Choosing dried fruit for weight management involves more than checking whether it is low in fat: compare the calories and sugars in the amount you will actually eat. A small pack gives you a fixed serving, while a larger bag works if you measure fruit into meals; check ingredients too, because plain fruit and candied or coated products have different recipes. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
If you tend to take extra handfuls from a large bag, an individually packed portion makes the amount easier to see. Pack sizes vary: Sainsbury’s lists 14g for its Mini Snack Raisins, while the NHS uses 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion.
If you add dried fruit to porridge, yoghurt or cooking, a larger pack can work when you measure out the amount you intend to use. Compare nutrition for that amount rather than assuming different fruits have the same figures.
If you want plain fruit, read the ingredients before comparing nutrition. Dried-fruit ranges also include candied peel, fruit-and-nut mixes and chocolate-coated products, which should not be treated as the same recipe.
Start with the amount you expect to eat, then compare its nutrition and ingredients across the products you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Check the pack or stated serving size against the amount you will eat. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion; a smaller pack is not the same amount. | I find a fixed pack easier to manage than an open bag, or I can weigh fruit before adding it to a meal. |
| Calories and sugars | Compare both figures for comparable amounts. For example, Whitworths lists 50kcal and 11.0g sugars per 30g of Phenomenal Prunes; Sainsbury’s lists 97kcal and 22.2g sugars per 30g of its Mixed Dried Fruit. These are different products and recipes. | I want the nutrition figures for the serving I will actually use, rather than choosing by a low-fat impression alone. |
| Ingredients | Check for candied fruit, added sugar, coatings or nuts if you want plain dried fruit. Sainsbury’s lists candied peel containing glucose-fructose syrup and sugar in its Mixed Dried Fruit. | Plain fruit suits what I am looking for; I do not want to mistake a mixed or coated product for it. |
| When you eat it | Plan a measured amount with a meal. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. | I can add dried fruit to a meal instead of repeatedly taking it from the packet during the day. |
A low fat figure does not tell you the calories or sugars in your serving. Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.5g fat, 97kcal and 22.2g sugars per 30g of its Mixed Dried Fruit.
Compare the stated serving with the amount you will eat, and read its calories, sugars and ingredients alongside its fat figure.
The nutrition panel describes a stated serving, not an unmeasured handful. Tesco lists 83kcal and 18.8g sugars per 30g of its Seedless Raisins.
Put the amount you intend to eat into a bowl or meal before closing the bag. Choose a smaller pack if a fixed serving is more useful to you.
Recipes differ: Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit contains candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar, while M&S also lists chocolate-coated raisins in its fruit-snack range.
Read the ingredient list for the exact product, then compare nutrition for the portion you intend to use.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion, but advises eating it at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Measure the fruit you want to add to a meal instead of topping up repeatedly from the packet.
Its dried-fruit range includes prunes, raisins, apricots and mixed products.
Sunsweet focuses on prunes and prune-based recipes.
Tesco’s Seedless Raisins are an example of a larger pack for measuring into meals.
Its examples include small packs of raisins and a mixed dried-fruit product.
The M&S fruit-snack range includes plain-fruit choices as well as coated products.
These options include small packs of raisins or freeze-dried fruit and larger bags of figs, prunes or raisins. Choose by the fruit and pack size you want, then check the product label for nutrition per serving.
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The 14g packs provide a fixed amount to add to a meal. The 12+ Months wording is part of this product’s age-labelled variant; a 14g pack is smaller than the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit 5 A Day portion.
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This 12g pack offers a small, fixed amount of freeze-dried jackfruit. It is a different fruit and format from raisins or prunes, so compare its own nutrition label rather than applying their serving figures.
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This 175g bag is an option if you prefer to measure figs into meals yourself. Use the nutrition figures for these figs and your chosen amount, rather than figures for another Whitworths fruit.
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The 190g bag lets you measure prunes into a meal. Check this variant’s own ingredients and nutrition label; figures for Whitworths Phenomenal Prunes should not be assumed to apply to Snacking Prunes.
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This 500g bag suits measuring raisins into cooking or breakfast dishes. Portion out the amount you intend to use and compare nutrition on this pack rather than borrowing figures from another retailer’s raisins.
No. A fat figure alone does not establish how many calories are in a serving or how one product compares with another. Check calories, sugars, serving size and ingredients together; Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.5g fat alongside 97kcal and 22.2g sugars per 30g of its Mixed Dried Fruit.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion, equivalent to around 80g of fresh fruit. That is a fruit-and-vegetable serving measure, not a calorie allowance tailored to weight management.
Not necessarily. Sainsbury’s Mini Snack Raisins contain 14g per pack, less than the NHS’s 30g dried-fruit 5 A Day portion. A small pack can make the amount clear, but check its weight if the 5 A Day portion is what you intend to measure.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. If you are planning an amount for a meal, measure it before adding it to porridge, yoghurt or another dish.
No: their ingredients and nutrition can differ. Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit includes candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar, and M&S lists chocolate-coated raisins in its fruit-snack range. Check the exact product rather than using figures for plain raisins or prunes.