The Easy Guide to Food and Drink Vocabulary in Spanish

Have you ever wanted to order food in Spanish and didn’t know where to start? 

That’s a common situation for language learners. Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself needing to order food and drinks in Spanish. For this reason, today I’m introducing you to this comprehensive food and drink vocabulary in Spanish.

Keep reading to find out why you need to learn about food and drinks in Spanish, the most useful food vocabulary in Spanish divided by food groups and meals of the day, a collection of popular drinks, and essential phrases to order food in Spanish. 

Table of Contents:

• Why You Need to Learn About Food and Drinks in Spanish
• Food Vocabulary
• Drinks Vocabulary
• Basic Vocabulary for Ordering
• Practice This Vocabulary and Order Food in Spanish

Why You Need to Learn About Food and Drinks in Spanish

When studying a language, you have to learn vocabulary about a lot of different areas of life, including medical phrases, sports words, and accounting terms, to name just a few. 

However, I can’t think of a more important vocabulary guide than one that introduces you to food and drink terms in the language you’re learning.  

Talking about food in Spanish-speaking countries requires more than just learning terms for foods and beverages. You also need to know words to place an order. You may even need different slang terms depending on which country you are visiting.  

Food Vocabulary

As a Spanish teacher, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to learn about different foods in Spanish involves dividing them into food categories first and then studying dishes from the different meals of the day. That’s exactly what I do in the following food lists.

Food Groups

According to the MyPlate from the US government, there are five main food groups: 

1. Fruits
2. Vegetables
3. Grains
4. Protein foods
5. Dairy

In the following tables, each group has its own list of 14 food items in English and their Spanish translation. 

Fruits – Las Frutas

Vegetables – Las Verduras

Grains – Los Granos

According to the US government classification of foods, “any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain is a grain product.” With that in mind, this list includes the main grains and a few of the most common foods made from them.  

Protein – La proteína

In this group, you find animal protein, as well as nuts, beans, and soy products.

Dairy – Los lácteos

In this group you find all foods made from milk. 

Breakfast – El Desayuno

Now it’s time to learn about some of the most common types of breakfast food. 

Lunch Foods – La Comida

To make this section feel like a proper menu, I’ve divided the lunch foods into main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. 

Main Dishes – Los Platos Fuertes

Here’s an eclectic mix of main dishes of various cuisines, including comida chatarra (junk food). 

Side Dishes – Las Guarniciones

This is the food that you order to accompany your main dish. 

Desserts – Los Postres

Now, let’s learn about some of the most delicious desserts in Spanish.

Dinner – La Cena

To finish with the food vocabulary, it’s time to study a few of the most popular dinner dishes.

Drinks Vocabulary

It’s time to focus on learning vocabulary about drinks in Spanish. 

Basic Vocabulary for Ordering

Let’s now learn basic vocabulary for ordering your food. For this, I recommend you to first take a look at this useful post about how to order food in Spanish. 

You may also want to read this article on Spanish restaurant vocabulary.

Ordering Vocabulary 

These useful words will help you to order your food in Spanish. 

Essential Phrases for Ordering Food in Spanish

Last but not least, here you can find a few of the most useful phrases to order your food in Spanish. 

¿Me trae la carta?
Can you bring me the menu?

¿Me puede tomar la orden?
Can you take my order?

Quiero un(a) ________ .
I want a ________ .

¿Me trae la lista de vinos?
Can I get the wine list?

Para beber tráeme un(a) _______ .
For a drink bring me a ________ .

Aún no he decidido. 
I haven’t decided yet. 

Sin picante por favor. 
Without hot sauce please. 

Soy alérgico a ______ .
I’m allergic to _______ . 

¿Tiene un menú vegano?
Do you have a vegan menu?

Practice This Vocabulary and Order Food in Spanish

Learn this useful vocabulary about food and drinks in Spanish and practice ordering your own food next time you visit a restaurant in a Spanish-speaking country. 

Remember that learning a new language isn’t only about grammar rules and new vocabulary, but also about learning a new culture. Spanish-speaking countries have a rich and diverse gastronomy that’s an expression of this extraordinary culture.

Sign up for a free trial class at Homeschool Spanish Academy with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. They offer flexible scheduling and tailored Spanish programs, and they’ll be happy to talk to you about their favorite food and drinks in Spanish. 

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“My Son, Heath, is taking the classes. He’s been with Luisa the entire time and we absolutely love her. She is always patient and is a great teacher. Heath’s dad speaks Spanish so they get to have little conversations.”

– William R, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

– Abby

Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!

• From Snacks to Dinners: Spanish Vocabulary for Food That Teens Actually Talk About
• What to Say When You’re Not Sure What to Say – in Spanish!
• Real Spanish for Real Life: Top Beginner Phrases
• Your Child Knows Some Spanish Words, Now What? How to Turn Vocabulary Into Real Conversations
• 29 Cool and Catchy Spanish Phrases To Use With Friends [+Audio]
• Fun Ways to Practice Spanish with Family (Even If Everyone’s at Different Levels)
• 10 Simple Spanish Words Your Preschooler Can Learn This Week
• The 25 Most Useful Spanish Phrases You Need to Learn Today

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Luis F. Dominguez

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Luis F. Domínguez is a freelance writer and independent journalist interested in travel, languages, art, books, history, philosophy, politics and sports. He has written for Fodor’s, Yahoo!, Sports Illustrated, Telemundo, and Villa Experience, among other brands of print and digital media in Europe and North America.

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