ESL Podcast 390 - Dietary Restrictions and Preferences

to invite (someone) over - to ask someone to come to one's home for a short period of time as a visitor

Troy invited us over for pizza and a movie at his apartment last night.

vegan - a strict vegetarian who does not eat any meat, eggs, milk, or anything else that comes from an animal

This bakery makes a great vegan chocolate cake that tastes great even though it doesn't have eggs.

organic - grown naturally without any chemicals

Do you think that organic foods taste better than normal foods do?

lactose intolerant - unable to eat milk and foods made from milk without getting sick

Vicky always feels sick after eating ice cream and yogurt, so she might be lactose intolerant.

low-salt diet - a combination of foods that one should eat that have very little salt, usually because one has high blood pressure

After Grandpa had a heart attack, his doctor put him on a low-salt diet.

health nut - a person who is very interested in having a healthy lifestyle, eating only healthy foods and getting a lot of exercise

He's such a health nut that he hasn't had a cookie in more than six years!

saturated fat - a type of fat (grease or oil) that is very bad for one's heart and health, usually found in foods made from animals

Some fast food hamburgers have more than 10 grams of saturated fat!

added - additional; put in with something else; put onto something else

Many children like to eat foods with added sugar and colors.

artificial flavor - something that is used to change the taste of foods, made with chemicals instead of natural foods

Are these candies made with real lemon juice or an artificial flavor?

red meat - meat that is a dark color before cooking, such as beef and lamb; meat from animals such as a cow or lamb

Red meat has more cholesterol than chicken or fish.

gluten-free - food made without a certain type of substance that is found in wheat, oatmeal, and other grains

When Yolanda had a lot of stomach problems, her doctor said that she should try to eat gluten-free foods.

kosher - food that is prepared in a special way, following Jewish laws

When Zeke became Jewish, he began to eat only kosher foods.

beats me - a phrase used to show that one does not understand something or does not have an explanation for something

• How are you going to pay for your apartment now that you aren't working?

• Beats me!

potluck - a meal where every person brings a dish of food to share with everyone else

That church organizes a potluck for its members every Sunday.

beggars can't be choosers - a phrase used to show that one cannot always get or have what one wants when one is in the position of asking, and that one needs to take what one gets without complaining

When Mindy's parents gave her a car for her birthday, she started complaining about the color, but then stopped and said, "Beggars can't be choosers."

desperate times call for desperate measures - a phrase used when one is in a difficult situation and is ready and able to do whatever is necessary, even if it is difficult or unusual

They didn't want to sell their car, but desperate times call for desperate measures and they needed the money.