I snacked on chicken wings until the pizza was ready

[Tarheel]

I think plenty of British people have bigger ideas about what constitutes a snack.

Fish and chips?

 

[emsr2d2]

Fish and chips?

I'm not sure if you were serious but no, definitely not. That's an entire meal.

 

[tetrahall]

I'm looking for a verb that describes the action of eating some food before the main meal.

Is it correct to say someone "snacked on chicken wings/pasta"? Are these correct and natural?

Not a teacher

I think it was obvious from the first message that the OP was asking if "snacked" was the right verb that describes 'eating some food before the main meal.'

For some reason, responses have focused on what is considered a light meal, and whether that light meal is served in a pizza restaurant.

Remember that the food culture varies hugely across the world. What is considered a 'big' meal in England may be a snack in some country, like "Imaginistan".

Armenians, for example, have dry hard sausages for breakfast - a "large" amount.

And there is the "English Breakfast".

Some people find both unbelievable!

 

[emsr2d2]

It was the OP who specifically asked about snacking on chicken wings or pasta. We can only work with what we've got.

 

[Tdol]

I'm not sure if you were serious but no, definitely not. That's an entire meal.

If you add mushy peas.

 

[White Hat]

How about the verb 'nosh'? Does it differ much from 'snack' and is it in common usage in the English language?

 

[5jj]

'Nosh' (noun and verb) has to do with food/eat - of a normal size inBrE

 

[White Hat]

'Nosh' (noun and verb) has to do with food/eat - of a normal size in BrE

Interestingly, it can be used both with and without 'on' (e.g., noshed on a bagel between classes; to nosh potato chips).

 

[White Hat]

Here are a couple of interesting examples from https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/nosh (to nosh on something - to make a snack of something): After Thanksgiving, we noshed on turkey for three days. Who's been noshing on the chocolate cake?

 

[Tarheel]

I don't know if Americans use "nosh" but "munch" is certainly possible.

Added: The word "nosh" is not in my active vocabulary.