Families planning meals away from home
A small pack can be easier to carry to a holiday lunch or picnic, but the NHS advises serving dried fruit with a meal rather than between meals.
Who is this for?
Shoppers comparing fat and sugars
Check the nutrition panel on raisins, apricots and mixes using the same per-100g or per-serving basis. A low fat figure does not tell you how much sugar a serving contains.
Families checking allergens
The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide or sulphites are often used in dried fruit. Check the exact pack, particularly where a family member has a relevant sensitivity.
What should you check?
Start with when the fruit will be eaten, then compare the pack amount, nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact product.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Eating occasion | The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes, not between meals, to reduce tooth-decay risk. Its dried-fruit reference portion for 5 A Day is 30g. | I’m packing fruit for a holiday lunch or adding it to breakfast, rather than relying on it as a between-meal snack. |
| Fat and sugars | Compare fat per 100g, then sugars on a like-for-like serving basis. Whitworths lists 9.3g sugars per 14g Sunny Raisins box; Sainsbury’s lists 22.2g per 30g serving of Mixed Dried Fruit. | A low fat figure matters to me, but I also want to know what the amount I serve contains. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact ingredient and allergen declarations. Asda and Tesco list sulphites in their apricots; Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit contains candied peel made with syrup and sugar. | If someone eating it has a relevant food sensitivity, I need to check this pack rather than assume similar-looking fruit has the same ingredients. |
| Pack format | Compare a mini box with the NHS 30g reference portion. For a larger pack, check how you will portion it and follow its instructions after opening. | For a meal on an outing, a small box is easy to pack; at home, I can portion fruit from a larger pack. |
Common buying mistakes
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Using “reduced fat” as the only filter
Fat figures do not describe sugars or additions. Sainsbury’s lists 22.2g sugars per 30g serving of Mixed Dried Fruit, which includes candied peel made with syrup and sugar.
Compare fat and sugars on the same measurement basis, and read the ingredients before choosing between plain fruit and a mix.
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Treating dried fruit as an unrestricted between-meal snack
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Put the dried fruit alongside breakfast, lunch or another meal when planning school-holiday food.
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Assuming similar fruit has identical allergens
Asda and Tesco apricots list sulphites. A mixed product can have different ingredients from plain fruit.
Read the ingredients and allergen declaration on the exact pack, including when changing flavour or pack format.
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Counting one mini box as a full fruit portion
Whitworths and Sainsbury’s list 14g raisin boxes, while the NHS reference for one dried-fruit portion of 5 A Day is 30g.
Use the box amount shown on the label rather than treating every single pack as one 5 A Day portion.
Brand and retailer references
These named products illustrate differences in pack size, nutrition panels and ingredients; check the current label for the product you buy.
Whitworths
Sunny Raisins come in 14g boxes that can be packed with a meal.
- Whitworths lists 0.1g fat and 9.3g sugars per box.
- One box is smaller than the NHS 30g dried-fruit reference portion.
Tesco
Tesco Dried Apricots provide a 60g pack with nutrition information for a 30g amount.
- Tesco lists 0.32g fat per 100g and 9.6g sugars per 30g.
- The listed ingredients include sulphur dioxide.
Sainsbury’s
Mini Snack Raisins and Mixed Dried Fruit serve different pack-size and ingredient needs.
- The 14g Mini Snack Raisins serving lists less than 0.5g fat and 9.7g sugars.
- Mixed Dried Fruit lists 22.2g sugars per 30g serving and contains candied peel made with syrup and sugar.
Asda
Asda Apricots come in a 200g pack for portioning at home.
- Asda lists 0.6g fat and 6.3g fibre per 100g.
- The ingredients include sulphur dioxide and potassium sorbate; follow the pack’s storage instructions after opening.
M&S
M&S Raisins come in a 500g pack for portioning with meals.
- M&S lists raisins and sunflower oil as ingredients, with 0.4g fat per 100g.
- A larger pack needs portioning if you want a set amount for a meal away from home.
Joybuy dried-fruit options
These options include small packs for meals away from home, a larger tub for portioning at home and wolfberries listed for cooking. Check each product’s ingredients, nutrition panel and preparation instructions against your plans.
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Organix Goodies Raisins 12+ Months, 12 x 14g
The individual 14g boxes can be packed with a meal away from home. Each box is smaller than the NHS 30g dried-fruit reference portion.
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Kooky Gently Dried Dragon Fruit 20g
The 20g pack is a small amount to include with a meal. The product information warns that it is not suitable for children under 4 because of a choking hazard; check the pack before serving.
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Natures Finest Juicy Pitted Prunes 700g
The 700g tub is a larger format to portion for meals at home rather than carry as individual packs. Its product information calls for refrigeration after opening; check the full storage and ingredient instructions on the tub.
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Zheng Feng NingXia Wolfberry, 2 x 100g
This two-pack contains 100g per pack. Its usage instructions say cooking is required, so check the preparation directions if you want fruit for a meal away from home.
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Zheng Feng NingXia Wolfberry 100g
This 100g pack is listed for cooking rather than ready-to-eat use. Read its preparation instructions before choosing it for a school-holiday meal.
Questions about dried fruit
Should children eat dried fruit between meals?
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack to reduce tooth-decay risk. A small pack for an outing can be included with lunch rather than treated as a reason to change that advice.
Does a low fat figure settle which dried fruit to buy?
No. Compare sugars per serving and ingredients as well as fat: Sainsbury’s Mixed Dried Fruit, for example, lists 22.2g sugars per 30g serving and includes candied peel made with syrup and sugar.
Does a 14g raisin box count as one 5 A Day portion?
A 14g box is smaller than the NHS reference amount: the NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one portion of 5 A Day. Check the amount on the box rather than counting every mini pack as a full portion.
How can I check for sulphites?
Read the ingredients and allergen declaration on the exact pack. The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide or sulphites are often used in dried fruit, and the listed Asda and Tesco apricots contain them.
What should I check before opening a larger pack?
Check how you will portion it and follow that pack’s storage instructions after opening. For example, the product information for Natures Finest Juicy Pitted Prunes calls for refrigeration after opening.