Meals eaten 'between meals'—the act of nibbling, snacking, or grazing—are very often underestimated, not only in the importance of their consumption, but also in what they represent for the dietary repertoire, for health, and for occasions of sociability or everyday food consumption in a social context.
These terms refer to foods that are not properly considered as full meals, either because of their quantity or the time of day they are consumed, and thus are not main meals. Depending on what need this food is fulfilling, the popular usage of each term varies. For example, the Anglicism 'snack' is generally used in Mexico for a food with certain structural characteristics: sometimes it is an industrial product, or sometimes it refers to foods considered 'suitable' to be called snacks. For instance, it is unlikely that a soup (except for instant varieties) would be considered a snack, even if it is low in calories or eaten between meals. When these foods are called 'colación', the term usually derives from medical-nutritional jargon to define eating occasions outside the three traditional meals (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). The term 'botana' generally implies a more social context, where other activities are involved, such as a gathering with family or friends, or food serving as a mediator for other activities, like watching a movie or being at a stadium. The term 'tentempié' lacks a determinism regarding whether it must be consumed alone or in a group. Although these differences are subtle, they are decisive for how the food is categorized, not only by its composition but also by the contextual characteristics in which it is consumed.
In this way, we can see that these foods play an extremely important role not only in consumption but also in social life and the culinary culture of a community. They greatly determine eating rhythms and, according to various studies, our perception of what we eat between meals significantly influences our perception of our diets. It has even been carefully studied how these perceptions determine the way we overestimate or underestimate the amount of food we ingest during a day. Furthermore, the quality of these foods can positively or negatively influence our perception of the other three main meals. For example, someone may be convinced that their three daily meals are healthy dishes or in correct portions according to their needs, but if we examine what is eaten between meals, the quality of these foods could be less healthy.
Generally, these foods are consumed while performing another activity, and this influences the perception of what was eaten, usually underestimating the amount of food ingested. Investigating how these foods are perceived in terms of quality, quantity, and the context in which they are eaten, as well as their role in the energy intake of the Mexican diet, is a task of utmost importance to guide better recommendations toward more satisfying eating—not only biologically, but also emotionally and socially—taking into account the conditions in which these types of foods are consumed.
— This article was originally published in Spanish by Liliana Martínez Lomelí. Translation generated with AI from the original text.
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