Pack dried fruit as the fruit part of a picnic lunch, rather than assuming it will provide the main protein component. If protein is your priority, choose a separate protein food or check the protein declaration on an exact fruit-and-nut mix; a mix’s name alone does not establish how much protein a serving provides. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it with a meal.
Choose the main protein food first, then decide whether dried fruit belongs alongside it. Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust identifies foods including eggs, dairy, fish, pulses and tofu as protein sources.
Dried fruit is compact to carry with lunch. The NHS says 30g counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes.
A mix puts fruit and nuts in one pack, but its protein amount and ingredients depend on the exact product. Check the serving size, protein declaration and allergen information, particularly when packing for someone else.
Choose when: You want fruit to accompany a picnic meal.
Bear in mind: Select the meal’s protein food separately rather than assuming dried fruit fills that role.
Choose when: You want fruit and a nut or seed ingredient together and the exact mix suits everyone eating it.
Bear in mind: Protein per serving and allergens vary by pack, so the mix still needs a label check.
Choose when: Protein is the main reason for planning the lunch.
Bear in mind: Packing two foods means checking the ingredients and storage instructions for each.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Read grams of protein per serving and per 100g on the exact pack. Compare serving sizes before comparing products. | If protein is central to my lunch, I want to know what the portion I will actually pack provides, rather than relying on the words “fruit-and-nut”. |
| Fruit portion | Measure a dried-fruit portion if using it towards 5 A Day. The NHS says 30g counts as one portion. | I want a portable fruit component without treating a whole sharing bag as one portion. |
| When to eat it | Pack dried fruit with the main lunch rather than for repeated snacking between meals, in line with NHS advice. | For an afternoon picnic, I would rather include the dried fruit in lunch than keep grazing from an open bag. |
| Allergens | Read the exact mix’s ingredients and allergen declaration. Check the other picnic foods separately too. | If someone eating with me has a nut allergy, the particular nuts and any allergen warnings on the pack matter more than the mix’s name. |
A dried-fruit label or its position beside nuts does not tell you how much protein your serving contains.
Compare the protein declaration on the exact pack with the portion you intend to eat. If protein is the lunch priority, identify the main protein food separately.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals because of tooth-decay risk.
Pack the amount you intend to have with lunch; 30g is the NHS amount for one dried-fruit 5 A Day portion.
Different mixes can contain different nuts. That distinction matters when packing for someone with a nut allergy.
Check the ingredients and allergen declaration on every exact pack before choosing it for the group.
These ranges offer different ways to buy dried fruit or mixes; the protein declaration still needs checking on the product you choose.
Tesco Groceries lists dried-fruit products including dates, prunes, raisins and sultanas.
Whitworths lists dried-fruit products and a 1DERS fruit-and-nut mix.
M&S lists fruit snacks as well as a separate nuts-and-seeds range.
These options include fruit-and-nut mixes, a seed-and-goji-berry blend and a flapjack that could be packed alongside dried fruit. Check each pack’s protein declaration, ingredients and serving size against your lunch plans.
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Consider this fruit-and-nut mix if you want both ingredients in one picnic snack. The named pack is 750g; check its serving size, protein declaration and allergens before packing portions.
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This 115g fruit-and-nut mix is an option when you want fruit and nuts together. Check the pack for the portion’s protein amount and its full allergen declaration.
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Choose this seed-and-goji-berry blend if you plan to portion a mix to have with other picnic food. The bag is 200g; check its ingredients, allergens and protein per intended serving.
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This three-pack of 50g flapjacks is a separate snack option to consider alongside a dried-fruit portion. Read the protein declaration and ingredients on the exact pack rather than treating the word “protein” as an amount per bar.
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The 30-sachet format gives you separate packs to take to a picnic. This is a nuts-and-dried-fruit mix; check the protein declaration and allergen information on the sachets or outer pack.
Do not assume it can. If protein is the priority, include a clearly identified protein food and use dried fruit as the fruit component, or check the protein per serving on the exact mix you are considering.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one portion. It advises having dried fruit with a meal rather than repeatedly between meals, so pack it as part of the picnic lunch.
Do not choose a mix for them without checking the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen information against their allergy requirements. Mixes can contain different nuts, including almonds, cashews and hazelnuts; plain dried fruit and a separately chosen food may be easier to assess as distinct items.
Follow the instructions on its own pack and check the pack condition before leaving. For example, Whitworths says to store its Sunny Raisins in a cool, dry place; instructions for another product may differ.