For parents who want to support their teens’ Spanish fluency journey without speaking the language themselves, this vocabulary is a win-win. It’s easy to practice, fun to remember, and instantly relevant.

In this blog, you’ll find themed vocabulary lists covering everything from fast food favorites to common cooking verbs, sample sentences, and helpful context.

These phrases will help your teen build confidence, speak more naturally, and see that Spanish is more than a subject; it’s a skill they can use anytime, anywhere.

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1. Snack Time Talk – Teen Munchies in Spanish

These are the words your teen can use when talking about after-school snacks, vending machines, or fast food hangouts.

• Papas fritas – French fries
  Common in Latin America, especially at fast food restaurants.
  Quiero papas fritas con mi hamburguesa. – I want fries with my burger.
• Galletas – Cookies
  Not just sweet treats, but also common in lunchboxes.
  Hay galletas de chocolate en la mesa. – There are chocolate cookies on the table.
• Refresco/Gaseosa – Soda
  You might hear bebida in Spain, but refresco or gaseosa are widely used across Latin America.
  Prefiero un refresco frío. – I prefer a cold soda.
• Papitas – Chips
  A casual, affectionate way to refer to potato chips.
  Voy a comprar unas papitas para el recreo. – I’m going to buy some chips for break time.
• Hamburguesa – Burger
  Teens love fast food, and this word pops up often.
  ¡Esta hamburguesa está deliciosa! – This burger is delicious!
• Pollo frito – Fried chicken
  Especially popular in Caribbean and Southern U.S. Latino cultures.
  Vamos a cenar pollo frito esta noche. – We’re having fried chicken for dinner tonight.

2. What’s for Dinner? – Family Meals at Home

These words help teens describe and participate in everyday meals, especially those shared with family.

• Arroz – Rice
  A staple in many Latin American homes.
  El arroz está listo. – The rice is ready.
• Carne – Meat
  Use it generally or specify (like carne de res for beef).
  Vamos a cocinar carne con papas. – We’re going to cook meat with potatoes.
• Verduras – Vegetables
  Healthier vocabulary that comes up at dinner and in class nutrition talks.
  Debes comer más verduras. – You should eat more vegetables.
• Ensalada – Salad
  Same meaning as in English, but a common dinner side.
  Mi abuela hace una ensalada riquísima. – My grandma makes a delicious salad.
• Pescado – Fish
  Watch the difference: pez is the animal; pescado is the food.
  El pescado está bien cocido. – The fish is well cooked.
• Tortilla – Flatbread or omelet
  In Mexico, it’s flatbread. In Spain, it’s an egg-and-potato omelet.
  Vamos a calentar las tortillas. – Let’s warm up the tortillas.

3. Sweet Tooth Central – Desserts Teens Love

Dessert vocabulary is not only fun to say, but it also sticks because teens use it often in conversation.

• Helado – Ice cream
  Great for warm weather and reward days.
  Quiero helado de vainilla. – I want vanilla ice cream.
• Pastel – Cake
  Not to be confused with tarta (more common in Spain).
  Vamos a comer pastel de cumpleaños. – We’re having birthday cake.
• Churros – Fried dough sticks
  Often eaten with chocolate sauce in Spain or Mexico.
  Comí churros con mis primos en el mercado. – I ate churros with my cousins at the market.
• Dulces – Candies
  Used broadly for sweets.
  Los niños tienen muchos dulces. – The kids have a lot of candy.
• Flan – Caramel custard
  A classic dessert in many Spanish-speaking countries.
  El flan de mi tía es famoso. – My aunt’s flan is famous.

4. Ordering Like a Local – Restaurant Phrases That Work Anywhere

These phrases are perfect for teens to try when dining out, whether on vacation or during a Spanish project.

• Quiero pedir… – I want to order…
  Quiero pedir una hamburguesa con queso. – I want to order a cheeseburger.
• Para mí, un… – For me, a…
  Para mí, un taco de pollo. – For me, a chicken taco.
• ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?
  ¿Cuánto cuesta el combo? – How much is the combo?
• ¿Tiene opciones vegetarianas? – Do you have vegetarian options?
  ¿Tiene opciones vegetarianas en el menú? – Do you have vegetarian options on the menu?
• La cuenta, por favor. – The check, please.
  La cuenta, por favor. Ya terminamos. – The check, please. We’re done.

5. In the Kitchen – Cooking Verbs and Recipe Basics

Perfect for teens who like to cook or help out in the kitchen.

• Mezclar – To mix
  Mezcla el arroz con las verduras. – Mix the rice with the vegetables.
• Cortar – To cut
  Voy a cortar los tomates. – I’m going to cut the tomatoes.
• Hervir – To boil
  Tienes que hervir el agua primero. – You have to boil the water first.
• Freír – To fry
  Vamos a freír los plátanos. – We’re going to fry the plantains.
• Hornear – To bake
  Me gusta hornear pan los domingos. – I like baking bread on Sundays.
• Ingredientes – Ingredients
  ¿Cuáles son los ingredientes de esta receta? – What are the ingredients in this recipe?

Bonus Activity: Create Your Own Recipe Card

Pick a favorite food (like sandwiches or tacos), and work together to write the ingredients and steps in Spanish. Even if your child just uses a few verbs and nouns from this list, it reinforces vocabulary with purpose.

Conclusion: Make Spanish Tasty and Memorable

Food vocabulary isn’t just practical, it’s personal.

When teens can talk about what they eat, what they love, and how they help in the kitchen, Spanish becomes more than a subject. It becomes a part of their daily life. These words give your child confidence to speak, connect, and enjoy the learning process without the pressure of perfection. From snacking with friends to ordering at a restaurant, this is language they can use right now.

If you want to keep that momentum going, we invite you to try a free class with Homeschool Spanish Academy. Our program is 100% online, taught by native Spanish-speaking teachers, and offers engaging 1-on-1 or 2-on-1 lessons tailored to your teen’s level and pace.

With flexible scheduling and a supportive curriculum, it’s the perfect next step toward real-world fluency.

At Homeschool Spanish Academy, we make that transformation easier. Our 100% online program offers live sessions with native Spanish-speaking teachers. With a flexible schedule and an engaging curriculum designed for high schoolers, your teen can build fluency step by step and love the process. Ready to see the difference? Try a free class today at Homeschool Spanish Academy.

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The post From Snacks to Dinners: Spanish Vocabulary for Food That Teens Actually Talk About appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

We all also have that one food that brings us back to our childhood; just the smell of it reminds us of when our mother, grandmother, aunt – or in my case, both my grandmother and great-grandmother – cooked the dish! All this talk about cooking got me thinking about the one dish that immediately brings me back to a younger version of myself. So, I grabbed the phone, called my grandmother, and asked her for her amazing chiles rellenos recipe – the one she learned from my great-grandmother!

It was nice to talk on the phone with her, and to catch up. She took a long time explaining really carefully and with much detail how to prepare the dish. Like a typical Guatemalan abuela, she only cooks in really big batches! Last time she cooked chiles rellenos, she made over 50 at once! However, she tried downsizing it for me to only 20 chiles rellenos instead.

Primero lo primero – First Things First

Like with any other recipe, before we start, we first need to make sure that we have all the necessary tools and ingredients. What I try to do whenever I cook is to take all the ingredients out and put them on the counter to make sure I have everything I need! Those last-second trips to the grocery store are not always ideal!

What we will need for this recipe:

• A lot of patience (there’s a lot of mincing by hand involved!)
• A blender
• A very big pot
• A big bag
• A towel

The procedure

I had done this recipe once before many, many years ago, and throughout my life, I’ve watched my great-grandmother and grandmother do it more times than I can remember. The one thing I remember best is that my grandma always prepares the stuffing one day and she finishes the chiles rellenos the next. Why? Because it’s A LOT of work! This time, I naively believed I’d be able to manage to do everything on the same day – ha ha – be warned! 

The reason why it takes so long to prepare the stuffing is because there is a lot of very tiny mincing (picar – to mince). Let’s get started!

The Stuffing

I know, I know, it seems like I’m exaggerating when I say it takes a long time to get this ready because the instructions seem pretty easy. Believe me when I tell you that once you’re done with all that, there’s nothing else you want to do because the mincing such tiny itsy bitsy pieces of food takes a long time and is exhausting! So don’t worry if you need to make a pause now, just put everything to the side, make yourself a toast for dinner, and continue with this recipe the next day. This stuffing that we made needs to be room temperature, so you need to wait for it to not to be hot anymore anyway.

The chiles 

Everything that comes now is a lot easier! Let’s continue.

The wrap

And now what?

Congratulations! You’ve prepared your first traditional Guatemalan meal! At my family’s house, there was always a special way to serve chiles rellenos – with lettuce, a couple of raw onion rings and chopped parsley! It tastes especially well if you put it in a bun. Once cooked, you can store the chiles rellenos in the fridge!

We hope you enjoyed this recipe and don’t forget to book your FREE CLASS to tell us about your experience with this awesome dish!

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The post Making Chiles Rellenos appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

Spanish Deviled Eggs

Eggs are a huge part of Spanish cuisine as well as an important element in the Latin diet. The Spanish have several egg dishes that they enjoy throughout the day and chilled, spiced Deviled Eggs are a good option for a hot afternoon.

This Andalusian version of eggs is full of chorizo, pimento and olives, all of which are known Spanish foods used in a variety of dishes. If you have picky eaters in your home, you can adjust the recipe to leave out some of the extra ingredients. Encourage everyone to try a bite of the original as these are a true taste of Spain.

Ham and Cheese Empanadas

Ham and cheese empanadas are great because it’s essentially a warm, crunchy sandwich that helps introduce your family to empanadas. Empanadas are little half-moon shaped pastries filled with anything from seasoned ground beef to sweet summer strawberries.

Empanadas are more than tasty, they’re also a piece of history. Recipes of these delicious pastries can be found in cookbooks as far back as the 1500s. Today, many people still love them and your family will adore this version.

This recipe is sure to be a new favorite. Cream cheese is seasoned and paired with slices of ham to make a warm, salty snack perfect for any lunch or party. Have them as a post-Spanish class snack or to munch on while you plan your trip to Catalan, Spain.

Kids Watermelon Sangria

A cool, tall glass of sweet, pink sangria is hard to top on a hot summer day. Grab some watermelons, mint, and blackberries.

Traditional sangria mixes sugar and fruit and dates back to ancient Rome. When the Spanish wine industry took off, Sangria was created and is still popular all over the country. Luckily, many non-alcoholic versions have gained the same standing as the original and now everyone can have a glass.  

Make this version with the kids when the weather starts to warm up. Be sure to name the ingredients in Spanish when you make it – there’s nothing like a lesson you can taste!

Pink Banana Agua Fresca

More popular in Mexico than Spain, agua frescas are definitely worth a try because they’re so refreshing and delicious. The drink is somewhere between a pressed juice and a smoothie. They’re lightly sweetened and served ice cold to take the edge off of a hot day.

This one uses a bit of milk to smooth out the taste of banana and then calls for dashes of grenadine to give it a pink color. Don’t be afraid to water this drink down a little to keep the texture light – agua frescas should never be too intense.

The recipe is quick and easy. Younger chefs can be in charge of the grenadine while older helpers can chop up the bananas and measure out the milk. Make plenty – this one is likely to be a favorite.

Authentic Spanish Flan

No Spanish dinner is complete without a few wiggly bites of flan. This gelatinous dessert is golden yellow with caramelized sugar on top and all around on your dessert plate.

Made of only five ingredients, flan comes together fast and tastes delicious. It’s creamy, sweet and easy on the pallet so even your most picky eater will want to try it.

Remember to incorporate a bit of the Spanish foods history behind whichever dish you choose and be sure to use as much Spanish vocabulary as possible to get the full effect of the lesson.  

If you tried one of these Spanish foods or any other fun, authentic dishes, please share in the comments for others’ to enjoy!

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The post Food for Thought: 6 Spanish Foods to Learn About (and try!) appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.