Dried fruit can be a fruit addition to a meal that contains a separate protein food, but it should not replace that food when protein is the goal. ASDA Groceries lists 0.7g protein per 30g for Whitworths Amazing Apricots and 0.9g per 30g for Whitworths Fantastic Figs; compare fat, sugars and ingredients on the product you choose, and follow NHS advice to eat dried fruit at mealtimes.
Dried fruit can provide fruit and flavour while another food supplies the protein. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust identifies foods including dairy, eggs, pulses and tofu as protein sources for a high-protein diet.
If you add dried fruit to yoghurt, porridge or a savoury dish, compare protein, fat, sugars and fibre using the serving size on each pack. Products labelled per 30g are easier to compare directly than products using different portions.
The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphur dioxide or sulphites are often used in dried fruit, so check the exact ingredients list if they matter to you. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Choose the protein food for the meal first, then compare dried-fruit labels on the same serving basis. A lower fat figure alone does not tell you how much protein or sugar the fruit contains.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein contribution | Read protein per serving on the exact pack. Compare it with the protein food you plan to eat alongside the fruit. | I want the meal to contain protein, rather than expecting dried fruit to supply it. ASDA Groceries lists 0.7g protein per 30g for Whitworths Amazing Apricots and 0.9g per 30g for Whitworths Fantastic Figs. |
| Fat and sugars | Compare both figures for the same serving size and read the ingredients. Sainsbury's lists less than 0.5g fat and 20.3g sugars per 30g of its Mixed Dried Fruit, which contains candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup. | Keeping fat down matters to me, but I also want to know how much sugar the portion contains and whether the mix includes syrups or other ingredients. |
| Portion and timing | Check the pack's serving size. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce tooth-decay risk. | I would rather add a measured portion to a meal than keep picking from the pack throughout the day. |
| Ingredients and warnings | Read the exact pack for sulphur dioxide or sulphites and any stone warning. ASDA Groceries lists sulphur dioxide in Whitworths Amazing Apricots and warns that stones may remain in ASDA Prunes. | If I need to avoid a particular ingredient, I cannot assume that two dried-fruit products have the same recipe or warnings. |
The dried apricot and fig portions listed by ASDA Groceries provide 0.7g and 0.9g protein per 30g respectively. Choosing them for fruit does not replace choosing a protein food for the meal.
Plan the protein-containing food first, then decide whether dried fruit adds the flavour or fruit portion you want.
Sainsbury's Mixed Dried Fruit lists less than 0.5g fat but 20.3g sugars per 30g, and its ingredients include candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup.
Compare the nutrition panel and ingredients on mixed or candied fruit as well as plain fruit.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Measure the amount you want to eat and include it with a meal instead of repeatedly taking fruit from the pack.
Whitworths Amazing Apricots list sulphur dioxide, while the ASDA Prunes listing warns that stones may remain. The Food Standards Agency also notes that people with asthma have a higher risk of reaction to sulphur dioxide.
Check the current ingredients and warnings for the exact product before buying or serving it.
These examples show why the product label matters more than a brand name when choosing dried fruit for a protein-containing meal.
ASDA Groceries lists Whitworths Amazing Apricots and Fantastic Figs with nutrition information per 30g.
Its listed dried-fruit products include SO Organic Dried Apricots and Mixed Dried Fruit, with different ingredients and nutrition figures.
ASDA Groceries lists own-label Prunes as well as the Whitworths products above.
M&S lists a fruit-and-nut mixture and markets high-protein foods separately.
These dried-fruit options include wolfberries, figs, freeze-dried mango and prunes. If you are adding one to a protein-containing meal, compare the exact pack's serving size, fat, sugars, protein and ingredients; the product name alone does not establish its nutritional contribution.
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For adding wolfberries to a protein-containing meal, compare the pack's protein, fat and sugars per serving. Check the preparation directions before deciding how to use them.
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Figs can be a fruit addition alongside a separate protein food. Use this pack's serving figures to compare fat, protein, sugars and fibre, and check its ingredients and allergen information.
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If you are choosing figs for a meal with a protein food, compare this pack's fat and protein on the same serving basis as other fruit options. Check the ingredients and storage directions on the pack.
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This 10g mango pack is a different portion format from the 30g dried-fruit examples above. If it is part of a meal with a protein food, compare its sugars, fat and protein using the serving figures on its own label.
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For prunes alongside a separate protein food, check the nutrition panel rather than relying on the variant name to judge sugars or protein. Read the ingredients and any stone warning on the exact pack.
Do not rely on the reviewed dried-fruit portions as the main protein food: ASDA Groceries lists 0.7g protein per 30g of Whitworths Amazing Apricots and 0.9g per 30g of Whitworths Fantastic Figs. For a high-protein meal, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust identifies foods such as eggs, dairy, pulses and tofu as protein sources; dried fruit can be an addition to that meal.
Not on its own. Check protein and sugars as well as fat for the exact serving you will eat. For example, Sainsbury's lists less than 0.5g fat, less than 0.5g protein and 20.3g sugars per 30g of its Mixed Dried Fruit.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. It advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Yes, particularly if sulphites are an ingredient you need to avoid. 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. Check the ingredients on the exact pack; ASDA Groceries lists sulphur dioxide in Whitworths Amazing Apricots.