For a pre-portioned night-shift snack, M&S Protein Packed Nut and Seed Mix lists 10g protein per 30g pack, but its allergy advice may rule it out. If salt matters more, Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts list 8.8g protein and less than 0.01g salt per 30g; KP Dry Roasted Peanuts list 9.0g protein but 0.48g salt for the same serving size. Choose a portion that fits your break and check the current pack before buying.
A portion you can carry and eat during a break may fit more easily than a large late-night meal. Dietitian-led guidance from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust suggests smaller snacks or a light meal during night breaks.
Plain and flavoured peanuts can have different salt figures. Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts list less than 0.01g per 30g, while the KP Dry Roasted Peanuts listed by Asda contain 0.48g per 30g.
Check the ingredients and product-specific allergy advice, including any cross-contact warning, on the pack you intend to eat. Nuts, peanuts, sesame and soya are distinct allergens in GOV.UK's food-labelling guidance.
Start with the amount you would eat on a break, then compare the protein, salt and allergy information for that portion.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein per portion | Compare protein per labelled serving and the serving sizes themselves. M&S lists 10g per 30g pack for its nut and seed mix; Sainsbury's lists 8.8g per 30g of Fairtrade Peanuts. | I want to know how much protein is in the amount I will actually take to work, not just the figure per 100g. |
| Break-time portion | Check whether the pack is a single portion or needs dividing before your shift. Read energy figures for the portion you plan to eat. | On a short break, I would rather bring a planned snack than eat straight from a large bag. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust suggests smaller snacks or a light meal during night breaks. |
| Salt and flavouring | Read salt per serving and the ingredients list. Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts list less than 0.01g salt per 30g; the KP Dry Roasted Peanuts listed by Asda contain 0.48g per 30g. | I like a savoury snack, but I want to decide whether its flavouring and listed salt fit what I am looking for. |
| Allergy advice | Check ingredients, highlighted allergens and any may-contain or suitability statement on the current pack. Do not assume a seed mix or plain-looking peanuts avoid a particular allergen. | If I need to avoid an ingredient or cross-contact, the exact product's allergy advice matters more than its category name. |
The labels differ: Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts list less than 0.01g salt per 30g, compared with 0.48g per 30g for the KP Dry Roasted Peanuts listed by Asda.
Compare salt for the portion you intend to eat before choosing between plain and flavoured peanuts.
A product can contain several allergens or carry a cross-contact warning. M&S says its Protein Packed Nut and Seed Mix is unsuitable for people with nut, peanut or sesame allergy.
Read the current pack's ingredients and allergy advice rather than relying on a category description or an earlier purchase.
Pack size is not serving size. Tesco Almonds list 142 kcal per 25g pack, while Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts list 179 kcal per 30g serving.
If you buy a larger bag, portion what you plan to take before the shift and fit it around your planned meals.
The examples include a 30g nut and seed mix and a larger pack of roasted almonds.
KP Dry Roasted Peanuts are a flavoured peanut example in the comparison.
Its Fairtrade Peanuts provide a plain-peanut example for comparing protein and salt.
The 25g Tesco Almonds pack is a portion-sized almond example.
Asda's KP Dry Roasted Peanuts listing supplies the figures used here for that KP product, not for an Asda own-label snack.
These options cover plain peanuts, flavoured peanut snacks, a peanut-and-hazelnut mix and a seed blend. Compare their pack formats and current labels against the portion, salt and allergy checks above.
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An unsalted peanut option if salt is a deciding factor. The 250g bag needs portioning for a break; check the pack's allergy advice.
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Individual 30g bags offer a portion to take on a break. If you prefer flavoured peanuts, check the salt figure and allergy advice on this exact pack.
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A seed-and-berry alternative to a peanut snack. Portion the 200g bag before a shift and check its sesame, nut and soya cross-contact advice.
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A flavoured peanut-and-hazelnut mix for someone who wants a smaller bag rather than a single-serve pack. Decide on a break-time portion and check the salt, ingredients and allergy advice.
Yes, if you choose a portion that fits your break and planned meals. Dietitian-led guidance from Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust suggests regular eating and says a smaller snack or light meal during a night break may be preferable to one large meal.
Among the five UK product pages compared here, M&S Protein Packed Nut and Seed Mix lists the highest figure, at 34.4g protein per 100g; its 30g pack lists 10g. Check its ingredients and allergy advice before treating that figure as a reason to choose it.
The Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts label lists less than 0.01g salt and 8.8g protein per 30g, while the KP Dry Roasted Peanuts listed by Asda contain 0.48g salt and 9.0g protein per 30g. Compare the current packs if salt or flavouring will decide your choice.
Read the current ingredients list and the product-specific allergy advice, including any may-contain or suitability warning. GOV.UK identifies nuts, peanuts, sesame and soya as distinct allergens covered by UK food-labelling requirements; a snack's main ingredient alone does not settle cross-contact suitability.
Yes. Product information can change, so use the current pack to confirm ingredients, nutrition and allergy advice rather than relying on an earlier purchase or an online listing.