# Define "Snack" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634 "2012-01-06T16:38:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/21 "2012-01-07T05:07:57Z")
According to the snack food industry… > [@](#): > > The Snack Food Association (SFA) is the international trade association of the snack food industry representing snack manufacturers and suppliers. SFA represents over 400 companies worldwide. SFA business membership includes, but is not limited to, manufacturers of potato chips, tortilla chips, cereal snacks, pretzels, popcorn, cheese snacks, snack crackers, meat snacks, pork rinds,snack nuts,party mix, corn snacks, pellet snacks, fruit snacks, snack bars, granola, snack cakes, cookies and various other snacks. Pellet snacks? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/22 "2012-01-08T23:23:39Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > According to the snack food industry… > > Pellet snacks? 😕 😕 seconded Only edible pellets I’m aware of are for animals, like you feed them to guinea pigs or get a handful to feed deer at a park. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/23 "2012-01-10T09:47:10Z")
Snack just means a small amount of food not eaten at normal meal times. It can be whatever the heck you want. And they are conducive to dieting–you just have reduce your meals accordingly. In fact, eating five times a day is very often recommended. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/24 "2012-01-10T10:05:14Z")
To me, snack has always meant _any_ food that isn’t part of a main meal. Period. Even candy. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/25 "2012-01-10T11:00:08Z")
Anything that takes the edge off the hunger without being a full meal. So, “One or more of the above, plus…” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/26 "2012-01-10T11:14:10Z")
Recently, I purchased a small bowl of fruit during work hours because I was a little hungry. One of the check out gals noted this and asked if I was having lunch. No, I said, I was just having a snack. 😕 She asked why I didn’t buy a candy bar instead if I was having a snack? Well, let’s see: 1. I like fruit 2. It’s healthier 3. It’s more filling 4. It’s _cheaper_. Really. I filed this next to the biddies I’ve known who totally comprehend that people drink tea because they like it, not because they’re ill. Seriously, I’ve known women (it’s always women) who as soon as they see me with a cup of tea get all concerned and ask how long I’ve been feeling sick. Er… based on tea consumption, about 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/27 "2012-01-10T15:04:40Z")
Very interesting results! It looks like most of the comments say a snack is anything that’s not a meal, but the votes indicate that some foods are generally considered more snack-like than others. Right now, 76.29% of voters think “Chips, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, cheese and crackers, etc.” are a snack - and how this didn’t get 100%, I have no idea. If that stuff isn’t a snack, nothing is. But only 53.61% think “Candy bars (chocolate, as well as Payday, etc.)” are a snack, and only 39.18% think “Other candy (gummies, hard candies, etc.)” are a snack. That said, I am surprised that candy is scoring as high as it is - even “French fries, nachos, pizza rolls, wings, etc.”, at 49.48%, are trailing candy bars in snackiness. I’m also curious whether people think the time of day affects whether something is a snack. For instance, I didn’t have any breakfast today, and I was just debating whether I should go grab a snack (specifically, a bagel) or have an early lunch. If I’d had that bagel earlier, I would have considered it breakfast, but at this late hour, it just seems like a snack to me. However, a few of the comments above make me think that some people would consider that a late breakfast, regardless. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/28 "2012-01-10T15:43:11Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Yes. Everything eaten between the standard meals is a snack. For instance if you’ve eaten lunch, then around mid-afternoon eat a 7 course meal, and then later in the evening eat dinner (or supper depending on where you live), then the 7 course meal was a snack. I would disagree - the 7 course meal was not a snack, it was a late lunch or early dinner. There’s no reason you can’t have three full meals after breakfast. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634/29 "2012-01-10T16:11:04Z")
All of them except for the “regular food” one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/define-snack/608634.md?page=1)