As part of my ongoing series of free printable resources, I’m excited to introduce a brand-new set of food and drinks vocabulary charts and worksheets created especially for young English learners. This mini-project includes two illustrated vocabulary charts — one general food chart and a second chart dedicated to desserts — plus printable activities designed to help children learn and remember everyday food words.
These materials were designed with ESL and EFL classrooms in mind: they are kid-friendly, visually-rich, and ready to print. The charts make it simple to present core food vocabulary at a glance, while the accompanying worksheets turn passive recognition into active practice through matching, circling, and picture-selection activities.
Whether you teach in a classroom or at home, you can use these printables for quick vocabulary lessons, warm-ups, revision stations, or homework. They also work beautifully with songs, flashcards, and simple games — making the food topic fun, varied, and memorable for preschool and primary learners.
Scroll down to see what’s included, classroom ideas, and free download links. If you’re looking for easy-to-use, visually engaging resources that save planning time and boost vocabulary retention, this food and desserts printable pack is ready to help you and your students get cooking with English!
Words Included in the Illustrated Charts
This printable pack contains two illustrated vocabulary charts: a general food chart (72 words) and a desserts chart (48 words). Below you’ll find the full word lists organized into subcategories to make it easy to preview, teach, or search for specific vocabulary. I’ve included common American / British English variations where relevant to help international teachers and learners.
General Food Vocabulary (72 words)
Meats & Protein
- Meat
- Sausage
- Steak
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Lamb / Mutton
- Pork
- Bacon
- Barbecue (BBQ)
- Ham
- Salami
- Stew
- Eggs
Fast Food & Prepared Meals
- Pizza
- Pasta
- Noodles
- Hamburger
- French fries
- Sandwich
- Hot dog
- Bread
- Mashed potatoes
- Soup
Seafood
- Fish
- Sushi
- Shrimp (BrE: prawn)
- Lobster
- Oysters
- Caviar
Dairy & Drinks
- Milk
- Cheese
- Butter
- Yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Cream
- Coffee
- Tea
- Juice
- Soda (soft drink)
- Water
Sweets, Snacks & Breakfast
- Cake
- Cupcake
- Cookie (BrE: biscuit)
- Cracker
- Donut (BrE: doughnut)
- Pie
- Ice cream
- Chocolate
- Candy (BrE: sweets)
- Honey
- Marshmallow
- Jam
- Jelly
- Sugar
- Cereal
- Porridge
- Brownie (note: included in desserts chart too)
- Peanut butter
Staples & Sides
- Rice
- Beans
- Salad
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Berries
- Mushrooms
- Pickles
- Canned food
- Mashed potatoes
Condiments, Sauces & Extras
- Mustard
- Ketchup
- Sauce
- Gravy
- Condensed milk
Desserts Vocabulary (48 words)
The desserts chart focuses on sweet treats, baked goods, frozen desserts, candies and dessert-related spreads and toppings. Below is the full list of dessert words included in the illustrated chart.
Cakes, Pastries & Baked Goods
- Cake
- Cheesecake
- Tiramisu
- Trifle
- Cupcake (BrE: fairy cake)
- Muffin
- Tart
- Croissant
- Sweet waffles
- Sweet bun
- Baklava
- Gingerbread
- Brownie
- Donut (BrE: doughnut)
- Macaroon (macaron)
- Eclair
- Pie
- Pancakes
Frozen & Cold Desserts
- Ice cream
- Sorbet
- Gelatin dessert (Jell-O / jelly)
- Milkshake
- Slushy (slushie)
Candies, Confections & Toppings
- Candy (BrE: sweets)
- Lollipop
- Cotton candy (BrE: candy floss / fairy floss)
- Toffee
- Chocolate bar
- Marshmallow
- Jelly beans
- Gummy candies (gummies)
- Mousse
- Caramel
- Syrup
- Chocolate spread
- Condensed milk
- Sugar
- Honey
International & Special Desserts
- Mochi
- Baklava
- Macaroon / Macaron
- Pudding
Fruits, Nuts & Extras (included on dessert chart)
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Berries
- Marmalade
- Jelly (BrE: jam — note: jelly/jam differences in AmE/BrE)
Printable Worksheets Included in the Set
This printable set includes my traditional, classroom-tested collection of worksheets designed to reinforce food vocabulary through visual practice and simple decision-making tasks. The worksheets focus on recognition, reading accuracy, and vocabulary recall — perfect for young ESL and EFL learners. Each worksheet type is described below, along with suggested classroom uses and teacher tips.
Worksheet types:
- Word-to-picture matching worksheets: students draw lines to connect each food word to the correct picture. This activity strengthens word–image association and is excellent for initial vocabulary practice and quick review.
- Check the correct word worksheets: under each picture there are two word options; students read both and check (✔) the correct one. This task trains careful reading, discrimination between similar words, and spelling awareness.
- Choose the correct picture (3-option) worksheets: there is a single word and students must circle the matching image from three choices. This higher-discrimination activity promotes vocabulary recall and visual comprehension under mild time pressure.
How to use these worksheets in class
- Warm-up: project a worksheet image on the board and invite students to call out the word before completing the printed page.
- Station work / rotation: use different worksheet types at learning stations to vary practice and keep learners engaged.
- Pair work: students swap sheets and check each other's answers, encouraging peer correction and speaking practice (e.g., “Is it a muffin or a croissant?”).
- Formative assessment: use a short worksheet as a quick check of vocabulary retention at the end of a lesson.
- Homework: send one page home for extra practice.
- Online teaching: share the PDF on screen or upload individual pages to your LMS; students can annotate or complete digitally using simple tools (annotation, fill & sign, or Google Slides conversions).
Teacher tips & differentiation
- Color vs. black & white: print in color for younger learners; black-and-white versions save ink and are ideal when laminating for reuse.
- Laminate and reuse: laminate sheets and let students use whiteboard markers for repeated practice at centers.
- Challenge fast finishers: ask students to write a sentence using one of the words, or sort the foods into categories (e.g., dairy, sweets, drinks).
- Mix & match: cut out images and words to create hands-on matching cards for games, memory, or pair activities.
- Assessment notes: use the “check the correct word” sheet as a quick, low-stress reading assessment for beginners.
These worksheet types — matching, checking, and choosing — provide a balanced practice routine that moves students from recognition to discrimination and recall. They pair beautifully with the illustrated vocabulary charts, flashcards, songs, and games on this blog to create memorable, multisensory food-themed lessons.
Pairing the New Food & Drinks Charts with Existing Printables
Your new food & drinks vocabulary charts and worksheets work beautifully alongside the printable resources you already have on the blog — flashcards, bingo, dominoes, crossword puzzles, word searches, reading comprehension passages, and the activities for The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Below are practical, classroom-ready suggestions for combining these resources into cohesive, time-saving lessons and thematic units.
Quick pairing ideas (use together for maximum impact):
- Introduce → Drill → Practice: start with the general food chart to introduce vocabulary, use the flashcards for quick drilling and choral repetition, then give students the word-to-picture matching worksheet for guided practice.
- Song + Chart + Bingo: play a food-themed song (or my Fruits & Berries / Garden songs) while showing the chart, then run a bingo game to reinforce recognition in a playful way.
- Story link: after teaching several food words, read or project the The Very Hungry Caterpillar passage and have students spot and tick the foods they hear — follow up with the related comprehension worksheets.
- Game rotation: use dominoes and flashcards at one center, a “choose the correct picture” worksheet at another, and a word-search or crossword for older/early-finishers.
- Send home practice: pack a small set of flashcards and one worksheet as homework.
Suggested 3-lesson mini-unit (example)
- Lesson 1 — Introduce & Listen: show the general food chart, teach 12–16 target words with flashcards and choral repetition; end with a simple listening game (teacher says a word, students point to the item on the chart).
- Lesson 2 — Practice & Play: use matching worksheets and the “check the correct word” pages in pairs; rotate to a bingo or dominoes station for consolidation and fast retrieval practice.
- Lesson 3 — Context & Extend: read the story passage (e.g., The Very Hungry Caterpillar) and complete the comprehension activity; finish with the dessert chart and a short craft or writing task (draw your favorite dessert and label it).
Differentiate easily
- Lower levels: use fewer target words, larger images, and color-coded flashcards; allow matching worksheets with a provided word bank.
- Mid levels: full worksheet sets, timed bingo rounds, and partner checking to build fluency and confidence.
- Higher levels: add descriptive tasks — students sort foods by taste (sweet/sour/salty), write short recipes, or create menus using the vocabulary.
Assessment & record-keeping
- Use a short “check the correct word” worksheet as a quick formative assessment to note who needs review.
- Collect one worksheet per student at the end of the unit to record progress; keep a photocopy for portfolios.
- For digital classrooms, assign a scanned worksheet or convert a page to Google Slides and track completion and accuracy online.
Cross-curricular extensions
- Science / Nutrition: talk about food groups (fruits, vegetables, dairy, proteins) and healthy eating charts using the vocabulary as labels.
- Math: use food pictures for counting, simple graphs (“class favorite fruit”), or recipe measurements.
- Art: make a food collage or dessert menu artwork using labeled cut-outs from printed charts.
I hope these food and drinks vocabulary charts and worksheets will be a valuable addition to your teaching toolkit. May they help your young learners expand their English vocabulary in a fun and memorable way.
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