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A '''snack food''' is seen in Western culture as a type of food that is not meant to be eaten as part of one of the main [[meal]]s of the day ([[breakfast]], [[lunch]], [[supper]]).  Rather, the food is intended as a ''snack:'' something to temporarily tide a person's [[hunger]] and provide a brief supply of energy for the body.

Snack foods are designed to be less perishable, more durable, and more appealing than natural foods.  They often contain substantial amounts of [[sweetener]]s, [[preservative]]s, and appealing ingredients such as [[chocolate]], [[peanut]]s, and specially designed flavors (such as flavored [[potato chip]]s).

Foods manufactured primarily as snack foods are often classified as [[junk food]]: they have little or no nutritional value, and are not seen as contributing towards general health and nutrition.

The snack food industry in market-driven societies such as the [[United States]] generates billions of dollars in revenue each year.  The market for snack foods is enormous, and a number of large corporations are constantly struggling to capture larger shares of the snack food market.  Consequently, heavy promotions are used to convince consumers to buy snack foods.  Snack foods are advertised far more than regular nutritional foods (such as fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products), and the flashiest [[TV commercial]]s and [[advertising]] campaigns are often designed to sell snack foods.

With growing concerns for [[nutrition]], [[diet]], [[dieting|weight control]] and general [[health]], some people are making a conscious effort to eat more healthy, natural snacks such as [[fruit]] (fresh or dried), [[vegetable|vegetables]] ([[carrot]] sticks), [[nut|nuts]] and [[cereal |cereal grains]] ([[granola]], granola bars, [[rice]] cakes).

== List of snack foods ==

* [[Boiled peanuts]]
* [[Candy bar]]s
* [[Cookie]]s
* [[Hula Hoops]]
* [[Ice cream]]
* [[Moon pie]]s
* [[Popcorn]]
* [[Pork rind]]s
* [[Potato chip]]s
* [[Pretzel]]s
* [[Soft drink]]s
* [[Twinkie]]s

== See also ==

* [[Canap�s]]
* [[Hors d'oeuvre]]

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====References====
* Adapted from the [[Wikipedia]] article, "Snack_food" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snack_food, used under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]