Nutrition English: Vocabulary for Real Situations
Talking about food and health in English goes beyond naming foods. Whether you are consulting a registered dietitian, reading a blood test result, or explaining a dietary restriction at a restaurant abroad, precise vocabulary matters. This guide covers the key situations where nutrition vocabulary makes a real difference.
'Diet' does not mean restriction
One of the most common misunderstandings: diet in English is a neutral word meaning simply what someone regularly eats — no restriction implied:
* Mediterranean diet — a traditional eating pattern, not a weight-loss plan
* balanced diet — eating a wide variety of foods in the right proportions
* plant-based diet — a diet focused on vegetables, grains, legumes, and fruit
To say you are trying to lose weight, avoid 'I'm on a diet' and use instead: 'I'm watching what I eat' or 'I'm trying to eat more healthily.'
Reading food labels: US, UK, and EU
In the United States, the panel is called Nutrition Facts and lists Calories, Total Fat, Sodium, Total Carbohydrate, and Protein. In the United Kingdom, it shows Nutrition Information with amounts in grams and a % Reference Intake (%RI). The UK also uses voluntary traffic-light labels — red, amber, or green for fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt. In the EU, mandatory labels show both kJ and kcal, with the % of Reference Intake (%RI) per portion.
Key terms on any English label:
* serving size — all figures apply to this amount, not the whole packet
* Calories / kcal — the same unit: 1 food Calorie (US) = 1 kcal
* saturated fat — the type linked to higher LDL cholesterol; limit daily intake
* trans fat — industrially produced fat linked to heart disease; avoid entirely
* dietary fibre (UK/AU) / dietary fiber (US) — same nutrient, different spelling
* sodium — listed instead of salt on US labels; multiply sodium (mg) × 2.5 to get salt equivalent
Medical nutrition vocabulary: your blood test in English
When a doctor or dietitian reviews your blood results and recommends dietary changes, these terms appear:
* cholesterol — a fatty substance; LDL ('bad' cholesterol, linked to plaque build-up) vs HDL ('good' cholesterol, protective)
* blood sugar / blood glucose — the level of glucose in your blood; elevated levels signal diabetes risk
* glycaemic index (GI) — how quickly a food raises blood sugar (low GI = slower, steadier rise)
* BMI (Body Mass Index) — weight (kg) ÷ height² (m²); a screening tool, not a diagnosis
* iron deficiency — low iron causes fatigue; treated by eating iron-rich foods (lentils, spinach) alongside vitamin C to improve absorption
* supplement — a product containing a vitamin, mineral, or other nutrient taken in addition to food; always check with a doctor before starting
Dietary supplements: what the vocabulary means
Supplement in English is a neutral term covering vitamin tablets, protein powders, omega-3 capsules, probiotics, and more. Important distinction:
* probiotic — live beneficial bacteria that support gut health (yoghurt, kefir, fermented foods)
* prebiotic — food for those bacteria (garlic, oats, bananas)
* fortified — a food with added nutrients (e.g. fortified oat milk with added calcium)
Vegan, vegetarian, plant-based: exact differences
- vegetarian — no meat or fish; eggs and dairy are usually permitted
- vegan — no animal products at all: no meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey
- plant-based — focused on plants; may include small amounts of animal products
Useful phrases for communicating dietary restrictions:
* 'I'm lactose intolerant.' / 'I can't have dairy.'
* 'I'm allergic to peanuts.' (allergy = immune reaction, potentially serious)
* 'I avoid gluten.' / 'I need a gluten-free option.'
* 'Does this dish contain any nuts?'
Popular diets: the terminology
- Mediterranean diet — plant foods, fish, olive oil, moderate dairy
- keto diet — very low carbohydrate, high fat; puts the body into ketosis
- intermittent fasting — cycling between eating and fasting periods (e.g. 16:8 = eat within 8 hours, fast for 16)
- whole grain — grain that retains the bran and germ; more fibre and nutrients than refined grain