Tea drinkers comparing portions
If morning tea comes with breakfast, a stated calorie figure per 30g helps you compare dried-fruit products without relying on an unmeasured handful.
Who is this for?
People planning a fixed portion
A small box makes the amount you open clear. Check its weight before comparing its calories with a larger product’s 30g serving.
Shoppers checking for sulphites
Read the ingredient and allergen information for the particular pack: the apricot listings from Ocado and Sainsbury’s do not all give the same sulphite information.
What should you check?
Decide whether tea is part of a meal, then compare the portion you would eat and the details on each product label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving calories | Compare the same stated weight. Ocado lists Crazy Jack Organic Soft Apricots at 47kcal per 30g; Sainsbury’s lists Whitworths Golden Apricots at 55kcal and Sainsbury’s Ready to Eat Dried Apricots at 68kcal per 30g. These are figures for the products as sold. | I want to compare the amount I would actually serve with tea, rather than judge products by differently sized packs. |
| Meal timing | The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack. | If my tea break is separate from breakfast or lunch, I would consider a non-dried option for that break. |
| Pack size | Tesco lists each box in its Seedless Raisins 12 Pack as 14g and 40kcal. Compare its weight with the 30g serving used for the apricot figures, rather than comparing the calorie numbers alone. | A fixed small box suits me when knowing how much I have opened matters more than comparing products on a 30g basis. |
| Sugars and ingredients | Read sugars for the stated serving and check whether a mix includes sweetened ingredients. Sainsbury’s lists 22.2g sugars per 30g for its Mixed Dried Fruit, which includes candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar. | I want to know what is in a fruit mix before treating it as interchangeable with plain dried fruit. |
| Sulphites and stones | Ocado describes Crazy Jack Organic Soft Apricots as free from sulphur dioxide. Sainsbury’s lists sulphur dioxide in Whitworths Golden Apricots and its own ready-to-eat apricots. Check the current pack and any warning that stones may remain. | If I avoid sulphites or serve apricots to someone else, the product-specific label and stone warning matter alongside calories. |
Common buying mistakes
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Planning dried fruit for a break between meals
A tea break away from breakfast or lunch is not the mealtime at which the NHS advises eating dried fruit.
Have dried fruit with a meal instead, or consider a non-dried option for the separate break.
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Comparing calories from unequal portions
Tesco’s 40kcal raisin box weighs 14g; the apricot figures above are for 30g. The numbers do not describe equal amounts of fruit.
Check serving weights before comparing labels. Choose a mini box for its fixed portion if that is the more useful feature.
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Assuming a fruit mix contains only plain dried fruit
Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit includes candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar; its label lists 97kcal and 22.2g sugars per 30g.
Read both the ingredients and nutrition panel when comparing a mix with a plain-fruit product.
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Overlooking apricot label warnings
The listed apricot products differ in sulphite information, and fruit stones may remain in soft apricots.
Recheck the pack’s allergen information and take care with any stone warning when eating or serving them.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why the specific product label matters more than a brand name alone.
Crazy Jack
A soft apricot option to compare by its stated 30g serving.
- Ocado lists Crazy Jack Organic Soft Apricots at 47kcal per 30g and describes them as free from sulphur dioxide.
- Check the pack’s storage instructions and warning that stones may remain.
Whitworths
A dried-fruit brand with a listed golden-apricot product that can be compared on a 30g basis.
- Sainsbury’s lists Whitworths Golden Apricots at 55kcal per 30g.
- The listed product contains sulphur dioxide; check the pack if sulphites matter to you.
Sainsbury’s
Own-label apricots and fruit mixes offer different ingredients and nutrition figures.
- Sainsbury’s Ready to Eat Dried Apricots list 68kcal and 10.9g sugars per 30g.
- The apricots list sulphur dioxide. Its Mixed Dried Fruit includes sweetened candied peel, so check that product separately.
Tesco
A reference for shoppers considering small, individually portioned raisin boxes.
- Tesco lists each box in its Seedless Raisins 12 Pack as 14g and 40kcal.
- A 14g box is smaller than the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit portion; Tesco’s label lists 8.4g sugars per box.
M&S
Its fruit-snack range includes several fruit types and prepared snacks.
- Marks & Spencer lists options including soft apricots, dates and raisins.
- Use the individual product’s ingredients and nutrition label when comparing portions; a range listing is not a calorie comparison.
Joybuy product options
These options are raisins, figs and prunes for shoppers considering dried fruit with a morning meal. Use each product’s own label rather than applying the apricot calorie figures to them.
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Organix Goodies Raisins 12+ Months, 12 x 14g
The 14g boxes make the pack size clear when planning a portion with a meal. One box is smaller than the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit portion; compare nutrition labels by weight rather than by box alone.
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Whitworths Figs 175g
For figs with morning tea as part of breakfast, measure the amount you serve from this 175g pack and check its nutrition label for that serving. Do not use the separate Whitworths apricot figures as fig figures.
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J.ZAO Pitted Chilean Prunes 500g
These pitted Chilean prunes are listed in a 500g pack. Before choosing a portion for a meal, check the sugars line and ingredients against any sugar-free wording on the product listing or pack.
Questions about dried fruit
Does dried fruit count towards 5 A Day?
Yes. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. It advises having dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack.
Which of the compared apricots lists the fewest calories per 30g?
Ocado lists Crazy Jack Organic Soft Apricots at 47kcal per 30g, compared with Sainsbury’s listings of 55kcal for Whitworths Golden Apricots and 68kcal for Sainsbury’s Ready to Eat Dried Apricots. This compares those products as sold; it is not a ranking of every dried fruit.
Are all dried apricots free from sulphites?
No. Ocado describes Crazy Jack Organic Soft Apricots as free from sulphur dioxide, while Sainsbury’s lists sulphur dioxide in Whitworths Golden Apricots and its own ready-to-eat apricots. Check the current pack’s ingredient and allergen information.
Can I compare a small raisin box directly with a 30g apricot serving?
Not by the calorie number alone: Tesco lists each box in its Seedless Raisins 12 Pack as 14g and 40kcal, while the compared apricot figures describe 30g. Check the weights before deciding which portion fits your meal.
Should I check soft apricots for stones?
Yes. The Crazy Jack and Sainsbury’s apricot product information warns that stones may remain despite preparation. Check the warning when eating or serving them.