Packed-lunch eaters
If the fruit needs to sit beside cheese, crackers and pickle in a lunch bag, a separated raisin box or small pouch avoids carrying a larger bag. Tesco and Sainsbury's list these smaller formats.
Who is each format for?
People planning a defined portion
Pack weight matters if dried fruit is one part of the meal. The NHS uses 30g as its reference for one dried-fruit portion of 5 A Day and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes.
Shoppers checking ingredients
Read the current pack if an ingredient or allergen matters to your household. The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphur dioxide and sulphites as ingredients often used in dried fruit, including raisins, apricots and prunes.
What should you check?
Decide whether the fruit is for one packed lunch or several meals, then compare portion weight, fruit type and the current label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack format | Check whether portions are separated or need serving out. Sainsbury's lists 12 × 14g mini raisin boxes; Tesco lists 35g mango, 50g apricots and 60g mixed raisins. | I want to put one ready-separated portion in a lunch bag without repacking fruit. |
| Portion weight | Read the grams per box or pouch. The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes. | A small addition beside cheese and crackers may suit my lunch; I don't need to treat every pack as one 5 A Day portion. |
| Ingredients | Check the current ingredient and allergen label. The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit such as raisins, apricots and prunes. | If an ingredient matters to my household, I need to check this pack rather than rely on an earlier listing. |
| Fruit choice | Choose the fruit and format you want with the savoury lunch. Retailer ranges include raisins, mango and soft apricots; check whether a product is plain or coated. | I'd like a fruit flavour alongside the cheese, pickle and crackers, rather than a bag chosen for baking. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming every pack equals one 5 A Day portion
The NHS reference is 30g of dried fruit. A 14g mini box is smaller than that; a 35g, 50g or 60g pouch contains more than 30g.
Read the weight and choose how much fruit to include with the rest of the meal.
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Taking a large bag for one ready-to-eat lunch
A larger bag can serve several lunches, but it does not provide the separated portions of a mini-box multipack.
Choose a box or small pouch when you want to pack it as it is; serve fruit from a larger bag into a container when preparing several meals.
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Saving the dried fruit for repeated between-meal snacking
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Include it with the ploughman's lunch rather than using the same packs for grazing between meals.
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Skipping the current label
Sulphites are used in some dried fruit, and Sainsbury's cautions that product ingredients can change.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack before eating, even if you have seen the product online before.
Brand and retailer references
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists Mini Snack Raisins in a 12 × 14g format.
- The separate mini boxes suit lunches packed for different people.
- Sainsbury's advises reading the current label because ingredients can change.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 12-pack of seedless raisins alongside small packs of mango, soft apricots and mixed raisins.
- Listed pack sizes include 35g mango, 50g apricots and 60g mixed raisins.
- Check the weight of the particular fruit and pack you choose; these formats are not interchangeable portions.
Whitworths
Whitworths has raisin formats including Sunny Raisins and a 300g Snacking Raisins bag listed by Tesco.
- Whitworths lists raisins (99%) and sunflower oil as the ingredients of Sunny Raisins.
- A 300g bag needs serving out when packing an individual lunch.
M&S
M&S describes its Taste Buds product as 10 raisin snack boxes for lunchboxes.
- Separate boxes offer a format that can be divided between packed lunches.
- Check the weight on the chosen box when comparing it with other portion sizes.
Dried-fruit options on Joybuy
These options include small packs that can go into one ploughman's lunch and larger packs from which you can serve fruit for several lunches. Compare the stated weights before deciding how much to pack.
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Organix Goodies Raisins 12+ Months, 12 × 14g
The 12 × 14g format lets you pack a small raisin portion without serving it from a larger bag. Each 14g portion is below the NHS 30g dried-fruit reference for one 5 A Day portion; the product is labelled 12+ Months.
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Kooky Gently Dried Dragon Fruit 20g
This 20g pack offers a different fruit choice for a single lunch. Its stated weight is below the NHS 30g dried-fruit reference for one 5 A Day portion.
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Frula Freeze Dried Mango 10g
This 10g pack is an option when you want a small addition of mango with lunch. It is labelled freeze-dried, rather than the soft dried mango format listed among the supermarket examples, and weighs less than the NHS 30g dried-fruit portion reference.
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Be&Cheery Rose Red Raisins 100g
The 100g pack suits preparing raisin portions for more than one lunch. Serve out the amount you want rather than treating the whole pack as an individual portion.
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Whitworths Figs 175g
For a shared ploughman's lunch or several packed meals, the 175g fig pack provides fruit to serve out. It is larger than a single small pouch, so portion it separately for an individual lunch.
Frequently asked questions
Does dried fruit count towards 5 A Day?
Yes. The NHS states that 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. Check the weight of an individual box or pouch: a 14g mini box is smaller than that reference.
Should I put dried fruit in the lunch rather than eat it between meals?
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes to reduce tooth-decay risk. If you are packing it for a ploughman's lunch, include it as part of that meal rather than saving it for repeated between-meal snacking.
Should I check dried fruit for sulphites?
Yes, if sulphites are relevant to your ingredient or allergen requirements. The Food Standards Agency identifies sulphur dioxide and sulphites as ingredients often used in dried fruit such as raisins, apricots and prunes; check the current pack.
Is an online ingredient listing enough?
Read the pack label before eating. Sainsbury's cautions that product ingredients can change, so an online listing or a label you saw previously should not replace the current pack information.