Objective: To investigate the role of snack foods in the diets of adolescents in relation to recommendations. Design: A quantitative study whereby the food intakes of 28 adolescents aged 11-14 years were recorded for three consecutive days. Setting: A secondary school in South West London. Methods: Food intake was recorded using food diaries and the computer package CompEat-5.ANOVA and T-tests were used to identify significant differences. Results: Snack foods made significant (p less than 0.001) contributions to all nutrients. However increased saturated fat intakes were beyond acceptable levels. Boys had higher intakes of all nutrients, with the exception of calcium, and significantly (p less than 0.01) greater intakes of iron and zinc. Conclusion: Without compromising the benefits of snack foods, health promotion strategies need to be designed to reduce adolescent intakes of fat and sugar. (Contains 2 tables.)