Topic: Food & Nutrition - part 3

Các danh từ nói về các loại thức ăn:

home-cooked / homemade food: thức ăn nấu ở nàh

processed food = a ready meal: đồ ăn làm sẵn

a takeaway: đồ ăn mang về

a quick snack: ăn xế

local specialty (US) hoặc speciality (UK): đặc sản địa phương

delicacy: sơn hào hải vị, món ăn độc đáo & đặc sắc

staple food: thực phẩm chính, ăn mỗi ngày

canned food: thực phẩm đóng hộp

cereals: ngũ cốc ăn sáng

seasonings: gia vị (salt, pepper or spices added to food)

organic food: thực phẩm hữu cơ (food that is produced without using harmful chemicals)

vegetarian food = plant-based diets = meat-free meals = all-vegetable meals: đồ ăn chay

meat-based diets = vegetable-free diets = all-meat meals: chế độ ăn toàn thịt, không rau củ

junk food: đồ ăn vặt loại không bổ dưỡng.

3-course meal: bữa ăn gồm 3 món: starter/ appetizer (khai vị), main course (món chính) and dessert (tráng miệng).

Các tính từ đồng nghĩa với 'delicious':

Scrumptious /ˈskrʌmp.ʃəs/ (a): tasting extremely good; delicious

E.g: This cake is scrumptious that I cannot stop myself from eating another piece.

Delectable /dɪˈlek.tə.bəl/ (a):

E.g: The restaurant serves delectable food. Everything is good

Appetizing /ˈæp.ə.taɪ.zɪŋ/ (a):

E.g: Your dessert looks appetizing. I should have ordered the same.

Tasty (a): /ˈteɪ.sti/ (>< tasteless)

E.g: This is a very tasty ice cream

Flavourful /ˈfleɪ.vɚ.fəl/ (a) (>< flavourless)

E.g: a flavourful sauce

Mouth-watering (a)

E.g: You bread looks mouth-watering

Các tính từ khác miêu tả mùi vị thức ăn:

Sweet (ngọt) >< bitter /ˈbɪt̬.ɚ/ (đắng) , sour /saʊr/ (chua)

Hot, spicy (cay, nồng) >< mild, bland, tasteless, flavourless (nhạt nhẽo, không có mùi vị)

Salty (mặn chát) >< sugary (ngọt gắt)

Greasy /ˈɡriː.si/, oily (nhiều dầu) >< dried (khô)

Lean [has little or no fat] (nạc, không mỡ) >< fatty [has a lot of fat] (nhiều mỡ)

Các cụm động từ miêu tả cách ăn uống:

To overeat = Eat too much: Ăn quá nhiều

E.g: If you overeat, you’re bound to get fat.

A fussy/ picky eater: người ăn uống kén chọn, khó ăn >< an easy eater: người dễ ăn

To have a sweet tooth = to enjoy sugary food: thích ăn đồ ngọt

To be full up = to eat to the point that you can no longer eat any more: no căng bụng

To dine in/ eat in = to have main meals at home: Ăn cơm ở nhà

To dine out/ eat out = to have main meals out: Ăn ngoài

E.g: I’d prefer to dine in with my husband rather than dine out with my colleagues.

To grab something to eat: to eat something quickly (when you’re in a rush): ăn vội vàng vì bạn đang vội

Các cụm từ nói về dinh dưỡng:

To be on a balanced/moderate diet = Eat in a healthy diet: Ăn uống điều độ

Eg: I have a crack at following a balanced diet so that I can live healthily and live longer.

Diet (n): chế độ ăn | Meal (n): bữa ăn | Portion (n): khẩu phần ăn

nutritional benefits: lợi ích dinh dưỡng (an advantage gained from substances that are essential for good health and growth)

nutritional values: giá trị dinh dưỡng

nutritional balance: cân bằng dinh dưỡng

to be sufficient nutritionally: đầy đủ dinh dưỡng

nutrient(s): (các) chất dinh dưỡng

nutritious (a): bổ dưỡng e.g: nutritious food

health consciousness: ý thức giữ gìn sức khỏe (being aware of how to maintain the state of being free from illness or injury)

to get obese: trở nên béo phì (to become grossly fat or overweight)

to gain/ lose weight: tang/ giảm cân

health awareness: nhận thức về sức khỏe (knowledge or perception of how to maintain the state of being free from illness or injury)

addicting effect: hiệu ứng gây nghiện (a change resulting in being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity)

Moderation in daily meals is to maintain nutritional balance, which means to give our body a sufficient quantity of nutrients it needs to function properly. To do so, people should consume different kinds of food in their daily meals, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, nuts and meat. A lack of any kinds of nutrient deriving from bad eating habits tends to increase the risk of health problems.

Needless to say, a balanced diet plays a vital part in human life because that's the main source taking nutrients for human bodies. Without good nutrition, people are more prone to diseases and poor performance. However, the importance of controlling diet is being ignored by many people nowadays, because they are not aware of what they eat every day. Junk food or meat-based meals are more preferable than fruit and vegetables.

There is no concept of 'courses' in Vietnamese meals. A typical meal consists of various dishes serving at once on the table. There is one main dish which is usually meat, fish or egg, together with other dishes that are fresh vegetables, soup and rice. Rice is the staple of the Vietnamese diet. A small bowl of soy sauce or fish sauce is also a must-have for Vietnamese people.

I think Vietnamese people used to have healthier diets in the past rather than at the present time. Our traditional meals include a lot of herbs and vegetables with little dairy and oil. However, Vietnamese people nowadays eat mainly meat-based food and consume lots of dairy products. Junk food and soft drinks are preferred options rather than fruit and vegetables.

I really don't know but I assume that Vietnamese people still prefer dining at home rather than dining out since they usually conceive that home-made food is healthier and cheaper. If they have to eat out, probably the preferred option would be small food stalls of street vendors or small casual eateries. Large and formal restaurants are just for special occasions.