‘Diet’ refers to the food you eat, and can also mean an attempt to reduce your weight by eating fewer calories a day.
Collocations:
- a balanced diet (a diet consisting of a variety of different types of food that have enough of the nutrients necessary for good health).
- to go on a diet / be on a diet (to eat fewer calories a day in order to lose weight)
Types of food:
- junk food (food with low nutritional value, often not good for you)
- fast food (food served quickly after ordering – not necessarily junk food)
- ready meals (meals that are prepared and often only need to be microwaved or placed in the oven)
- snack food (small amounts of food eaten either between meals or as a replacement for a meal, e.g. nuts or fruit)
- GM food / genetically modified food (food which has been scientifically modified)
Attitudes to food:
- vegan (a person who does not eat meat or dairy products like milk or eggs)
- vegetarian (a person who does not eat meat – can also include people who also do not eat fish)
- pescatarian (a person who eats fish but does not eat meat)
Medical impact of a poor diet:
- obesity (being overweight)
- morbid obesity (overweight to the point that it is likely to cause premature death)
- high blood pressure (a condition often caused by excess salt in food)
- malnutrition (either not enough food, or not enough of the right things)