25 Interesting Snack Facts: Read About Its Varieties & Forms

A snack is described as a small amount of food that is what people eat between meals.

Snacks come in many different varieties. They can include either processed foods or packaged snack foods, as well as from ingredients available at home.

Traditionally, snack foods were made with ingredients kept at home with little to no preparation. With the exponential growth of convenience stores, these portable, and satisfying snack foods grew into an influential business!

Snack foods are convenient. They are often addictive because of the presence of preservatives, sweeteners, and ingredients such as peanuts, and chocolates. Chips are some of the most snacked-on items in the world today.

Every county in the world has its own set of snacks that are popular regionally or internationally. American snacks like Kit-Kat, Oreo Cookies, Lays' Chips, Cheetos, Doritos, and Pop-Tarts are world-renowned.

Health Benefits & Nutrient Value Of Snacks

Even though snacking has garnered a bad reputation, eating snacks is an important part of the human diet.

Snacking provides you with additional energy when you exercise or just want to eat something in the daytime. It is important to munch on a healthy snack between meals as it can help you avoid overeating.

Chocolate appeared in its bar form for the first time around 1910. Dark chocolate is known for its many health benefits that come from its composition of cacao beans. Eating dark chocolate can help lower stress and blood pressure levels, and improve cholesterol and even vision.

Several studies show the positive effects of eating peanut butter. Peanut butter helps lower cholesterol, can aid in weight loss, and can even help in preventing type 2 diabetes.

A Harvard study states that drinking two cups of hot chocolate helps in preventing memory decline.

Just because they are snacks doesn't mean they have to be harmful! Healthy snacks contain significant proteins and vitamins. They also have a low concentration of saturated fat. Some healthy snacks can be hard-boiled eggs, lean cheese (like cottage cheese), nuts, seeds, whole-grain foods, crackers, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats.

Fruits and vegetables are specifically suggested to be eaten as snacks because of their vitamin-rich composition with low-fat calories.

History & Origin Of Snacks

Snacking became a favorite pastime in America by the 1950s, and it was a recognized symbolization of American life.

Pringles were invented in the United States. These salty snacks are not made from real potatoes, but dehydrated processed potatoes. In 1975, the FDA forced Procter & Gamble to change the name as Pringles are not potato chips.

The face on the Pringle's box has become of the most iconic mascots in the world! The friendly-faced mascot goes by the name Julius Pringles and started to appear in the mid-1960s when Pringles was gaining popularity. He was updated with more impressive facial hair in the 1990s.

Coca-Cola's flavor is calibrated carefully by its scientists who create a distinct yet unforgettable taste. It is a combination of texture (carbonation), taste (acid and sweetness), and aroma (spices, citrus, and vanilla).

The name of Dorito chips is derived from the term "Doradito", which translates to "little pieces of gold".

Disneyland is credited with the popularization of Doritos! They were first created in 1955 in a Texan-Mexican restaurant called Casa de Fritos. These snacks gained popularity and were shipped all across the country in 1966.

The famous Ramen noodles were created by Momofuku Ando, he created the snack due to food shortages caused by the Second World War. Today, ramen is one of the most famous snack foods in the world!

Nutella was invented during the Second World War by Pietro Ferrero, an Italian pastry maker. He combined chocolate and hazelnuts to extend his cocoa ration. Thus creating the Nutella recipe. Today, Nutella is one of the most luxurious and popular spreads around the world.

Skittles originated in England! The candies were available in the United Kingdom for only five years before they made their introduction in 1979, in North America.

Flamin' Hot Cheetos was created by a Janitor! Richard Montañez, who worked as the janitor at Frito-Lay, invented the snack by adding chili powder to the classic crunchy variety. His idea was welcomed and he went on to become the executive VP at PepsiCo.

Cheetos are designed to be addicting! Usually, it is impossible to just eat one serving of Cheetos as these snacks have a salty and sweet taste that melts in your mouth. The latter tricks the brain into always wanting more.

Krispy Kreme is believed to contain potatoes! Even though the recipe of the Original Glazed doughnuts is top secret, food historians assume there is a presence of flour, mashed potatoes, fluffed egg whites, sugar, skimmed milk, and shortening.

Krispy Kreme founder Vernon Rudolph bought the recipe in the 1930s from a chef in New Orleans, and the company has stated that the recipe has not changed since then.

Lays' Potato Chips are grown on over 120 farms, across 25 states, with some of them being California, Maine, Washington, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, and Wisconsin.

The British version of Kit-Kat is different than usual! The filling between the wafers is not made of plain chocolate but ground-up Kit Kats! The proof was found through a Nestlé factory documentary.

Popcorn is one of the most popular snacking items of all time! It comes as no surprise that popcorns were used in ancient civilizations too. Archaeologists discovered corn kernels and cobs in the New Mexico region, which were dated back to the first millennium. The unpopped kernels popped when they were placed in hot oil.

The Dutch introduced pretzels to North America via New Amsterdam, in the 17 century. By the 1860s, the snack was linked to immigrants, saloons, and unhygienic street vendors. However, the snack underwent rebranding during the Prohibition era, from 1920 to 1933.

The sale of snack foods like pretzels received further boosts with the advancement in packaging which allowed snacks to be sold in proper coverings, reducing contamination risks. Packaging also led to the advertisement of brands with logos.

Graham's crackers were intentionally designed to be boring! Sylvester Graham, the inventor of Graham's cracker thought the plain design of the biscuit would lead to a more wholesome community.

Dangers & Disadvantages Of Snacks

There is no clear answer whether snacking has a negative or positive impact on the nutritional composition of the body or any health outcomes. The primary reason behind this is the lack of a scientific description of what a snack should be.

Most public health organizations generally recommend limiting snacks that are low on nutrition but have a high amount of saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.

Salt is highly addictive and the human body has the same reaction to hard drugs or cigarettes. Many food companies pack an astonishing amount of salt in their products.

Fat's appeal is much different compared to sugar or salt, as there are no taste buds that respond specifically to fat. Manufacturers pack lots of salt in their products alongside fat because it helps mask sharp flavors, giving the foods its extended shelf life and appealing texture.

It is not surprising that an average 10 ounce Lay's packet has around 100 grams worth of fat!

If you eat fast food for even just one month you can develop substantial changes in your liver due to a large amount of fat and saturated fats present in the snack foods. The modifications of the liver are similar to the effects hepatitis has on the body.

In the past years, the sizes of snack packages have increased, because consumers are consuming large amounts of calories when chewing away at snack food. These excess calories can lead to various health risks.

If you are looking to cut down your consumption of snacks like cookies, cake, chips, ice cream, or candy, it is better to not keep these snacks at home! If you want to keep snacks around, you can put them in containers so you can eat the right portions.

Did You Know...

Unlike real cheese, American cheese slices are known as a "pasteurized prepared cheese product".

The composition of the Oreo cookie is always spot on! The cookie comes with a 71:29 cookie to cream ratio.

Crackers often come with holes in them because the holes prevent bubbles from ruining the crackers during the baking process.

The iconic Pringles tube design was created by Fredric J Baur, who patented the design in 1966. A Pringles man until the end, Baur requested that he be buried in a Pringles can. His wishes were honored when he passed away at 89 years of age.

These days, the exact serving size of a snack is often surprising, as packs of chips contain only one serving. However, the package contains 2-3 servings as stated in the facts panel, meaning the entire package must be consumed to get all the calories.

FAQs

Q: What are some snacks that are found only in America?

A: Pop-Tarts, Jell-O, and Butterfinger are some snacks that are only found in America.

Q: What is the best snack of all time?

A: Reese's peanut butter cups are considered the best snack of all time!

Q: What snacks are the most popular?

A: Lays are one of the most popular chips in the United States. Other popular snacks in the U.S. are Cheetos, M&Ms, Skittles, and Oreo cookies.

Q: What is the oldest snack?

A: Pretzels are considered to be the oldest snack food in the world. These snacks underwent various changes over time to get to their current form.

Q: Why are snacks important?

A: Snacks can provide additional energy depending on the time and frequency that you consume them.

Q: What is a fun fact about snacks?

A: Doritos and Oreo cookies have become some of the most globally popular snacks!