Dried fruit is not necessarily low in calories by weight, but a small, defined pack can limit the calories in each refreshment: Sainsbury’s lists 42 kcal per 14g raisin box, while Whitworths lists 47 kcal. Choose sealed mini packs when easy individual distribution matters; choose a larger pack if you can portion it before the event. If people will be snacking between meals, consider fresh fruit instead: the NHS advises having dried fruit with meals because it can stick to teeth.
Sealed mini packs give each person a defined portion without serving from an open bowl. For example, Sainsbury’s lists 42 kcal per 14g raisin box and Whitworths lists 47 kcal per 14g box; check the pack you actually buy for its serving size.
A larger pack lets you prepare portions in advance, but it does not set a serving size for you. Decide how much to put in each portion and how you will distribute it at the sale.
If you are selling rather than sharing refreshments, check how your activity and packing method affect registration and labelling. The Food Standards Agency sets requirements for food businesses and for food that qualifies as prepacked for direct sale.
Start with the amount each person will receive, then consider when it will be eaten and whether you can prepare portions before the event.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Compare grams and kcal per supplied pack. Sainsbury’s lists 42 kcal per 14g raisin box; Whitworths lists 47 kcal per 14g box. | I want to hand each visitor a defined small portion rather than estimate a handful. |
| Calories by weight | Read the kcal per 100g as well as per serving. Sainsbury’s lists 297 kcal per 100g for its mini snack raisins; a smaller pack changes the amount served, not the product’s calorie density. | If I am comparing different fruits or pack sizes, I need to keep the serving amount and the per-100g figure separate. |
| Serving time | Consider whether the refreshment is part of a meal or a between-meal snack. The NHS advises having dried fruit at mealtimes because it can stick to teeth and suggests fresh fruit instead between meals. | Visitors may graze throughout the event, so I want an option that suits when they will eat it. |
| Distribution | Check whether portions are individually packed or need preparing from a larger bag. For pre-portioned bulk fruit, the NHS describes 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion; a 14g snack box is smaller than that reference. | I can prepare portions before the sale, or I may need something sealed and ready to hand out. |
| Food for sale | Establish whether you are operating a food business and whether food you pack for sale falls under prepacked-for-direct-sale rules. Ask the relevant local authority about your arrangement. | If I plan to sell portions I have packed myself, I need to settle the applicable registration and labelling steps before the event. |
The 42 kcal listed by Sainsbury’s and the 47 kcal listed by Whitworths apply to their respective 14g raisin boxes, not to an unrestricted serving.
Compare the grams and kcal per serving alongside kcal per 100g, particularly if you will make portions from a larger pack.
The NHS describes 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion. A 14g snack box is a smaller product portion, not that NHS reference amount.
Describe mini boxes by their actual weight rather than presenting them as a full 5 A Day portion.
Waitrose & Partners lists 325 kcal per 100g for New Forest Fruit Strawberry Snacks. Their freeze-dried format alone does not establish a calorie saving over other dried fruit.
Choose the fruit and texture you want, then compare the labelled serving size and kcal per 100g.
Food-business registration and prepacked-for-direct-sale labelling depend on the selling and packing arrangement. The Food Standards Agency says qualifying prepacked-for-direct-sale food must display its name and a full ingredients list with regulated allergens emphasised.
If you intend to sell portions you pack yourself, check the arrangement with the relevant local authority before the event.
These named products illustrate different pack formats; the brand references do not imply that every product in a brand’s range has the same nutrition or portion size.
Sunny Raisins come in individual 14g boxes, a format for handing out a measured portion.
Mini Snack Raisins are listed as 12 individually packed 14g servings.
Tesco Seedless Raisins 1kg illustrates the larger-pack route for organisers making their own portions.
These options include individual raisin boxes, individually wrapped prunes and small freeze-dried fruit packs. Compare each pack’s stated weight before deciding how much to hand out.
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The 12 individual 14g boxes give you a stated amount to distribute without making portions from a larger bag. A 14g box is smaller than the NHS 30g dried-fruit 5 A Day portion reference.
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Individual wrapping may make the prunes easier to hand out from the 500g pack. If you need a precise calorie figure per piece, check the weight of an individual portion and the pack’s nutrition panel; do not treat an unspecified piece as a fixed serving. Check the sugars figure on the nutrition panel rather than relying on the title’s sugar-free claim.
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The 12g pack offers a defined amount if you want a freeze-dried fruit option. Compare its labelled nutrition with the other choices rather than assuming freeze-drying reduces calories. The product information warns that it is unsuitable for children under 4 because of a choking hazard.
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This 10g pack provides a stated small portion for an individual handout. If calories or sugars guide your choice, compare the nutrition panel per pack and per 100g with the alternatives.
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The 10g pack is another defined portion for handing out. Check its labelled kcal and sugars for that pack size; a small pack does not establish that freeze-dried fruit is low in calories by weight.
Not automatically: the amount served matters. Sainsbury’s lists 42 kcal per 14g raisin box and 297 kcal per 100g, while Whitworths lists 47 kcal per 14g box. Use the pack weight and its nutrition panel to judge the actual portion you plan to offer.
No. The NHS describes 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion. A 14g box is a smaller, defined snack portion, not the NHS reference amount.
Consider fresh fruit instead of relying only on dried fruit. The NHS advises having dried fruit with meals because it can stick to teeth and suggests swapping it for fresh fruit between meals.
If your activity is a food business, the Food Standards Agency says a new food business must register with its local authority at least 28 days before trading. An occasional car boot sale is not automatically classified by that description alone; check your circumstances with the relevant local authority before selling.
Check whether your portions qualify as prepacked for direct sale. The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland describe a legal requirement, in force since 1 October 2021, for qualifying food labels to show the food name and a full ingredients list with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised. Ask the relevant local authority how the rules apply to your packing and selling arrangement.