People planning carbohydrate portions
If you use dried fruit with a meal or in cooking, the amount you serve matters more than the size of the bag. Diabetes UK notes that a 30g dried-fruit serving can contain as much as 20g carbohydrate.
Who might use these pack formats?
Households that portion a bulk bag
A 1kg bag may suit a household that will use it and is willing to weigh servings after opening. Tesco and Sainsbury’s list plain 1kg raisin or sultana products.
Shoppers looking for plain fruit
If you want raisins or sultanas rather than a baking mix, read the ingredients. The mixed-fruit products checked at Tesco and Sainsbury’s contain candied peel with syrup or sugar.
What matters when choosing dried fruit?
Check the carbohydrate declaration for the amount you plan to serve, then compare ingredients and decide whether a bulk bag or fixed portions fit how you use dried fruit.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate per portion | Read carbohydrate per 100g and per stated serving, then use the figure for the amount you actually serve. Diabetes UK notes that 30g of dried fruit can contain as much as 20g carbohydrate. | I want to account for dried fruit within my usual meal or carbohydrate-counting plan, rather than judge it by the bag size. |
| Ingredients | Read the full list if you want plain fruit. Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit 1kg contains candied peel with glucose-fructose syrup; Tesco Dried Mixed Fruit 1Kg lists candied peel containing glucose syrup and sugar. | For everyday use, I would choose plain raisins or sultanas if I do not want candied ingredients. A recipe calling for mixed fruit is a different purchase. |
| Pack format | Compare pack weight and unit price on the shelf. Decide whether you can weigh servings from a large bag or would use fixed individual portions. | A bulk bag works for me if I will portion it after opening; otherwise, smaller packs make the serving amount easier to see. |
| Allergens and timing | Check the exact pack for sulphur dioxide or sulphites if relevant to you. The Food Standards Agency notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma. The NHS advises having dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk. | I need to check the allergen declaration when choosing a pack and plan when I will eat it, rather than leave it out for repeated snacking. |
What can go wrong with a bulk pack?
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Assuming fruit sugars do not count
Dried fruit is compact, so an unmeasured handful can be larger than intended. Diabetes UK says a 30g serving can contain as much as 20g carbohydrate.
Weigh the amount you serve and use the pack’s carbohydrate declaration for that amount.
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Treating mixed fruit as plain raisins
Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit 1kg contains candied peel with glucose-fructose syrup and declares 21.1g carbohydrate per 30g serving. It is a different ingredient mix from plain raisins or sultanas.
Compare ingredients and carbohydrate figures on the exact packs, particularly if a baking mix is displayed alongside plain fruit.
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Grazing from an open bag
Repeated small handfuls make the amount eaten harder to keep track of. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Set aside a measured amount for a meal instead of eating directly from the bag.
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Skipping the allergen declaration
Sulphur dioxide or sulphites may be used in dried fruit. The Food Standards Agency identifies a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma.
Check the physical pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration, especially when changing products or pack sizes.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
Tesco
Tesco lists plain 1kg sultanas and seedless raisins alongside dried mixed fruit.
- Its 1kg sultana and raisin listings give bulk buyers straightforward single-fruit options.
- Tesco Dried Mixed Fruit 1Kg contains candied peel with glucose syrup and sugar, so check which product you have selected.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists plain 1kg raisins and sultanas as well as a 1kg mixed-fruit product.
- The plain 1kg listings provide bulk raisin and sultana formats.
- Its Mixed Dried Fruit 1kg contains candied peel with glucose-fructose syrup and declares 21.1g carbohydrate per 30g serving.
Whitworths
Whitworths offers Sunny Raisins in individual 14g packs.
- Whitworths lists the ingredients as raisins (99%) and sunflower oil; an individual pack gives a fixed serving amount.
- Its directly listed case contains 120 packs and requires an address suitable for a 40ft trailer, making that case format unsuitable for an ordinary household delivery.
M&S
M&S lists 500g raisins and a Collection medley of golden, Thompson and crimson raisins.
- The 500g raisin pack is a smaller format than the 1kg supermarket bags discussed here.
- Check the medley’s exact ingredients and nutrition declaration rather than assuming it is interchangeable with the plain 500g raisins.
A Joybuy portion-pack option
This raisin multipack represents the fixed-portion alternative to buying a 1kg bag; compare its pack size with how much dried fruit you expect to use.
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Organix Goodies Raisins 12+ Months, 12 x 14g
The 12 individual 14g packs provide fixed portions if you prefer them to serving from an open bag. This is a smaller multipack, not a 1kg bulk bag; check the carbohydrate declaration for the amount you eat. The 12+ Months labelling is aimed at young children, not at adults managing diabetes.
Questions about dried-fruit packs
Is dried fruit automatically suitable for someone with diabetes?
No pack is automatically suitable or unsuitable on that basis alone. Diabetes UK says dried fruit is easy to eat in large amounts and that 30g can contain as much as 20g carbohydrate. Consider the amount you plan to eat and the exact pack’s carbohydrate declaration within your usual plan.
How should I portion a 1kg bag?
Weigh the amount you intend to serve rather than relying on a handful. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion, but that does not determine the amount appropriate to an individual diabetes plan.
Are plain raisins and mixed dried fruit interchangeable?
Not necessarily. The Tesco and Sainsbury’s mixed-fruit products checked here contain candied peel with syrup or sugar. If you intend to buy plain raisins or sultanas, compare ingredient lists and carbohydrate declarations instead of treating all 1kg dried-fruit packs as the same product.
When should I eat dried fruit?
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack to reduce tooth-decay risk. Account for the amount you serve within your own meal plan.
Should I check for sulphites?
Check the exact pack’s allergen declaration if sulphites are relevant to you. The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide or sulphites are often used in dried fruit and notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma.