Packed-meal planners
An individual pack gives you a fixed amount of fruit to put with breakfast or lunch. If the 5 A Day portion matters to you, the NHS reference for dried fruit is 30g.
Who is a small pack for?
Families choosing raisin boxes
Small boxes can fit into a packed meal without dividing up a larger bag. Compare the weight per box: Tesco lists 12 raisin packs totalling 168g, or 14g each, which is less than the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion.
Shoppers checking ingredients and allergens
Read the label for the exact variety you intend to buy, especially when comparing plain fruit with fruit-and-nut mixes. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit, including raisins, apricots and prunes.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether the fruit will be eaten with a meal before choosing a pack size. Then compare the amount in each unit and the ingredients on that particular pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| When you eat it | Will elevenses be a separate snack or part of breakfast or another meal? The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes, not between meals, to reduce tooth-decay risk. | If my mid-morning break is between meals, I would choose a different snack category rather than graze on dried fruit. |
| Amount per pack | Read the weight of each unit, not just the multipack total. The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion; Tesco lists 12 raisin packs totalling 168g, or 14g each. | For a packed meal, I may want a 30g portion, or a smaller fixed amount that I do not mistake for the 30g reference. |
| Fruit and added ingredients | Compare the full ingredient lists of plain fruit, preserved fruit and mixes. Sainsbury's lists candied peel containing glucose-fructose syrup in its mixed dried fruit. | I want to know whether a pack contains only the fruit I expected or also candied ingredients. |
| Allergens | Check the current sulphites declaration and any nut ingredients or precautionary allergen statement. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit. | With a specific allergy or sensitivity to consider, I need the label for the exact product and variety, not an assumption based on another pack. |
What is easy to overlook?
-
Using a grab bag for between-meal grazing
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
If elevenses is a separate snack, consider another category. Keep a dried-fruit pack for breakfast, lunch or another meal instead.
-
Counting every sachet as a 5 A Day portion
The NHS dried-fruit reference is 30g. Tesco's 168g pack contains 12 raisin sachets of 14g each.
Check the weight per sachet; choose a smaller one for a smaller meal component without treating it as a 30g portion.
-
Assuming a fruit mix contains only plain dried fruit
Sainsbury's mixed dried fruit includes candied peel containing glucose-fructose syrup, alongside sultanas, raisins and currants.
Compare ingredient lists if you want plain fruit or want to avoid candied peel.
-
Skipping the allergen label because it is fruit
The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit. Fruit-and-nut mixes also need a separate check for nuts.
Read the current label for the exact variety and pack size, including its allergen and precautionary statements.
Relevant brands and ranges
These ranges illustrate different pack formats; a brand's inclusion here does not mean every product in its range is a single-portion pack.
Whitworths
Whitworths lists individually portioned dried-fruit and fruit-and-nut multipacks.
- Its 1DERS dried apricot-and-mango variety pack is listed as 4 × 5 × 30g.
- Check whether a chosen variety contains nuts rather than assuming every pack is plain fruit.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 12-pack of seedless raisins weighing 168g in total.
- Each of the 12 sachets is 14g, giving a small fixed amount for a meal.
- One sachet is below the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion reference.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists small packs including 40g dried apricots and 35g mango, as well as larger dried-fruit bags.
- The small-pack weights make it possible to compare amounts before choosing.
- Its mixed dried fruit includes candied peel with glucose-fructose syrup; check the ingredients of the specific product.
M&S
M&S lists Taste Buds 10 Raisin Snack Boxes weighing 140g in total, alongside larger dried-fruit packs.
- The ten-box format offers separately packed raisins for repeated packed meals.
- Check the individual box label and local Foodhall availability before choosing.
Sunsweet
Sunsweet's European range includes pitted prunes in a 200g pouch and a 500g canister.
- The pouch format is relevant if you prefer to portion prunes yourself.
- Those listed formats are larger than an individual 30g grab bag; check the product and pack size available to you.
Dried-fruit options on Joybuy
These fig and peach packs offer different fixed weights to consider for inclusion with a meal. They do not change NHS advice against eating dried fruit as a between-meal snack.
No image available
Three Squirrels Freeze-Dried Figs 40g
Consider this 40g fig pack if you want a fixed amount to include with a meal. It is larger than the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion reference; check the pack label for ingredients and allergens.
No image available
Frula Freeze Dried Fruits Peach 10g
This 10g peach pack is an option when you want a smaller fixed amount with a meal. It is below the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion reference; check its label for ingredients and allergens.
No image available
Jiabao Preserved Fig 70g
This preserved-fig pack gives you a stated 70g amount to consider for a meal. That is more than twice the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion reference; read the ingredients and nutrition panel if you are comparing it with plain dried fruit.
Questions about dried-fruit packs
Is dried fruit suitable for a standalone elevenses snack?
If elevenses falls between meals, the NHS advises choosing another time for dried fruit: it recommends eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Does a grab bag count towards 5 A Day?
The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion, equivalent to around 80g of fresh fruit. Check the weight of the individual bag rather than assuming every small pack contains 30g, and follow NHS advice to eat dried fruit with a meal.
Should I choose a 14g or 30g pack?
For dried fruit eaten with a meal, choose 30g if you want a pack matching the NHS 5 A Day dried-fruit portion reference. A 14g raisin sachet offers a smaller fixed amount, but one sachet does not equal that 30g portion.
Do I need to check for sulphites?
Check the current label, particularly if sulphites are a concern for you. The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit such as raisins, apricots and prunes, and notes a higher risk of reaction to sulphur dioxide for people with asthma.
Is mixed dried fruit the same as plain raisins or prunes?
Not necessarily. Sainsbury's mixed dried fruit, for example, includes candied peel containing glucose-fructose syrup as well as sultanas, raisins and currants. Compare the exact ingredient lists if that distinction matters to you.