Organisers measuring each prize
If you want a prize below 100 kcal, compare the energy for the portion you will actually hand out. A labelled 25g or 30g serving is a different choice from a smaller portion you weigh and package yourself.
Who is choosing the prizes?
Hosts of mixed-age hunts
Age changes the prize plan. The NHS says not to give whole nuts or peanuts to children under 5; set aside non-nut prizes for younger participants rather than relying on supervision to make whole nuts suitable.
Hosts checking allergies
Find out whether participants can receive the specific product before buying or hiding it. Peanut and tree-nut ingredients need separate attention, particularly in mixed-nut packs.
What should you check before buying?
Decide who can receive a nut prize first, then compare the calories in the portion you intend to distribute and the work needed to prepare it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per prize | Read the stated serving size as well as kcal per 100g. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust lists 24 pistachios, or 15g, at 90 kcal; Sainsbury's lists its unsalted mixed nuts at 165 kcal per 25g. | I want to know the calories in the amount each person receives, not just the figure printed for a larger bag. |
| Portion format | Compare a fixed snack pack with a larger bag that you can weigh into smaller prizes. Tesco lists KP Dry Roasted Peanut Snack Packs at 179 kcal per 30g pack. | A sealed pack would simplify handing out prizes, but I may prefer to weigh portions if each prize needs to stay below 100 kcal. |
| Age and allergens | Check the current ingredients and allergen information for each product. The NHS says not to give whole nuts to under-fives; GOV.UK identifies peanuts and tree nuts separately in its allergen guidance for food businesses. | Before hiding food, I need to know who can receive it. Younger children and anyone whose relevant allergy status is uncertain need a non-nut option. |
| Salt and ingredients | Compare the salt figure for the same portion size and read what is in a flavoured pack. Tesco lists 0.48g salt per 30g KP Dry Roasted Peanut Snack Pack, with a high salt traffic-light label. | If salt or added flavouring matters for this hunt, I want to compare the actual labels rather than assume all peanut products are alike. |
What can go wrong with nut prizes?
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Calling a full serving low-calorie without checking it
Sainsbury's lists 165 kcal per 25g of its unsalted mixed nuts, ASDA lists 193 kcal for a suggested one-sixth-pack serving of its 200g peanuts, and ASDA lists 186 kcal per 30g of KP Unsalted Peanuts.
Set the calories you want per prize, then use the product's label and a scale to prepare portions that meet that aim.
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Hiding whole nuts for under-fives
Whole nuts and peanuts present a choking hazard for children under 5, according to the NHS.
Give under-fives non-nut prizes; supervision does not make whole nuts an appropriate prize for them.
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Using one vague allergy warning for a nut mix
A mix can contain peanuts and several tree nuts. For example, Sainsbury's lists almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and walnuts in its Unsalted Mixed Nuts.
Check the current label for the exact pack, establish participants' relevant allergies and keep nut prizes separate from alternatives.
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Choosing snack packs on convenience alone
Tesco lists each 30g KP Dry Roasted Peanut Snack Pack at 179 kcal and 0.48g salt, with a high salt traffic-light label. A sealed, fixed portion does not necessarily fit a below-100 kcal plan.
Compare the pack's stated portion with your plan before choosing between ready-packed prizes and smaller portions prepared from a larger bag.
Relevant nut ranges
These labelled products illustrate different portion and ingredient choices; check the exact pack you intend to use.
KP
KP offers a larger unsalted peanut bag and individually packed dry-roasted peanuts for different ways of distributing prizes.
- ASDA lists KP Unsalted Peanuts at 186 kcal per 30g serving; Tesco lists the dry-roasted snack pack at 179 kcal per 30g pack.
- Neither stated portion is below 100 kcal. Tesco lists 0.48g salt per dry-roasted pack, with a high salt traffic-light label.
Sainsbury's
Its Unsalted Mixed Nuts 200g has a stated 25g serving, useful when comparing a labelled mixed-nut portion with a calorie target.
- Sainsbury's lists 165 kcal and less than 0.01g salt per 25g serving.
- The serving exceeds 100 kcal and contains almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts and walnuts.
ASDA
ASDA Peanuts 200g is an option for organisers willing to weigh portions from a larger pack.
- ASDA lists jumbo blanched peanuts as the ingredient and 580 kcal per 100g.
- Its suggested one-sixth-pack serving is 193 kcal, so a smaller prize requires measuring and separate packaging.
M&S
M&S lists individual cashews and a Natural Nut Medley for shoppers comparing different nut ingredients.
- Marks & Spencer lists 601 kcal per 100g for its Cashew Nuts and identifies the nuts in its Natural Nut Medley.
- Marks & Spencer lists 640 kcal per 100g for the medley; neither per-100g figure tells you the calories in a hunt prize until you choose its portion size.
Joybuy product options
These Joybuy options are nuts and chestnuts that could be portioned for a hunt. Compare each product's current label before deciding how much to put in a prize, and use non-nut prizes where participants cannot receive nuts.
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KP Snacks Unsalted Roasted Peanuts 250g
The 250g bag can be divided into individual prizes. Check this pack's energy information before measuring each portion; do not give whole peanuts to children under 5.
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Morrisons Chopped Mixed Nuts 125g
The chopped format offers an alternative to whole nuts for prizes you prepare yourself. Check the 125g pack's ingredients, allergen information and energy value before portioning it; use non-nut prizes for under-fives.
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Bestore Smiling Chestnuts 120g bag
For a chestnut prize, divide the 120g bag only after checking its stated energy and ingredients. Do not assume that a chestnut product has the same calories or allergen information as the peanut products.
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Three Squirrels Light Pack Sweet Chestnut Kernels 50 g
The 50 g pack is a smaller chestnut format, but the pack size is not itself a calorie figure or a suitable portion for every participant. Read its energy and allergen information before assigning prizes.
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Three Squirrels Chestnut Kernels 100g
The 100g pack can be divided if you are preparing separate prizes. Use the energy figure and serving guidance on this exact pack to decide the amount, and check its ingredients and allergen information before offering it.
Questions about nut prizes
Can a nut prize contain fewer than 100 kcal?
Yes, some small portions can: Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust lists 12 almonds at 80 kcal and 24 pistachios, or 15g, at 90 kcal. That does not make a full retail serving a below-100 kcal prize; Sainsbury's lists 165 kcal for 25g of its unsalted mixed nuts. Check the chosen product's label and measure the amount handed out.
Can young children receive whole nuts during a hunt?
Do not give whole nuts or peanuts to children under 5, according to the NHS. For a mixed-age hunt, prepare non-nut prizes for under-fives rather than hiding whole-nut prizes where they could receive them.
What should I check when someone has a nut allergy?
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact product before offering it, and do not give a participant a product containing an ingredient relevant to their allergy. GOV.UK's guidance for food businesses identifies peanuts and tree nuts separately among declarable allergens; a mixed-nut product may contain more than one type.