Merenda vs. spuntino vs. snack
In Italian, 'merenda', 'spuntino', and 'snack' all refer to small meals or light refreshments eaten between main meals, but they have subtle differences in usage and cultural context.
Merenda
'Merenda' is a traditional Italian light meal, typically eaten in the afternoon by children after school or by adults as a break.
I bambini mangiano la merenda dopo la scuola.
(The children eat their snack after school.)
Facciamo una merenda con pane e marmellata.
(Let's have a snack with bread and jam.)
Spuntino
'Spuntino' refers to a small, quick snack eaten at any time of the day to satisfy hunger between meals.
Ho fatto uno spuntino veloce prima della riunione.
(I had a quick snack before the meeting.)
Uno spuntino di frutta è salutare.
(A fruit snack is healthy.)
Snack
'Snack' is a loanword from English, often used for packaged or processed foods eaten as a quick bite.
Ho comprato degli snack per il viaggio.
(I bought some snacks for the trip.)
Preferisco gli snack salati a quelli dolci.
(I prefer savory snacks to sweet ones.)
Summary
While 'merenda' is associated with a specific time and tradition, 'spuntino' is more general and can occur anytime. 'Snack' often implies modern, packaged foods. All three terms refer to small amounts of food eaten between main meals, but their usage varies based on context and the type of food consumed.