits more than information does, and a sugar tax on soft drinks has already pushed several manufacturers to reduce the sugar in their products. The revenue could also fund clearer food labelling and cooking lessons in schools. However, such a tax should not stand alone, since low-income families often rely on convenience food because healthier options cost more.

Written by our authors to show the vocabulary in use; not an official IELTS sample.

Lexical Resource

How examiners judge this vocabulary

Vocabulary is scored as Lexical Resource, one quarter of your Writing and Speaking marks. At the higher bands the public IELTS band descriptors for Speaking mention “less common and idiomatic vocabulary”, together with awareness of style and collocation. In practice that means the right item in the right register: ‘a balanced diet’ in an essay, ‘a sweet tooth’ when you speak. Accuracy comes first; a misused advanced word costs more than a plain one used well.

Practise in context

Food and diet questions to practise

Frequently asked questions

Is 'diet' only about losing weight?+

No. 'Diet' means the food a person or group usually eats ('a Mediterranean diet', 'a balanced diet'). 'Be on a diet' or 'go on a diet' is the phrase for eating less to lose weight.

How can I answer 'What is your favourite food?' well?+

Name the dish, then add one detail about taste or texture and one about when or with whom you eat it. 'A home-cooked biryani on Sundays, which my mum makes' says far more than a list of adjectives.

Can I use the Speaking phrases in Writing Task 2?+

Not the informal ones. Phrasal verbs and idioms such as 'starving' sound natural in Speaking but are too casual for an essay, and Task 2 should have no contractions. Everything in the Writing list works in both papers.

Will learning these words raise my IELTS band?+

Not on their own, and no word list guarantees a band. Lexical Resource rewards vocabulary used precisely and naturally, so five items you can use correctly are worth more than twenty forced into an answer. Learn each one with its example, then write or say a sentence of your own.

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IELTS vocabulary for food and diet