Use plain dried fruit as a fruit component, not the protein source in a school-holiday lunch: Whitworths lists 0.5g protein per 14g box of Sunny Raisins. If protein is the priority, include a suitable protein food separately, or consider a protein snack after checking its ingredients and the activity provider’s rules. NHS guidance advises keeping dried fruit to mealtimes because of its effect on teeth.
If protein is the reason for choosing a snack, check the amount in the portion the child will eat. Whitworths lists 0.5g protein in a 14g box of Sunny Raisins; the NHS Eatwell Guide identifies beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat among protein foods that can be considered separately.
A child-sized raisin box can be packed with a holiday lunch when a fruit component is wanted. NHS Healthier Families advises serving dried fruit at mealtimes rather than repeatedly between meals.
A fruit-and-nut bar is a different choice from plain raisins. Check its current ingredient and allergen label against the child’s needs, and ask the school, club or activity provider about any food restrictions before packing it.
Decide how the lunch will provide protein, then choose whether dried fruit belongs alongside it or whether a different packaged snack suits the occasion.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein in the portion | Read protein per serving and check the serving size you will pack. Whitworths lists 0.5g per 14g box of Sunny Raisins; Sainsbury's lists 10.4g per 40g Eat Natural fruit-and-nut cereal bar. These are different product types and portion sizes. | If protein is the point of the snack, I need to know what the packed portion provides rather than relying on the word “fruit”. |
| Role in the lunch | For plain dried fruit, plan another suitable protein food when protein is needed. The NHS Eatwell Guide lists beans, pulses, fish, eggs and meat among protein foods. | I can pack a little dried fruit for the fruit component while getting protein from another food in the meal. |
| When it is eaten | Plan dried fruit for lunch rather than repeated between-meal snacking. NHS Healthier Families gives this advice because dried fruit can affect teeth. | On a day with activities between meals, I want the dried fruit eaten with lunch, not grazed on throughout the day. |
| Ingredients and rules | Read the exact pack’s ingredient and allergen label. Check the school, club or activity provider’s current food rules before packing a nut-containing bar. | A packaged protein snack only works for this lunch if its ingredients suit the child and it is permitted where they will eat it. |
Whitworths lists 0.5g protein per 14g box of Sunny Raisins. A fruit portion alone therefore does not serve the same purpose as adding a protein food to this lunch.
Read the protein figure for the portion you will pack, then choose a separate suitable protein food if protein is the priority.
NHS Healthier Families advises keeping dried fruit to mealtimes because it can affect teeth; Medway Community Healthcare notes that it can stick to teeth.
Pack the portion to eat with lunch rather than as a snack to return to repeatedly between activities.
A bar containing fruit, nuts and other ingredients is not interchangeable with plain dried fruit for a child who must avoid particular allergens.
Check the current pack label against the child’s requirements and confirm any nut restrictions with the school or activity provider.
A food that suits the child’s ingredients requirements may still need checking against the rules of the setting where lunch will be eaten.
Ask the specific school, holiday club or activity provider for its current packed-lunch and allergy policy.
Sunny Raisins are a child-sized plain dried-fruit option for the fruit part of lunch.
Tesco Groceries lists several kinds of dried fruit, including raisins, dates, apricots, mango and prunes.
Sainsbury's lists an Eat Natural fruit-and-nut cereal bar as a packaged protein-snack alternative, not plain dried fruit.
These are packaged fruit-and-nut bar options for a lunch where a protein snack is being considered. They are not plain dried-fruit portions; check each pack’s nutrition and allergens before choosing one for a child.
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Consider this bar format if the lunch calls for a packaged alternative to plain dried fruit. The listed pack is 4 x 35g; check protein per bar on the current pack, along with its allergen label and the provider’s rules on peanuts.
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This nut-bar option is distinct from a portion of plain dried fruit. The listed configuration is 3 x 42g x 6pcs; check the exact pack’s protein per bar, ingredients and allergens, as well as any rules at the lunch venue.
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The listed 3 x 42g pack is a packaged nut-bar option rather than plain dried fruit. If protein is the reason for choosing it, read the nutrition panel for this exact pack and check its allergens and the provider’s food policy.
Do not rely on plain dried fruit for that purpose: Whitworths lists 0.5g protein per 14g box of Sunny Raisins. If protein is the priority, add a suitable protein food or check the serving-size nutrition and ingredients of a different packaged snack.
Pack it to eat with lunch rather than for repeated snacking between activities. NHS Healthier Families advises keeping dried fruit to mealtimes because it can affect teeth.
It is a different product type, so choose it only after checking that its ingredients suit the child and that the lunch venue permits it. For example, Sainsbury's lists 10.4g protein per 40g Eat Natural bar, whose stated ingredients include peanuts, almonds and soya protein crispies.
Ask the particular club or activity provider for its current packed-lunch and allergy policy before sending food, especially a nut-containing bar. Do not assume that a different school or provider’s rules apply to the day’s setting.