Meaning & use
strained food
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Food that has been pushed through a sieve or fine mesh to make it soft and smooth, often for babies or people who cannot chew.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the substance; use 'strained foods' for different types.
Patterns
- strained food for someone
- eat strained food
- feed someone strained food
The baby is now eating strained food from a spoon.
After his dental surgery, he could only manage strained food for a week.
The hospital provides strained food for patients who have trouble swallowing.
nouncountable
A particular type or serving of food prepared this way, especially sold in jars for babies.
Grammar: Countable when talking about a specific product or portion: a strained food, several strained foods.
Patterns
- a strained food
- strained foods for babies
- buy strained foods
She bought several strained foods for her six-month-old.
This strained food comes in a resealable pouch.
The store shelves were full of strained foods in small glass jars.
Word forms
| plural | strained foods |
|---|
Common combinations
- strained food for babies
- The supermarket has a whole section of strained food for babies.
- eat strained food
- He had to eat strained food after his jaw was wired shut.
- strained food diet
- The doctor put her on a strained food diet for a few days.
- jar of strained food
- She opened a jar of strained food and fed the baby.
Synonyms and how they differ
- puree
- A puree is similar but often smoother and can be made from fruit or vegetables without necessarily being for babies; strained food is usually for babies or medical needs.
- baby food
- Baby food is a broader term that includes strained food but also cereals, snacks, and other products for infants.
- mashed food
- Mashed food is crushed with a fork or masher and may still have lumps; strained food is forced through a sieve and is completely smooth.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: strained food or strained?
strained food vs strained
Strained can also mean 'nervous or tense' (e.g., a strained smile) or 'injured by too much effort' (a strained muscle). In 'strained food', it means filtered or sieved.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'strained food' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Answer 0 is correct because 'strained food' is a noun phrase meaning food that has been sieved. The other options incorrectly use 'strained food' as a verb phrase or adjective phrase; they should be 'strained a muscle', 'strained the pasta', and 'strained after the meeting'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “strained food”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.