The exact nature of 'snacks' can be culturally dependent. However, they are often based on foods that humans crave &x2014; foods that have been historically deficient in the human diet. This includes fried carbohydrate sources (eg crisp/chips; chips/fries and nuts), protein sources such as cheese, dried meats and smoked/dried fish. Confections such as cakes, biscuits/cookies and crackers; breads of all kinds and high protein dips and pâtés. Often these are highly salted and sweetened (originally to preserve them, but these days to make them more desirable).

Snack foods are typically designed to be portable, quick, and satisfying. Processed snack foods, as one form of convenience food, are designed to be less perishable, more durable, and more portable than prepared foods. They often contain substantial amounts of sweeteners, preservatives, and appealing ingredients such as chocolate, peanuts, and specially designed flavours (such as flavoured potato chips). Aside from the use of additives, the viability of packaging so that food quality can be preserved without degradation is also important for commercialization

The healthiest and probably the oldest of all human snack foods would be mixed seeds, nuts and dried fruit or any combination of these in a 'trail mix'. Sweets and Candies Recipes are also considered snacks, but are treated in their own page, as are ice creams, sorbets, sherbets and frozen yoghurts.