IELTS Speaking Part 1: Food Questions & Band 9 Answers (2026)

Food is a very common topic. The examiner might ask about your favorite dish, your cooking skills, or if you have a healthy diet. To score Band 9, you need to use natural idioms. Don't just say "I like pizza." Use phrases like comfort food, guilty pleasure, or whip up a meal to show you have a wide vocabulary.

Latest Sep-Dec 2026: Food Questions & Sample Answers

1. What is your favorite food?
Honestly, right now it is pizza. It is my ultimate comfort food. After a long day of study, I just want to order something greasy and delicious. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure, but it makes me feel better when I am stressed.

2. Do you have a healthy diet?
Not at all. My diet consists mainly of processed food and instant noodles. I know it’s bad for my health, but I barely have time to sleep, let alone cook a balanced diet. I basically survive on caffeine and sugar.

3. Do you know how to cook? I can't cook to save my life.
I rely heavily on modern technology, specifically food delivery apps, to get my dinner. I wish I could whip up a meal from scratch, but I just never learned how.

4. Did you eat different food when you were a child?
Yes, completely different. My mother always made fresh, home-cooked meals for our whole family. I really miss her cooking. It was much more nutritious than the junk food I eat now.

5. Do you prefer eating at home or eating out?
I prefer eating out, but usually at cheap places. I am on a tight student budget, so I look for budget-friendly options. Eating at home is rare because my kitchen is tiny and I hate washing dishes.

6. What is the most popular food in your country?
We are famous for our spicy curries. It is a staple diet for most people in my hometown. However, since I moved to the city, I don't eat it as much because it takes hours to prepare properly.

7. Do you like trying new food?
I used to be a very picky eater, but now I am more open to it. However, I usually stick to grab-and-go food like sandwiches or burgers because I am always rushing to finish my work or assignments.

8. Do you think you will change your diet in the future?
Definitely. Once I graduate, I plan to turn over a new leaf. I want to learn how to cook properly and stop eating so much sugary stuff. I know I can't keep eating like this forever.

9. Is there any food you dislike?
I really hate boiled vegetables. They are so bland and tasteless. I know they are good for me, but unless they are covered in sauce or spice, I find them really unappetizing.

10. Do you usually eat alone or with others?
I usually wolf down my lunch alone between lectures. I don't really have time for long social meals. However, on weekends, I try to grab dinner with my friends to catch up, which is much nicer.

11. What did you eat for breakfast today?
I actually skipped breakfast today. I woke up late and had to rush. I usually just grab a coffee to give me a sugar rush or a boost of energy, but I know it's not the healthiest start to the day.

12. Is food important to you?
Right now, food is just fuel. I view it as a means to an end—something to keep me alive while I finish my degree. I don't have time for foodie hobbies like baking or tasting menus yet.

13. Do you prefer traditional food or fast food?
In my heart, I prefer traditional food because it tastes like childhood. But in reality, I eat fast food almost every day because of the convenience. It fits my busy lifestyle much better right now.

14. Have you ever learned to cook a specific dish?
I once tried to learn how to make pasta from a YouTube video, but it was a disaster. The pasta was overcooked and soggy. Since then, I’ve decided to stay out of the kitchen until I have more patience.

15. What is the most unusual food you have ever eaten?
I once tried fried crickets at a street market! It was surprisingly crunchy and not too bad, but I don't think I would make it a regular part of my diet. It was definitely a unique culinary experience.

16. Do you care about the nutritional value of your food?

Honestly, I rarely check the nutritional labels on anything I buy when I go grocery shopping. As long as it fills me up and gives me enough energy to study, I don't really care about the calorie count or vitamin content. I know it's a terrible habit, but I just don't have the mental capacity to worry about my macronutrients right now.

17. Have your eating habits changed since you started university?

Drastically. Before university, I always had a strict schedule with three proper meals a day. Now, my eating habits are completely erratic. I usually just snack between meals or have a massive midnight dinner because my study schedule is so unpredictable.

18. Do you prefer sweet or savory food?

I definitely have a sweet tooth. Whenever I feel overwhelmed by exams, I crave chocolate or pastries rather than salty snacks. A thick slice of cake is the only thing that can instantly lift my mood, even though it always leads to a terrible sugar crash later.

Key Vocabulary for IELTS Topic: Food

• Balanced diet: A diet that contains the right amount of different types of food.

• Bland: Food that has very little taste; uninteresting.

• Budget-friendly: Cheap; good for people who don't have much money.

• Can't cook to save my life: To be very bad at cooking.

• Comfort food: Food that makes you feel better when you are sad or stressed (usually unhealthy).

• Culinary experience: Enjoying food as an art or special event.

• Grab-and-go: Food that is pre-packaged and ready to eat immediately (good for busy people).

• Guilty pleasure: Something you enjoy even though you know it isn't good for you.

• Home-cooked meals: Food prepared at home, usually implying it is healthy and made with love.

• Instant noodles: Dried noodles that cook in boiling water in minutes (a classic student meal).

• Junk food: Food that is unhealthy but is quick and easy to eat.

• Macronutrients: The main nutritional categories of food, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

• Means to an end: Something that is not important itself, but is useful to achieve a goal (e.g., eating just to get energy).

• Nutritional labels: Information found on food packaging that details the calories and ingredients inside.

• Nutritious: Containing many of the substances needed for life and growth.

• Picky eater: Someone who only likes specific foods and refuses to try others.

• Processed food: Food that has been changed from its natural state (often with chemicals/preservatives).

• Snack between meals: To eat small amounts of food outside of regular meal times.

• Staple diet: The main food that a person or country eats regularly.

• Student budget: Having very limited money because you are studying.

• Sugar crash: A sudden feeling of tiredness after the initial energy from eating sugar wears off.

• Sugar rush: A sudden burst of energy caused by eating a lot of sugar.

• Survive on caffeine: To rely heavily on coffee or energy drinks to stay awake.

• Sweet tooth: A strong preference or craving for sweet foods and desserts.

• Takeout: Food bought from a restaurant to be eaten elsewhere.

• Turn over a new leaf: To start behaving in a better way (e.g., starting a healthy diet).

• Unappetizing: Not looking or smelling good to eat.

• Whip up a meal: To prepare a meal very quickly.

• Wolf down: To eat food very quickly and greedily.

Create Your Own Band 9 Answers

IELTS Speaking Lab helps you turn your real ideas into Band 9 answers.

1. Select your topic/question - Food/What is your favorite food?

2. Input your rough idea - "My mom's homemade pizza."

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