light meal
Small, simple fare
A light meal is a small amount of food, less than a full meal—something that satisfies hunger without weighing you down.
The term often appears in contexts where eating heavily would be inadvisable: Have a light meal before swimming.
A light meal might be a salad, soup, or sandwich rather than a multicourse dinner.
- finger foodUtensil-free small bites
- appetizerLight dish preceding main
- small plateDiminutive dining disc
- smørrebrødDanish open sandwich
- snackLight between-meal fare
quick bite · mezze · canapé · antipasto · hors d'oeuvre · low-calorie · brunch · bento box · tapas · samosas · elevenses · simple · dim sum · afternoon tea · balanced · bite-sized · continental breakfast · working lunch
light mealheavy meal
Calorie-dense, filling food
feast · banquet · hearty meal · square meal · three-course meal
light mealbanquet
Formal celebratory meal
feast · formal dinner · state dinner · wedding reception · Thanksgiving dinner