For coffee taken with breakfast, a measured 30g portion of the reviewed ASDA or Whitworths apricots provides about 55–56 kcal, less than the reviewed chopped apricots or mixed fruit on the same weight basis, according to ASDA Groceries and Sainsbury’s product information. A small serving does not make dried fruit a legally ‘low energy’ food. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than grazing on it between meals because of tooth-decay risk.
If you take dried fruit with breakfast on your journey, compare the amount you will eat rather than treating the whole bag as one serving. ASDA Groceries lists about 55 kcal per 30g for its Apricots when calculated from the per-100g label; its listing for Whitworths Amazing Apricots gives 233 kJ, or about 56 kcal, per 30g.
Check whether the pack contains one type of fruit or a mix with candied components. Sainsbury’s lists glucose-fructose syrup and sugar in the candied peel of its Mixed Dried Fruit.
Read the current ingredients and allergen declaration before choosing dried apricots. The reviewed ASDA and Whitworths apricots list sulphur dioxide, and the Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites are often used in dried fruit.
Start with energy for the weight you will actually take, then check ingredients and whether you will eat the fruit with a meal.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Comparable portions | Compare kcal per 100g, then calculate or read the value for the weight you plan to eat. Check whether the stated serving is actually 30g. | I want a portion I can take with coffee without mistaking a small serving for a low-energy food. |
| Fruit format | Compare products as sold, not by fruit name alone. ASDA Groceries lists 182 kcal per 100g for Apricots, with water in the ingredients, and 297 kcal per 100g for Chopped Apricots. | For fruit alongside breakfast, I may prefer pieces ready to eat; for adding to porridge or yoghurt, chopped fruit may suit the way I use it. |
| Ingredients and sugars | Read the ingredients for candied peel, syrup and sugar, and compare sugars for the same serving weight. Sainsbury’s lists 22.2g sugars per 30g in its Mixed Dried Fruit. | I want to know what is in a fruit mix before choosing it over a single-fruit product. |
| Meal timing | 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. | If I take dried fruit on my commute, I can include it with breakfast rather than nibbling from a bag throughout the journey. |
| Sulphites | Check the current ingredients and allergen declaration. The reviewed ASDA and Whitworths apricots list sulphur dioxide; the Food Standards Agency says it is often used in dried fruit. | When I need to avoid sulphites, the fruit name alone cannot tell me whether a particular pack is suitable. |
Under the nutrition-claim rules for Great Britain published on legislation.gov.uk, a ‘low energy’ claim for solid food requires no more than 40 kcal per 100g. ASDA Groceries lists 182 kcal per 100g for its Apricots.
Compare kcal per 100g first, then work out the energy in the portion you intend to eat. Describe a lower figure within this comparison as lower energy per measured portion, not as a low-energy claim.
Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit contains candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar and lists 97 kcal and 22.2g sugars per 30g.
Read both the ingredients and the nutrition panel when comparing a mix with a single-fruit product.
Although 30g counts as one 5 A Day portion, the NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
If you take it with coffee, pack a measured amount to eat alongside breakfast or another meal.
The reviewed ASDA and Whitworths apricots list sulphur dioxide. The Food Standards Agency notes that people with asthma have a higher risk of reacting to sulphur dioxide.
If sulphites matter to your choice, check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen declaration rather than relying on the fruit type or product title.
These references describe particular product listings or ranges, not every dried-fruit product sold under each name.
Amazing Apricots offers a stated 30g measure for comparison.
Its listed Apricots and Chopped Apricots illustrate why format and serving weight matter.
Mixed Dried Fruit is an option for shoppers who want a mixture of fruit and candied peel.
Its dried-fruit range includes several fruit types and mixes to compare by their individual labels.
Its fruit-snack range includes dates and apricots.
These prunes, raisins and dates offer different pack formats to consider for coffee taken with a meal. Compare the current label for the amount you intend to eat; they are not substitutes for the apricot products compared above on a 30g energy basis.
No image available
For coffee with a meal, portion these prunes from the 500g pack before travelling. Check the current nutrition and ingredients labels, and confirm the pack format if individual portions matter to you.
No image available
The 12 x 14g format gives you a stated box size to consider when taking raisins with a meal on your commute. A 14g box is not the same serving weight as the 30g products compared above, so check energy for the amount eaten.
No image available
The 700g pack is worth considering if you can portion prunes before leaving rather than carry the full pack with coffee. Check the current serving information and storage instructions, including directions for after opening.
No image available
Thirty 30g sachets provide a stated portion size for taking dates with coffee as part of breakfast. Compare their current energy information with other fruit on the same 30g basis, and check whether pits need removing.
No image available
Seven packs within the 175g product offer a pack format to consider for coffee with a meal. Check the weight and energy of the amount you take; do not assume one pack equals a 30g serving.
Not on serving size alone. Under the nutrition-claim rules for Great Britain published on legislation.gov.uk, a solid food must contain no more than 40 kcal per 100g for a ‘low energy’ claim. ASDA Groceries lists 182 kcal per 100g for its Apricots, even though 30g works out at about 55 kcal.
Eat it with breakfast or another meal rather than grazing on it between meals. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion but advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Compare their nutrition panels as sold and use the same weight. ASDA Groceries lists 182 kcal per 100g for ASDA Apricots, whose ingredients include water, but 297 kcal per 100g and 89 kcal per 30g for ASDA Chopped Apricots. A shared fruit name does not mean the formats have the same energy per gram.
Yes, if sulphites matter to your choice: check the current ingredients and allergen declaration for the particular pack. The reviewed ASDA and Whitworths apricots list sulphur dioxide, and the Food Standards Agency says sulphites are often used in dried fruit.