Hosts putting out a sharing spread
Compare pack size, flavour and the nutrition panel before filling a communal bowl. Keep each pack's ingredient and allergen information available to guests.
Who is this for?
Shoppers choosing nuts for protein
Compare protein per 100g across products, then look at the stated serving to understand the amount likely to be eaten.
Hosts serving guests with allergies or small children
Check the exact peanut and tree-nut statements for every pack. Asda warns that small children can choke on whole nuts, so plan a suitable alternative for them.
What should you check?
Start with the amount you intend to serve, then compare protein, seasoning and allergen information on the exact pack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Compare protein per 100g on like-for-like labels, then check the stated serving. Sainsbury's lists 36.1g per 100g for its Fairtrade Peanuts; Tesco lists 27.1g for its Salted Roasted Peanuts, and Sainsbury's lists 27g for the KP Honey Roast 225g pack. | I'm choosing nuts chiefly for their listed protein, rather than relying on a front-of-pack description. |
| Seasoning | Read salt and sugars per 100g, as well as the ingredients. Sainsbury's Fairtrade Peanuts list less than 0.01g salt; Tesco Salted Roasted Peanuts list 0.73g salt; Sainsbury's lists 14g sugars and 0.75g salt for the KP Honey Roast 225g pack. | A sweet or savoury flavour matters to my spread, but I want to see what comes with that choice. |
| Allergens | Check the exact pack's ingredients and allergen statement, including any 'may contain' wording. The Food Standards Agency distinguishes peanuts from tree nuts; the name 'nuts' alone does not identify every allergen in a product. | I need guests to be able to identify what is in each snack, with a separately served non-nut option where allergies are a concern. |
| Serving | Compare the pack with its stated serving size before filling bowls. Keep packaging available, and heed Asda's warning that small children can choke on whole nuts. | I'd rather put out manageable servings and offer small children something other than whole nuts. |
What can go wrong?
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Assuming a protein claim tells the whole story
Protein figures differ between the listed peanut products, and a pack's flavour does not tell you its salt or sugars figure.
Compare protein per 100g and the stated serving on the exact label. Read the salt, sugars and ingredients alongside them.
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Choosing a flavour without reading its nutrition panel
Sainsbury's lists 14g sugars and 0.75g salt per 100g for KP Honey Roast Peanuts 225g. Joybuy lists 1.7g salt per 100g for a different product, KP Dry Roasted Peanuts 250g.
Compare each flavoured pack with a plain option using its own label; do not transfer figures between pack sizes or variants.
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Overlooking allergen statements at a shared table
Products can list other nuts or allergens in addition to peanuts. The Food Standards Agency distinguishes peanuts from tree nuts, so neither name covers every guest's requirements.
Read each pack's statement, keep its packaging available and serve a non-nut option separately where needed.
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Leaving whole nuts within reach of small children
Asda's peanut product page warns that small children can choke on nuts.
Do not offer whole nuts to small children; put out an age-appropriate alternative and keep nut bowls out of their reach.
Relevant brand and retailer options
These named products illustrate different choices; check the label of the particular pack you buy.
Sainsbury's
Its Fairtrade Peanuts 100g are a plain-ingredient reference point for a protein-led spread.
- Sainsbury's lists 100% peanuts, 36.1g protein and less than 0.01g salt per 100g.
- Peanuts are an allergen; check the pack's full allergen warning before serving.
KP
KP appears here in distinct honey-roasted and dry-roasted peanut formats.
- Sainsbury's lists 27g protein per 100g for KP Honey Roast Peanuts 225g; Joybuy lists 30g per 100g for KP Dry Roasted Peanuts 250g.
- Those are different products: the honey-roasted pack lists 14g sugars and 0.75g salt per 100g, while Joybuy's dry-roasted pack lists 1.7g salt per 100g.
Tesco
Tesco Salted Roasted Peanuts 200g are a savoury sharing option.
- Tesco lists 27.1g protein per 100g.
- The same product lists 0.73g salt per 100g and may contain other nuts.
Asda
Asda Peanuts 200g offer another plain-peanut reference point.
- Asda lists 26g protein and less than 0.01g salt per 100g.
- Its product page warns that small children can choke on nuts.
M&S
The M&S Nut Collection is a mixed-nut choice rather than a plain-peanut pack.
- It offers a different nut selection for a sharing spread.
- Use the exact pack's nutrition, ingredients and allergen label to decide whether it meets your needs.
Joybuy product options
These options cover unsalted, dry-roasted and honey-roasted peanuts, plus a mixed-nut tin for a festival spread. Pack formats differ, so compare the exact label before choosing for protein or serving needs.
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KP Snacks Unsalted Roasted Peanuts 250g
An unsalted roasted-peanut option for a spread where seasoning is not the priority.
Check the pack's protein and salt figures. Contains peanuts; do not offer whole peanuts to small children.
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KP Dry Roasted Peanuts Reclose Pack 250g
A dry-roasted choice for guests who prefer a seasoned peanut snack.
Joybuy lists 30g protein and 1.7g salt per 100g for this 250g pack. Check its allergen statement before serving.
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Wo Long Assorted Pure Nuts Tin 500g
A mixed-nut tin for a spread where variety matters alongside the protein figure.
Check the exact ingredient and allergen label before serving it to guests with nut allergies.
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KP Snacks Honey Roast Peanuts 390g
A honey-roasted option when a sweet-savoury flavour is the reason for choosing peanuts.
Check this 390g pack's own protein, sugars, salt and allergen label; figures for the separately listed 225g pack should not be assumed to apply.
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KP Snacks Dry Roasted Peanuts 5 × 30g
Five 30g packs offer an alternative to filling one communal bowl.
These contain peanuts. Check this multipack's own nutrition and allergen label rather than applying figures from the separate 250g pack.
Common questions
Are peanuts and tree nuts the same allergen?
No. The Food Standards Agency identifies peanuts as legumes and distinguishes them from tree nuts. Check the exact allergen statement for each pack rather than assuming that avoiding one makes the other suitable for a guest.
Can I serve peanuts in one communal bowl?
Only when that suits the guests you are serving. Keep the original packaging available so ingredients and allergen warnings can be checked, and serve a non-nut option separately where allergies are a concern.
Should I choose plain or flavoured peanuts for protein?
Choose by the exact pack's protein per 100g, then decide whether its seasoning suits your spread. Sainsbury's lists 36.1g protein and less than 0.01g salt per 100g for its plain Fairtrade Peanuts; sweet and dry-roasted products have their own, different nutrition panels.
Can small children have whole nuts at a festival?
Do not offer whole nuts to small children. Asda's peanut product page warns that they can choke on nuts; provide an age-appropriate alternative and keep communal nut bowls out of reach.