Choose dried fruit for fruit flavour or recipe use, not on the assumption that it is a high-protein snack. Under the UK condition published on legislation.gov.uk, at least 20% of a food’s energy must come from protein for a high-protein claim; the checked Whitworths 1DERS fruit-and-nut mix falls below that threshold despite containing more protein than the checked plain apricots. If high protein is essential, check a separate protein-focused food against that condition and serve dried fruit alongside it.
If high protein is a firm requirement, check the food’s protein and energy values rather than relying on a fruit-and-nut name. The checked Whitworths mix and Sainsbury’s apricots do not meet the UK condition for a high-protein claim.
A portioned mix can combine dried fruit with nuts, but check whether guests can eat its ingredients. Whitworths lists peanuts in 1DERS and warns that it may contain other nuts and sesame.
If fruit flavour matters more than protein, dried apricots or raisins may suit a dish or planned serving. Check the exact pack for ingredients, portion information and allergens.
Decide whether the food needs to qualify as high protein, then compare ingredients and the amount you plan to serve.
Choose it when: Fruit flavour or a recipe ingredient is the priority, rather than protein.
Bear in mind: Sainsbury’s apricots provide 0.8g protein per stated 30g serving and contain sulphur dioxide.
Choose it when: You want dried fruit with nuts and the ingredients suit everyone being served.
Bear in mind: Whitworths 1DERS provides 4.1g protein per 30g pack but does not meet the UK high-protein condition and contains peanuts.
Choose it when: A food qualifying as high protein matters more than keeping the snack entirely fruit-based.
Bear in mind: Check that food’s own label; serving it with dried fruit does not make the dried fruit high protein.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein claim | Compare protein and energy for the exact food on the same basis. The UK high-protein condition published on legislation.gov.uk requires at least 20% of energy to come from protein. | If high protein is essential, I need the food itself to meet that condition; protein grams alone do not settle it. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen warnings, including those for peanuts, other nuts, sesame or sulphites where relevant. | I’m serving a mixed group, so I need to know whether a nut-containing mix suits the guests before putting it on a shared table. |
| Sugars and portions | Compare sugars and protein per stated serving, not figures from different portion sizes. NHS guidance counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes. | For a planned food serving, I want to know how much dried fruit each person will have and what else the portion contains. |
The UK high-protein condition concerns protein’s share of total energy, not just grams on the label. Whitworths states that 1DERS contains 13.7g protein per 100g, but its protein-energy share is about 12.3%, below the 20% condition published on legislation.gov.uk.
Check protein and energy for the exact product before describing it as high protein.
Whitworths 1DERS contains peanuts and may contain other nuts and sesame. Its Favourites Fruit & Nut Mix contains almonds, cashews and sulphur dioxide.
Keep the exact ingredient information available and choose a separate option for guests who cannot eat the mix.
Sainsbury’s lists 36.4g sugars and 2.7g protein per 100g for its apricots. The stated 30g Whitworths 1DERS pack contains 10.2g sugars and 4.1g protein.
Compare both values using the portion you intend to serve, and choose dried fruit for its fruit flavour rather than treating it as the main protein food.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Include it with a planned meal or food serving instead of leaving it out for continuous grazing.
Its checked range includes individually portioned 1DERS and a Favourites fruit-and-nut mix.
Its checked 200g apricots are a plain dried-fruit option for fruit-led servings and recipes.
Tesco lists 500g seedless raisins and small boxed raisin portions among its dried-fruit options.
Its fruit-snack range includes dates, apricots and other dried-fruit formats.
This savoury lentil-cake option is for serving alongside dried fruit when protein is the priority; it is not a dried-fruit substitute for fruit flavour.
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Consider these savoury lentil cakes alongside dried fruit if the serving need not be entirely fruit-based. Check the pack’s protein and energy values against the UK high-protein condition, and review its milk, sesame and soya handling warning before serving guests with allergies.
Only if the exact food meets the UK condition published on legislation.gov.uk: at least 20% of its energy must come from protein. The checked Whitworths 1DERS mix and Sainsbury’s apricots fall below that condition, so do not use their protein grams alone as a reason to call them high protein.
Yes. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Read the exact pack’s ingredients and allergen warnings. Whitworths 1DERS contains peanuts and may contain other nuts and sesame, while its Favourites mix contains almonds, cashews and sulphur dioxide.
They show a defined serving size, which makes the nutrition figures easier to apply to each pack. Whitworths states that a 30g 1DERS pack contains 4.1g protein and 10.2g sugars; check the stated serving size when comparing it with another product.