Britain is a nation of "snack addicts", with one in ten people regularly eating them instead of proper meals.
Women were the worst culprits, with half admitting they regularly snacked on junk food, compared with about a quarter of men, according to a new survey.
The favourite place to stash snacks like crisps and chocolate was the desk drawer (26 per cent), followed by the handbag (16 per cent) and car (12 per cent).
And the most popular time for snacking was mid-evening, when 68 per cent, the survey of 3,834 people found, settled in front of the television with a treat. The survey also revealed that the nation's favourite snack is the packet of crisps (47 per cent), followed by chocolate (21 per cent) and biscuits (12 per cent).
However, a few healthy foods did sneak into the top ten with fruit at number four, nuts at number eight and raw vegetables at number nine, the survey of 3,834 people found.
Nutritionist Suzannah Olivier said: "We are clearly a nation of snack addicts.
"However healthily we eat at meal times, it is very easy to reach for a packet of crisps and undo all our good intentions.
"As soon as cravings hit, many of us reach for a handful of crisps or some biscuits from the jar, not only because they are tempting but also because they're convenient.
"Become a smart snacker by stocking up your fridge, cupboard and desk drawer at work with handy healthy alternatives."
The survey was carried out for Panda Licorice. The top ten snacks were: crisps, chocolate, biscuits, fruit, sweets, cake, toast, nuts, raw vegetables and cereal.
