For a lower-energy Boxing Day buffet option, compare kcal per 100g before deciding how much dried fruit to serve. Tesco lists Crazy Jack Organic Soft Ready To Eat Prunes at 141kcal per 100g and 42kcal per 30g; ASDA lists its Apricots at 182kcal per 100g and 61kcal per stated one-sixth-pack serving. Sainsbury's Mixed Dried Fruit offers a different combination of fruits and candied peel, but its label lists 324kcal per 100g, so it does not serve the same lower-energy aim.
If you are adding dried fruit to a Boxing Day spread, compare kcal per 100g across the exact products, then decide what portion you will put out. A small serving figure alone does not tell you how two packs compare.
Small dishes can help define how much dried fruit is offered alongside the buffet. The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Check the ingredients on each pack before serving guests who need to avoid sulphur dioxide or sulphites. The Food Standards Agency says these are often used in dried fruit and notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma.
Start with energy on a consistent per-100g basis, then check the portion, ingredients and serving arrangements that matter for your buffet.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Energy and portions | Compare kcal per 100g, then kcal for the amount you intend to serve. Tesco lists Crazy Jack prunes at 141kcal per 100g and 42kcal per 30g; ASDA lists its apricots at 182kcal per 100g and 61kcal per one-sixth-pack serving. | I want a lower-energy fruit option, but I also need to know what the portion on a buffet plate contributes. |
| Sugars and ingredients | Read total sugars per 100g or serving and check the ingredients for added sugar or syrup. The NHS explains that total sugars include those naturally present in fruit; Sainsbury's Mixed Dried Fruit lists 73.9g sugars per 100g and includes candied peel made with sugar and glucose-fructose syrup. | For a traditional fruit mix, I want to know what is in the candied pieces, not judge added ingredients from the total-sugars figure alone. |
| Sulphites | Read the allergen declaration on the exact pack. ASDA Apricots, Whitworths Amazing Apricots and M&S Collection Apricots list sulphur dioxide or sulphites; the Food Standards Agency says these are often used in dried fruit. | If a guest needs to avoid sulphites, I need the pack information available before putting the fruit out. |
| Buffet role | Choose between a single-fruit product and a mix according to how you will serve it. Sainsbury's mix contains sultanas, raisins, currants and candied peel and lists 324kcal per 100g; compare that figure with the exact prune or apricot product under consideration. | I might want a small mixed-fruit addition for variety, or a separate dish of prunes or apricots when energy is the main consideration. |
Product labels can differ substantially: Tesco lists Crazy Jack prunes at 141kcal per 100g, while Sainsbury's lists its mixed dried fruit at 324kcal per 100g.
Compare the exact packs per 100g before deciding how much of either product to serve.
The NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion and advises eating it at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Offer defined amounts with the buffet meal instead of relying on an open-ended bowl for grazing throughout the day.
Sainsbury's Mixed Dried Fruit includes candied peel made with glucose-fructose syrup and sugar; its label lists 22.2g total sugars per 30g serving.
Read the ingredients as well as the nutrition panel if you are choosing between a mix and a single-fruit product.
Several listed apricot products contain sulphur dioxide or sulphites. The Food Standards Agency notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma.
Keep the packaging available for guests checking ingredients, and check any stone warning on the exact product before serving.
These are references for comparing specific dried-fruit labels, not a claim that every product from a brand has the same ingredients or nutrition values.
Whitworths Amazing Apricots are a ready-to-eat apricot option to compare with other single-fruit packs.
Sunsweet Stoned Prunes provide a pitted-prune option with a stated per-100g nutrition panel.
ASDA Apricots are a soft-apricot option sold in a 200g pack with a stated one-sixth-pack serving.
Sainsbury's Mixed Dried Fruit combines sultanas, raisins, currants and candied peel for a mixed-fruit buffet addition.
M&S Collection Apricots offer another single-fruit label for a per-100g comparison.
Tesco lists own-label prunes alongside branded dried-prune products, including Crazy Jack and Whitworths.
These Joybuy options are figs and individually wrapped prunes for a Boxing Day fruit dish. Compare their own nutrition panels and ingredients with any lower-energy apricot or prune option you are considering.
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For a Boxing Day fruit dish, decide how much of this 175g fig pack to serve, then use its nutrition panel to compare energy per 100g with other dried fruits.
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The individually wrapped prunes offer a way to put out separate pieces at the buffet. Check the pack's energy per 100g and ingredients if a lower-energy choice or a particular ingredient matters to your guests.
Compare kcal per 100g first so different pack and serving sizes do not obscure the difference. Then check the energy for the amount you plan to serve; the NHS counts 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion.
That depends on the exact products. Tesco lists Crazy Jack Organic Soft Ready To Eat Prunes at 141kcal per 100g and 42kcal per 30g, while ASDA lists its Apricots at 182kcal per 100g and 61kcal per stated one-sixth-pack serving. Those figures do not apply to every prune or apricot product.
No. The NHS says total sugars include sugars naturally present in fruit. Read the ingredients separately: Sainsbury's Mixed Dried Fruit contains candied peel made with sugar and glucose-fructose syrup, while Tesco lists partially rehydrated organic dried prunes as the ingredient in Crazy Jack Organic Soft Ready To Eat Prunes.
The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals to reduce tooth-decay risk. At a Boxing Day buffet, offer it with the meal in defined amounts rather than leaving a large bowl out for continuous grazing.
Check the exact pack if a guest needs to avoid sulphur dioxide or sulphites. The Food Standards Agency says they are often used in dried fruit and notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma; the listed ASDA, Whitworths and M&S apricot products contain sulphur dioxide or sulphites.