Lunch packers seeking a 30g portion
If the dried fruit is intended to count as one of your 5 A Day, look for 30g of dried fruit in the individual pack. That is the portion defined by the NHS.
Who is each pack for?
People wanting a smaller lunch addition
A mini raisin box is easy to put alongside lunch when you do not want a 30g pack. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and M&S have 14g-per-box examples; one such box is smaller than the NHS dried-fruit portion.
Buyers checking ingredients and allergens
Plain raisin packs and mixed fruit snacks can have different ingredients. Read the label for the exact product and flavour, particularly if nuts, milk, soya or wheat affect your choice.
What should you check?
Decide whether the pack is meant to provide a 30g dried-fruit portion or a smaller addition to lunch, then check how and when you will eat it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Individual portion | Read the weight of one box or sachet, not just the multipack total. The NHS defines 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion; a 14g box falls below that amount. | I want the dried fruit to count as a full portion with lunch, or I would rather pack a smaller addition without calling it one. |
| Eating occasion | Choose a pack you can eat with lunch. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. | A pack that goes into my lunch feels more useful than an open bag left on the desk for repeated snacking. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Compare the current ingredients and allergen statements for the exact flavour. Whitworths lists milk, soya and wheat among allergens in its Shots Variety Pack and warns that it may also contain other allergens. | If I need to avoid particular ingredients, a product family name is not enough to tell me whether this pack suits me. |
| Nutrition label | Compare figures on the same basis, such as per individual box. Tesco lists 8.4g total sugars per 14g raisin box; Sainsbury’s lists 9.7g per 14g mini-raisin serving. | I want to know what is in the portion I will actually put in my lunch, rather than relying on the size of the outer pack. |
Common buying mistakes
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Counting every mini raisin box as a full fruit portion
Tesco and Sainsbury’s list 14g mini boxes, while the NHS defines a dried-fruit portion for 5 A Day as 30g.
Check the weight of the individual box. Choose 30g of dried fruit when a full portion is the purpose; treat a single 14g box as a smaller lunch addition.
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Leaving dried fruit out for desk grazing
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Put the individual pack in your lunch and eat it as part of that meal.
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Assuming a fruit mix has the same ingredients as plain raisins
Ingredients differ by product and flavour. Whitworths’ Shots Variety Pack lists wheat, milk and soya as allergens and carries may-contain warnings.
Read the current ingredients and allergen statements on the exact pack, including any may-contain wording.
Relevant brand and retailer ranges
Whitworths
Its Sunny Raisin range includes individually portioned 30g packs and 14g boxes. Its mixed snack range is a different choice from plain raisins.
- Sainsbury’s describes each Whitworths Sunny Raisin 30g pack as one of your 5 A Day.
- Whitworths Shots flavours have different ingredients and allergen statements; check the exact pack rather than assuming it matches Sunny Raisins.
Tesco
Tesco Seedless Raisins are available in a 12-box, 168g multipack, with 14g in each box.
- Tesco lists 8.4g total sugars per 14g box and describes the product as suitable for vegans.
- One 14g box is below the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion definition; check the current pack label before use.
Sainsbury’s
Its Mini Snack Raisins come in 14g servings made with raisins and high-oleic sunflower oil.
- The product information lists 9.7g total sugars per 14g serving, making the individual box straightforward to compare with other mini packs.
- A single box is smaller than the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion; check the current ingredients on the pack.
M&S
Taste Buds Raisin Snack Boxes come as ten individually portioned boxes in a 140g multipack.
- The 140g total across ten boxes indicates 14g per box, a smaller addition to a packed lunch.
- M&S directs shoppers to check their local Foodhall for stock; one box is below the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion definition.
Joybuy dried-fruit options
These options include a mini raisin box, individually packed red dates and small packs of dried blueberries. Check each individual pack’s contents against the lunch portion you want.
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Organix Goodies Raisins 12+ Months, 12 x 14g
The 14g boxes offer a smaller raisin addition to an office lunch. One box is below the NHS definition of a 30g dried-fruit portion; check the current pack ingredients before eating.
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Hao Xiang Ni Ready-to-Eat Red Dates, 30 x 30g sachets
The individual 30g sachets can be packed with lunch. Check the pack when applying the NHS guidance for 30g of dried fruit, and remove the date pits before eating.
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Three Squirrels Daily Blueberry Dried Snack, 16 x 16g packs
The 16g individual packs are sized as a smaller addition to lunch, not a 30g dried-fruit portion. Read the current ingredients and nutrition label if you are comparing them with plain raisin packs.
Questions about lunch packs
Does one mini raisin box count as one of my 5 A Day?
A single 14g box does not meet the NHS definition of one 30g dried-fruit portion. Check the amount of dried fruit in the individual pack rather than the weight of the whole multipack.
Should I eat dried fruit at my desk between meals?
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. For an office packed lunch, eat the pack with lunch instead of grazing on it through the afternoon.
How do plain raisins differ from mixed fruit snacks?
The ingredients depend on the exact product and flavour. For example, Whitworths Sunny Raisins list raisins and sunflower oil, whereas Whitworths’ Shots Variety Pack lists wheat, milk and soya as allergens and has may-contain warnings. Read the pack if those differences matter to you.
What allergen details should I read on a UK pre-packed bag?
Read the current ingredients list, emphasised allergens and any may-contain statement for the exact product. GOV.UK guidance says relevant pre-packed food labels must identify the food and list ingredients, with allergens required to be declared by law emphasised in that list.
Are online ingredient and nutrition details enough to choose a pack?
Use product pages to compare formats, then check the current physical label before eating, especially when ingredients or allergens affect your choice. Pack information can change.