"Snacks" or "Snack food"

Question

I acknowledge that the common meaning of '' snack'' is a light meal, but I wonder if this word could be used for referring to the the FOOD that is suitable for snacking? or do I have to stick with the word'' snack food'' when I want to refer to this kind of food? I've looked up the meaning of ''snack'' on different online dictionaries, however, have only found this meaning of the word'' snack'' on Merriam- Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snack

Example: There are a lot of snacks on my desk: chips, chocolate bars, fried chicken, etc. '' Is it OK to say SNACKS instead of '' SNACK FOODS'' in this context?

I'd really appreciate your help!!

Answer 1

You could make a snack out of anything. A piece of fruit can be a healthy snack. A small sandwich could be a 'snack' if you were hungry between meals, but other people would consider a sandwich to be a full meal at other times. So, "a snack" is anything that you consider to be such - a small amount of food between meals.

"Snack foods" tends to refer specifically to foods which would only be suitable as a snack, such as a chocolate bar or a packet of crisps (potato chips, US). Often, these kinds of foods would also be considered 'junk' foods, although 'junk food' is a term that incorporates larger meals, but unhealthy ones.