Choose small raisin boxes when the aim is to share individually packed additions to lunch; choose 30g dried-fruit packs when one pack is intended to match the NHS portion weight for one of your 5 A Day. Check the fruit, ingredients and allergens on the pack, and follow NHS advice to eat dried fruit at mealtimes rather than grazing on it between meals.
Individually packed portions are easy to divide between people or keep for separate lunches. Tesco and Sainsbury's each list a 12 × 14g raisin-box format; check each person's ingredients and allergen requirements before sharing.
If one pack is meant to provide a 5 A Day dried-fruit portion, look for a 30g dried-fruit serving. That is the portion weight given by the NHS; a 14g raisin box is smaller.
A fruit-and-nut mix is a different choice from plain raisins. Whitworths lists a multipack mix containing peanuts and sweetened cranberries, with a warning that it may contain nuts and sesame. Keep its label available so each intended recipient can check it.
Start with what each person should receive at lunch, then check the contents of the individual packs rather than relying on the multipack count alone.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Read the weight of each inner pack, not just the outer pack. The NHS gives 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion; Tesco and Sainsbury's list 14g raisin boxes. | I'm sharing small additions to lunch, or I want one 30g dried-fruit pack per person. |
| When to eat it | Plan to have dried fruit with lunch. The NHS advises eating it at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk. | A pack set aside for lunch suits me better than repeatedly taking dried fruit from a desk stash during the afternoon. |
| Pack format | Compare the number of inner packs and the grams in each. Tesco and Sainsbury's list 12 × 14g raisin boxes; Whitworths lists a 6 × 30g Sunny Raisins format. | Do I need enough separate packs for several people, or a larger individual pack for each lunch? |
| Fruit and ingredients | Check whether the packs contain plain raisins, another fruit or a fruit-and-nut mixture. Read the current ingredient list, including any added sugar listed for the product. | I'd like to know what I'm handing out rather than assume every dried-fruit multipack contains the same fruit. |
| Allergens | Read both the ingredients and any precautionary allergen statement on each current pack. Whitworths' cited fruit-and-nut mix contains peanuts and may contain nuts and sesame. | For office sharing, I need each colleague to be able to check a labelled pack before accepting it. |
A 14g raisin box is smaller than the NHS 30g dried-fruit weight for one 5 A Day portion.
Use mini boxes as small lunch additions or sharing portions; check for 30g dried-fruit packs if that portion weight is your aim.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Set aside the pack you intend to eat with lunch instead of repeatedly taking portions through the afternoon.
Whitworths' cited fruit-and-nut mix contains peanuts and may contain nuts and sesame. That matters when colleagues have different allergen requirements.
Keep individual packs labelled and let each person check the ingredients and warnings before taking one.
Twelve 14g boxes and six 30g packs divide their contents differently, even when both formats provide individually packed fruit.
Check the inner-pack weight and count against the number of lunches or people you are packing for.
Its Mini Snack Raisins provide a 12 × 14g seedless-raisin box format for dividing between desk lunches.
Its Seedless Raisins 12 Pack is another 12 × 14g box format for small lunch additions.
Whitworths lists Sunny Raisins in both 12 × 14g and 6 × 30g formats, alongside a separate fruit-and-nut multipack range.
M&S Taste Buds Raisin Snack Boxes offer a 10-box format intended for lunchboxes or bags.
These options span 30g red-date sachets, smaller cranberry and blueberry packs, a fruit-and-nut bar multipack and small mango-and-plum bags. Check the fruit and inner-pack size: they are not interchangeable with the plain-raisin boxes discussed above.
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The 30 individual 30g sachets allow one pack to be set aside for each lunch. Check the packaging for pits before eating or sharing the dates.
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The 16g packs suit small, individually packed additions to lunch rather than a 30g dried-fruit portion. The product contains added sugar; check the current ingredients and allergen label before sharing.
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This 16-pack divides the dried blueberries into small 16g lunch additions, below the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion weight. It contains added sugar; check the current ingredients and allergen label before sharing.
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These individually sized fruit-and-nut bars are an alternative to plain dried-fruit packs, not an equivalent 30g plain dried-fruit serving. They contain cashews and almonds and may contain other nuts and peanuts; check the current label before offering one to a colleague.
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The 12 small bags provide separate portions for sharing, but check their individual weights if you need a particular amount per lunch. The product contains added sugar; read the current ingredients and allergen label before sharing.
One of the cited 14g boxes is below the NHS 30g weight for a dried-fruit 5 A Day portion. It can still be a small addition to lunch; check the weight of any different mini box rather than assuming all boxes contain the same amount.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack to reduce tooth-decay risk. For a desk lunch, set aside the portion you plan to have with the meal instead of grazing from the multipack all afternoon.
Let each person check the current ingredients and allergen warnings on a labelled pack. Whitworths' cited fruit-and-nut mix contains peanuts and may contain nuts and sesame; precautionary statements can also flag possible unintended allergen presence, as the Food Standards Agency explains.
Treat a 14g raisin box as an addition to lunch, not the whole meal. Its small inner-pack weight is useful when sharing or packing a separate fruit element; choose the rest of your lunch separately.