Choose plain dried fruit for a fruit portion at mealtimes, not as your main protein snack: Sainsbury's lists 2.1g protein per 100g for its mini raisins. Its SO Organic Fruit & Nut Mix lists 15.3g per 100g, while M&S lists 34.4g per 100g for a nut-and-seed mix that contains no dried fruit. If you want fruit and protein in one pack, compare fruit-and-nut mixes by protein per serving and check the ingredients and allergens.
If dried fruit is optional, compare nut-and-seed snacks by the protein in the portion you would eat, not just by a protein-focused name. M&S lists 10g per 30g pack for its Protein Packed Nut and Seed Mix; it contains no dried fruit.
A fruit-and-nut mix keeps dried fruit in the snack while adding nuts or seeds. The checked Sainsbury's and ASDA mixes list 4.6g per 30g serving and 4.4g per approximately 33g serving respectively. Check the exact pack if allergies affect you or someone you share a kitchen with.
Plain dried fruit works as a cupboard ingredient for porridge, cereal or another meal. The NHS says 30g counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes.
Decide whether you need fruit, protein or both; then compare the portion you would actually eat and check whether the ingredients suit your kitchen.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Read protein per 100g and per serving. Sainsbury's lists 2.1g per 100g for mini raisins and 15.3g per 100g for its SO Organic Fruit & Nut Mix; M&S lists 34.4g per 100g for its nut-and-seed mix. | If protein is my reason for buying, I'll compare the amount in a portion, not assume dried fruit or a fruit-and-nut name tells me enough. |
| Fruit portion | The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion and advises having it at mealtimes. Check the serving size and sugars on the exact pack. | I want fruit for breakfast or another meal, rather than a pack to graze from throughout the day. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check which fruit, nuts, seeds or soya ingredients the pack contains. Read both the allergen declaration and any may-contain statement on the exact product. | In a shared kitchen, I need a snack that fits my own allergy requirements and those of anyone I'm sharing food with. |
| Pack size | Compare the stated serving with the whole pack: the checked raisin mini pack is 14g, while the checked mixes give figures for 30g or approximately 33g servings. Follow the pack's storage instructions after opening. | A small pack may suit a single meal; for a larger bag, I'll consider how I'll portion and store it. |
Sainsbury's lists 2.1g protein per 100g for its mini raisins. Its SO Organic Fruit & Nut Mix lists 15.3g per 100g, but a fruit-and-nut name alone does not establish that a product is high in protein.
Compare the protein figure for the portion you expect to eat. If dried fruit is optional, compare it with a nut-and-seed option too.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Use it with breakfast, porridge or another meal, and measure a portion if you are eating from a larger bag.
Fruit-containing mixes can also contain nuts and seeds. Allergen declarations and may-contain statements differ between products.
Read the exact pack before bringing a mix into a shared kitchen, particularly where someone has a relevant food allergy.
A 14g raisin mini pack and a mix labelled per 30g serving do not represent the same amount of food or protein per eating occasion.
Check both the per-100g panel and the serving figure, then decide whether the pack size fits how you plan to use it.
These ranges offer different ways to buy dried fruit or mixed snacks; the figures below apply to the named products, not every product from a brand.
Whitworths offers portioned dried fruit and fruit-and-nut products.
Sunsweet's own range focuses on prunes.
Tesco's dried-fruit category includes apricots, mango, figs, prunes, dates, raisins and sultanas.
Sainsbury's lists both plain dried fruit and fruit-and-nut mixes.
Asda offers fruit, nut and seed mixes alongside dried-fruit options.
M&S offers dried-fruit snacks as well as a separate nut-and-seed product.
This lentil-cake option is for comparing a protein-focused cupboard snack when dried fruit is optional; it is not a fruit-and-nut mix.
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If protein matters more to you than including dried fruit, compare this lentil-cake option by the protein per cake on its nutrition panel. Check the pack's ingredients and allergen statement before keeping it in a shared kitchen.
Plain dried fruit is better chosen for its fruit content than for protein. Sainsbury's lists 2.1g protein per 100g for its mini raisins and less than 0.5g in a 14g pack. For more protein in a fruit-containing snack, compare mixes by their stated serving as well as per 100g.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. It advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals.
Yes, a fruit-and-nut mix is one option if you want both ingredients in the same pack. Sainsbury's lists 4.6g protein per 30g serving for its SO Organic Fruit & Nut Mix, while ASDA lists 4.4g per one-sixth of its 200g Fruit, Nut & Seed Mix. Check the exact ingredients and allergens rather than assuming the mixes are interchangeable.
Read the ingredients, allergen declaration and any may-contain statement on the exact pack. The checked ASDA fruit, nut and seed mix contains almonds and cashews; the M&S nut-and-seed mix contains almonds and soya. Choose a product that fits the allergy requirements of anyone who will share the food.