Healthy food and habits
Alimentación y hábitos saludables
- Talk about your diet and (un)healthy habits.
- Plan your weekly menu.
- The relative "que"
Explore healthy living in Spanish with key vocabulary like "aceite de oliva" (olive oil) and "menú saludable" (healthy menu), while practicing the relative pronoun "que" to describe foods and habits.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (22) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Los cereales
Cereals
2
Deber
To owe
3
El zumo de naranja
Orange juice
4
El menú semanal
The weekly menu
5
Típico
Typical
Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- Have you ever been on a diet or are you right now? (Have you ever been on a diet or are you right now? )
- Do you usually look at the ingredient list when buying food in the supermarket? (Do you usually look at the ingredient list when buying food in the supermarket?)
- Would you describe your food habits as healthy or rather unhealthy? (Would you describe your food habits as healthy or rather unhealthy?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Nunca he hecho dieta antes. Aunque soy vegetariano, así que no como carne. I have never been on a diet before. Though I am a vegeterian so I don't eat meat. |
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He intentado algunas dietas en el pasado, pero no me gustaron. Ahora estoy intentando ser más activo. I have tried some diets in the past but I didn't like it. I am trying to be more active now. |
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Siempre miro los ingredientes. Compruebo el azúcar y la sal en la comida. I always look at the ingredients. II check the sugar and the salt in the food. |
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Normalmente como muy sano, pero a veces tomo un poco de chocolate. I mostly eat very healthy but sometimes I have some chocolate. |
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Tengo un buen equilibrio entre comer comida poco saludable y comida saludable. I have a good balance of eating unhealthy and healthy food. |
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Estoy comiendo bastante mal. Pronto haré dieta. I am eating quite unhealthy. I will go on a diet soon. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Cuando era joven, siempre _________ frutas y verduras para mantenerme sano.
(When I was young, I always _________ fruits and vegetables to stay healthy.)2. Antes de planificar mi menú semanal, _________ los ingredientes frescos que tenía.
(Before planning my weekly menu, I _________ the fresh ingredients I had.)3. Durante la merienda, _________ un zumo de naranja natural que me recomendaba mi nutricionista.
(During the snack, I _________ a natural orange juice that my nutritionist recommended.)4. Cada semana, _________ los menús con platos equilibrados para mantener una dieta sana.
(Every week, I _________ the menus with balanced dishes to maintain a healthy diet.)Exercise 5: Planning a Healthy Menu
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Comer - Eat
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo comía
- tú comías
- él/ella/usted comía
- nosotros/nosotras comíamos
- vosotros/vosotras comíais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes comían
Deber - Should
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo debía
- tú debías
- él/ella/usted debía
- nosotros/nosotras debíamos
- vosotros/vosotras debíais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes debían
Tomar - Drink
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo tomaba
- tú tomabas
- él/ella/usted tomaba
- nosotros/nosotras tomábamos
- vosotros/vosotras tomabais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes tomaban
Planificar - Plan
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo planificaba
- tú planificabas
- él/ella/usted planificaba
- nosotros/nosotras planificábamos
- vosotros/vosotras planificabais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes planificaban
Exercise 6: El relativo "que"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The relative "que"
Show translation Show answersBeber (Yo), Comer (Ellos), Tomar (Nosotros), que ha preparado, Hacer (Tú), que haces, que bebí, Preparar (Ella), Preparar (Vosotros): , Seguir (Yo), que necesito, que comieron, que tomamos, Necesito (Yo), que preparasteis, que sigo
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Comer to eat Share Copied!
Pretérito imperfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) comía | I was eating |
| (tú) comías | You were eating |
| (él/ella) comía | he/she was eating |
| (nosotros/nosotras) comíamos | we were eating |
| (vosotros/vosotras) comíais | You ate |
| (ellos/ellas) comían | they ate |
Tomar to take Share Copied!
Pretérito imperfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) tomaba | I used to take |
| (tú) tomabas | you were taking |
| (él/ella) tomaba | he/she was taking |
| (nosotros/nosotras) tomábamos | we took |
| (vosotros/vosotras) tomabais | You took |
| (ellos/ellas) tomaban | they took |
Planificar to plan Share Copied!
Pretérito imperfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) planificaba | I was planning |
| (tú) planificabas | You used to plan |
| (él/ella) planificaba | he/she planned |
| (nosotros/nosotras) planificábamos | we planned |
| (vosotros/vosotras) planificabais | You were planning |
| (ellos/ellas) planificaban | they planned |
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Healthy Food and Habits – Spanish A2 Lesson Overview
This lesson is designed for A2 level learners focusing on everyday language related to healthy living, diet planning, and common habits. You will explore vocabulary connected to nutrition, food types, and expressions linked to health-conscious conversations.
Key Topics Covered
- Healthy lifestyle vocabulary: words like aceite de oliva (olive oil), verduras (vegetables), frutas (fruits), and phrases related to balanced diets.
- Use of relative pronoun "que": essential for linking ideas and describing foods or habits, e.g., el menú que quiero (the menu that I want).
- Practical dialogues: Situations such as grocery shopping, discussing habits in a café, and planning weekly meals with family or friends.
- Past tense verb usage: Focus on the pretérito imperfecto (imperfect past tense) for talking about past routines and habits.
Important Words and Expressions
- En oferta — on sale
- Verduras — vegetables
- Productos procesados — processed products
- Frutas de temporada — seasonal fruits
- Menú equilibrado — balanced menu
- Evitar la comida rápida — to avoid fast food
- Tomar agua — to drink water
- Habitos saludables — healthy habits
Grammar Focus: The Relative Pronoun "que"
The relative pronoun "que" is widely used in Spanish to connect clauses, often translating to "that" or "which" in English. It's a key connector in sentences like el menú que quiero and comidas que contienen mucho aceite. This lesson helps you practice forming such sentences naturally.
Verb Tenses Highlighted: Pretérito Imperfecto
This tense is essential for describing past habits and routines. Verbs like comer (comía), deber (debía), tomar (tomaba), and planificar (planificaba) appear in dialogues and exercises to help you describe ongoing past actions or habitual events.
Comparing English and Spanish on Key Points
Spanish uses the relative pronoun "que" very frequently and generally for all relative clauses, whereas in English you differentiate between "who," "which," and "that." In Spanish, que works for people, things, and concepts. Also, the imperfect tense is more commonly used in Spanish to talk about past routines or repeated actions, while in English you might use "used to" or "would." For example, Cuando era joven, siempre comía frutas means "When I was young, I always ate fruits" but also "I used to eat fruits."
Useful Phrases for Learners
- ¿Sabes qué verduras están en oferta esta semana? — Do you know which vegetables are on sale this week?
- Quiero preparar un menú que tenga muchas verduras. — I want to prepare a menu that has lots of vegetables.
- Bebe agua en lugar de refrescos. — Drink water instead of sodas.
- Evito las tartas que son muy dulces. — I avoid cakes that are very sweet.
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