Choose individually portioned dried fruit when several people need their own packs; a larger bag makes more sense if you can divide it before the picnic. Check the portion size, ingredients, allergen information and storage instructions for the exact product. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than grazing on it between meals.
The useful pack size depends on who will eat it and whether you need to hand out separate portions.
Small packs let you hand each person a portion without opening a shared bag. Tesco lists raisins in 12 separate 14g boxes; for products aimed at children, check the stated age and any supervision instructions on the exact pack.
A single pouch is easier to allocate to one lunch than a large bag. The NHS uses 30g of dried fruit as its reference for one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes.
Compare each product’s ingredients and allergen declaration before choosing a shared snack. Fruit mixes can contain nuts or sweetened fruit, while the Food Standards Agency identifies sulphur dioxide and sulphites as ingredients used in dried fruit.
Start with how you will serve the fruit, then check the exact pack’s contents and storage instructions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion format | Count the separate packs and check their weight. Tesco lists 12 × 14g raisin boxes, while Sainsbury's labels its 35g raisin-and-cranberry pouch as one serving. For a larger bag, decide how you will divide it. | I want to hand out individual packs without passing one open bag around. If everyone will share, I can portion a larger bag before leaving. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the full ingredients list and allergen declaration for the chosen variant. Sainsbury's lists sweetened cranberries and sulphur dioxide in its 35g mix; Whitworths lists peanuts in one fruit-and-nut mix. | Someone in our group needs to check ingredients, so the word “fruit” on the front of a pack is not enough for me. |
| Amount and mealtime | Compare the pack weight with the NHS 30g dried-fruit reference for one 5 A Day portion. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals. | A small box may be convenient for lunch even when it weighs less than 30g. I want to plan when it will be eaten, not just how much to pack. |
| Warm-weather storage | Check whether the product needs refrigeration after opening. Tesco instructs shoppers to refrigerate its partially rehydrated apricots once opened. For food normally kept chilled, follow the applicable picnic storage guidance. | Our picnic may last several hours, so I need to know whether an opened pack can stay in the bag or needs a cool bag. |
Sainsbury's lists sweetened cranberries in its 35g mix, and M&S lists sweetened dried strawberries made with concentrated apple juice in one snack pack.
Read the ingredients and compare the nutrition information for the amount you expect to eat, rather than relying on the product name.
A 14g raisin box weighs less than the NHS 30g dried-fruit reference for one 5 A Day portion.
Choose the pack size for the person and the meal you are planning. The NHS also advises having dried fruit at mealtimes.
Tesco instructs shoppers to refrigerate its partially rehydrated apricots after opening. UK government picnic guidance says that, in extremely hot weather, food left out of the fridge should be used within two hours.
Follow the product’s storage instructions. Keep foods that require chilling cool, and avoid leaving them in direct sun.
Whitworths lists peanuts in one fruit-and-nut mix and warns that it may also contain nuts and sesame. The Food Standards Agency also identifies sulphur dioxide and sulphites as ingredients used in dried fruit.
Check each exact pack with the person who will eat it; do not assume that another product from the same brand has the same ingredients.
These ranges illustrate different pack formats; check the exact product label before choosing one for your picnic.
Tesco lists both multipack raisin boxes and a small pouch of partially rehydrated apricots.
Sainsbury's labels its 35g jumbo raisin-and-cranberry pouch as one serving.
Asda lists BEAR Fruit Treasures Berry as five individually packed 20g portions.
Whitworths lists Sunny Raisins and a multipack containing dried apricots and mango.
M&S lists fruit snacks including dates, soft apricots and sultanas with strawberries.
Sunsweet presents pitted prunes in a 200g pouch as a snack or cooking product.
These options include small raisin and freeze-dried fruit packs, a larger prune bag and a chestnut snack. Chestnuts are an alternative picnic snack here, not a dried-fruit portion.
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The separate boxes suit a picnic where you want to hand out portions. The product name states 12 × 14g and 12+ months; follow the pack’s instructions when serving a child.
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The 500g bag is an option when you plan to take prunes for several people. Decide how much to pack and check the label for ingredients and storage instructions; the bag weight does not specify an individual portion.
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This 10g mango pack suits someone wanting a small, separately packed fruit option. Check the exact ingredients and storage instructions; its stated weight is below the NHS 30g reference for a dried-fruit 5 A Day portion.
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This 10g peach pack is another small fruit option for an individual picnic lunch. Check its ingredients and storage instructions, and use the stated weight rather than assuming every single pack is a 30g dried-fruit portion.
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This 100g chestnut bag is an alternative to the dried-fruit packs for a picnic. Chestnuts are not the raisins, prunes or dried-fruit grab bag covered by the NHS dried-fruit portion reference; check the exact pack’s ingredients and storage instructions.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. Check the weight of the actual pack: a 14g raisin box, for example, weighs less than that reference amount.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack. If it is part of the picnic, plan to serve it with lunch instead of leaving an open bag out for repeated grazing.
No. Sainsbury's lists sweetened cranberries in its 35g raisin-and-cranberry mix, and M&S lists sweetened dried strawberries in one snack pack. Read the ingredients of the exact product you are buying.
Follow the storage instructions on the chosen pack. Tesco instructs shoppers to refrigerate its partially rehydrated apricots after opening; food that normally needs chilling should be kept cool at a picnic. UK government guidance says that, in extremely hot weather, food left out of the fridge should be used within two hours.
Check the exact product’s allergen declaration, including for sulphur dioxide or sulphites in dried fruit. Fruit-and-nut mixes need their own check: Whitworths lists peanuts in one mix and warns that it may also contain nuts and sesame.