20 Foods That Start With L | Fun Foods from A to Z
When you live with picky eaters – whether they are your children, your spouse, or maybe even yourself – you have to get creative with how you introduce different foods into your meals. Eating a variety of foods can be fun when you turn it into a game. We decided to try a new food from A to Z, and created this list of foods to have options to choose from. Here is our list of foods that start with L, including fruits, vegetables, and other fun things to eat!
Why eat foods from every letter of the alphabet?
When you step outside of your food comfort zone, you have the opportunity to discover a new food that you never knew you could enjoy. There are so many foods that we haven’t tried, for various reasons – because our parents never cooked them, they weren’t available in our area, they are popular foods in different cultures, or just because we didn’t know they existed!
Trying different foods, especially fruits and vegetables, can provide our bodies with a variety of nutrients that we wouldn’t normally have. It can also get us out of the “what’s for dinner” rut when we get bored of eating the same old things over and over again.
These food lists are also great when teaching the alphabet, or when looking for a fun food for show and tell day at school!
If you’re looking for a little flavor in the kitchen, or a way to spice up your life, try one – or all! – of these foods that start with the letter L.
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Vegetables that start with L
Lettuce
Lettuce is a leafy vegetable that can be used in a variety of foods. Lettuce is the main ingredient used in salads and on sandwiches. This green vegetable, when eaten raw, has a crisp texture and a fresh taste. Not sweet nor sour.
Red leaf lettuce and Romaine lettuce are typically only used in salads, where the green leaf lettuce, such as iceberg lettuce is used on sandwiches and can be used in stir fry recipes and in some soups.
Iceberg lettuce doesn’t have much nutritional value, so this type of lettuce isn’t one I would consider a healthy food. I prefer to reach for lettuce varieties with a darker green color (like Romaine lettuce) for more vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Leeks
Leeks are somewhat similar to onions or shallots. They have a similar appearance with the green stalks and white bulbs. They also taste very similar.
Leeks are very commonly used in soups, such as potato leek soup or leek and lentil soup. Leeks can also be served after being boiled and add butter to them, serving them as a single side.
Lentils
Lentils are very similar to beans. They are legumes. Very high in protein and very commonly replaced meat in many recipes.
Lentils go great in soups, as they soak up most of the flavors that are incorporated, allowing each bite to be delicious. This tiny, pebble shaped food is a secret super food.
Consuming this food can help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.
Lima Beans
Lima beans are a larger, lighter colored bean. These also referred to as the butter bean. This is because the taste and texture of the lima bean can seem to be a bit on the buttery side.
Lima beans are great served by themselves, or if added to soups. They are great to be paired with rice and meat such as ham. The ham adds a salty flavor to the soup, and the beans mixed with the rice make a very creamy soup.
Fruits that start with L
Lemons
Lemons are a citrus fruit with a sour taste that can be used in so many ways. A little juice from this yellow fruit goes a long way, but that little bit adds so much flavor. Adding fresh lemon juice to a glass of water can help aid in weight loss, plus it packs a punch with a ton of vitamin C which is great for your immune system!
Making lemonade is super easy. Fresh squeezed lemon, with water and sugar makes the most delicious sweet and tangy refreshment.
Lemon is great when squeezed over fish or chicken also. Lemon juice or lemon zest can also be used when baking cakes and pies.
Lemon juice mixed with warm water and honey can soothe sore throats when you’re sick. This is one versatile fruit that can be used in many different ways!
Limes
Limes are small fruits similar to lemon, but a bit more tangy with a bitter taste. Limes are a green acidic fruit and are commonly used, like lemons, to add a bit of tang to drinks, such as margaritas or lime water. You’ll find lime added as an ingredient to many alcoholic beverage recipes, actually.
Mexican dishes typically add a lime on the side, intending for the juice to be squeezed over the dish. Also, lime juice is added into the salsa and guacamole in Mexican dishes.
Another similarity with lemons, limes are also used in baking. The Key Lime pie is a creamy sweet and tart whipped filling served over a graham cracker crust, topped with whipped cream. Very delicious.
Loganberry
The loganberry is actually a hybrid berry. A cross between the blackberry and the raspberry, created by James Harvey Logan. The texture and shape is longer than the raspberry, but the same feel as the blackberry, with a mixture of the two flavors. Both being sweet and mildly tart.
Loganberries are used for many of the same things as raspberries and blackberries, such as jams, jellies and cobblers.
Lychee
Lychee is also knows as the alligator strawberry. It looks very similar to a strawberry, however it has more visible pores. This fruit has to be peeled and the seed taken out before consuming it.
It can be consumed raw, but is often canned or dried. Some say this it taste similar to a grape, and other compare it more to a watermelon.
Either way, it pairs well with other citrus type fruits. This can be used in fruit salads, drinks and custards.
Other foods that start with L
Lady Fingers
Lady fingers are a delicious cookie type dessert, and are one of my favorite recipes to make for a party. Given the name, lady finger, it is easy to say that these sponge cake biscuits are in the shape of a human finger.
They are very sweet and usually covered with powdered sugar. Lady fingers are commonly used in making tiramisu and no-bake icebox cakes.
Lamb Chops
Lamb chops are similar to pork chops, but much more tender and come from the ribs of a lamb. They are very simple to cook, taking about 5 minutes for each chop. They are grass fed animals which causes the cooked meat to have a grassy and robust flavor. It is good to season lamb using mild spices such as mint, oregano, rosemary or thyme.
Lamb can be served with any side that you would pair any type of chop with, such as salad, potatoes, greens, bread or beans.
Lasagna
This Italian dish is created with layers of pasta. Each layer is filled with sausage and beef that has been seasoned with garlic, onions, basil, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Topped with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. A total of three layers and the final topping of parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
This dish takes a couple hours to bake, but you are rewarded with a delightfully wonderful meal in the end. Perfectly paired with any style garlic bread and a side salad.
Latke
Latke are small shredded cakes made from potatoes, and are a popular food to eat during Hanukkah. Yes, they are literally potato pancakes. The potatoes can be substituted with zucchini and cheese.
The story of latkes comes from the story of Judith from the Bible, who beheaded the general of the Assyrian army. Many different foods are served with the latke cakes, usually apple sauce and sour cream. Others prefer smoked salmon and cream cheese.
Lemon Meringue Pie
We can thank Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow from the Victorian-era, who moved to Philadelphia in the early 1800s for the very delicious lemon meringue pie.
This is a sweet and tangy treat, similar to key lime pie, however, this pie is served with crust made from a danish pastry crust, filled with a sweet and tangy jelly textured lemon filling, topped with a semi sweet meringue. A delightful dessert to have after any lunch or supper.
Limburger Cheese
One of the most popular cheeses in Belgium, Limburger Cheese, is very popular with using in sandwiches, specifically, the limburger sandwich. This sandwich is made with the cheese spread across rye bread with a thick slice of onion.
Often, this sandwich is paired with black coffee or beer.
Linguini
Linguini is a type of flat pasta, bigger than spaghetti, but smaller than fettuccine. This pasta can be used for any pasta dish, but is most commonly served with traditional pesto. This pasta is preferred when making scampi.
This noodle is smaller than fettuccine, so this is not the best choice for soupy dishes, being that it will not hold the sauce as well as a thick noodle. Linguini is for thicker sauces or lighter sauced dishes.
Liver
Liver that we consume typically comes from mammals, fish and fowl. A popular dish that is said to have originated as British cuisine, that is very popular in the Southern United States is liver and sautéed onions.
Liver is very inexpensive, making it affordable for most families. A delicacy dish made from Goose and duck liver is known as Foie Gras, which dates back to the ancient Egyptians.
Liver is also very high in protein and nutrients, and can be really simple to make! Try one of these easy chicken liver recipes and see how tasty it can be.
Liverwurst
Liverwurst is a sausage made from liver. It contains many vitamins and minerals. It is commonly sliced up and put on a sandwich, or made into a pate and used as a spread. Many choose to fry the liverwurst and serve it with mushroom sauce over the top of it.
Lo Mein
Lo mein is a pasta dish that is very common in Chinese cuisine. A thick egg noodle, long like fettuccine, lo mein typically contains vegetables and a meat of either pork, chicken, beef, or seafood. Sometimes it is only served with vegetables.
These noodles are tossed in soy sauce after being cooked. They are great for stir frys.
Lobster
Believe it or not, many years ago, lobster was known as a poor person’s food. They were so abundant that they would wash up on the shore in piles. They would line the ocean and be used to feed servants and prisoners.
Obviously, now, this is not the case. The population of the lobster has decreased dramatically, making them harder to catch, which, in turn, makes the price go up. Now the long claws of this delicious crustacean is a delicacy. Crack open the hard shell to get to the juicy white flesh of a lobster and enjoy!
London Broil
Despite the name, this is actually a dish that was made in North America. This dish is made from a large cut of beef that is more tough than regular steak.
This meat is marinated and then broiled and sliced into thin strips. This dish can be used as a main dish or used in a stew.
Which “L” food is your favorite?
Do you have a favorite food that starts with L that isn’t on our list? Or even a favorite recipe? We’d love to hear about it, so leave us a comment below!
