For a movie-night snack that includes dried fruit, compare fruit-and-nut or fruit-and-seed mixes rather than assuming fruit alone supplies much protein. Sainsbury’s lists 23.9g protein per 100g for its Fruit, Nut & Seed Medley, while its listing for BEAR dried strawberries gives 2g per 100g. If dried fruit is optional, a nut-and-seed snack is another route; whichever format you choose, compare protein per serving and check the current pack for allergens before sharing.
Start with whether dried fruit needs to be in the snack, then decide whether you want a bowl to share or separate portions.
A fruit-and-nut or fruit-and-seed mix keeps the dried-fruit flavour while adding ingredients that contribute protein. Compare the actual nutrition panels: the balance of fruit, nuts and seeds differs between products.
If dried fruit is what you chiefly want, choose it for its flavour rather than assuming it meets a protein goal. You can serve a separate protein-containing food alongside it. For anyone counting 5 A Day, the NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one portion and advises having it at mealtimes rather than between meals.
Check the exact pack before putting a mix into a communal bowl. The listed fruit-and-nut products include nuts, and ASDA’s Fruit & Nut Mix also declares sulphites. Keep the packaging available so guests can check the ingredients and allergen statement themselves.
Choose the snack format first, then compare protein on the same per-100g basis and check what a serving provides. A fruit-containing mix and a nut-only snack answer different needs, even when both contain nuts.
Choose when: You want fruit flavour and crunch in the same sharing bowl while making protein a consideration.
Trade-off: Protein depends on the mix’s ingredients and proportions; check nuts, sulphites and any sweetened fruit on the label.
Choose when: Dried-fruit flavour or a measured 5 A Day portion matters more than protein from the fruit itself.
Trade-off: The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack; serve another suitable food alongside it if protein is the priority.
Choose when: Dried fruit is optional and a nut-and-seed snack better matches the protein figure you are looking for.
Trade-off: You lose the dried-fruit element, and nut and other allergen declarations need particular attention in a shared snack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Compare protein per 100g across products, then protein per stated serving. Sainsbury’s lists 23.9g per 100g for Fruit, Nut & Seed Medley and 2g per 100g for BEAR dried strawberries; these are product examples, not figures for every mix or fruit. | I want dried fruit in the bowl, but I also want to know how much protein the portion I serve contains. |
| Portion and format | Check the serving size and pack size before filling a bowl. For 5 A Day counting, the NHS specifies 30g of dried fruit as one portion and advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes. | A bowl is easy to share, but I would rather portion it out; separate bars would suit us if everyone wants their own snack. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients, allergen and may-contain statements for the exact pack. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites are often used in dried fruit; ASDA declares sulphites and several nuts in its Fruit & Nut Mix. | Before sharing with guests, I need to know whether the snack contains nuts or sulphites. |
Protein differs by product and by the balance of fruit, nuts and seeds. Sainsbury’s product listings give BEAR dried strawberries 2g protein per 100g, compared with 23.9g per 100g for its Fruit, Nut & Seed Medley.
Use the nutrition panel to compare protein per 100g, then check the amount in the serving you intend to put out.
A shared bowl can contain several kinds of nuts. Some dried-fruit mixes also declare sulphites; the Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites are often used in dried fruit.
Read the exact pack’s ingredient and may-contain statements before serving, and keep the packaging where guests can consult it.
The NHS defines 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion and advises having it at mealtimes rather than between meals. A pack or mixed bowl is not automatically a single dried-fruit portion.
Decide how much to serve before the film. If you are counting a dried-fruit portion towards 5 A Day, follow the NHS portion and mealtime guidance.
These product lines illustrate different snack formats; a figure for one named product does not describe every product from its brand.
Its own-label range includes dried fruit mixed with nuts and seeds.
Its Fruit & Nut Mix combines dried fruit and several kinds of nuts in a 300g pack.
Its Wondermix range includes both a roasted nut mix and a separate fruit-and-nut mix.
Its Protein Packed Nut and Seed Mix is an option when dried fruit need not be included.
These options include a seed-and-goji mix, a nut-only tin, a fruit-and-nut mix and individually portioned fruit-and-nut bars. Decide whether dried fruit and a shared bowl are essential before comparing the products’ current nutrition and ingredient labels.
No image available
This seed-and-goji mix keeps dried fruit in the snack while offering a loose format for portioning into a bowl. Check the current pack for protein per serving and any may-contain allergen statements before sharing.
No image available
This nut-only tin is a sharing format for a movie night when dried fruit is not essential. Because it contains nuts, check the current allergen statement with everyone who will share it; use the nutrition panel to judge protein per serving.
No image available
This fruit-and-nut mix comes in a 750g pack that can be portioned for sharing. If protein is the deciding factor, compare its per-100g and per-serving figures with other mixes, and check the current pack for nuts, sulphites and may-contain statements.
No image available
Four 35g fruit-and-nut bars suit separate portions rather than a communal bowl. Compare protein per bar if that is the priority, and check the pack’s nut and other allergen statements before offering them to guests.
No image available
These almond-and-apricot bars offer separate portions instead of a sharing mix. Check protein per bar against your other options, and read the current ingredients and allergen statement, including milk and nuts, before serving.
Not in the examples compared here: Sainsbury’s lists 2g protein per 100g for BEAR dried strawberries and 23.9g per 100g for its Fruit, Nut & Seed Medley. Check the figures for the products you plan to buy rather than applying either number to all dried fruit or mixes.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion. It advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals because of its effect on teeth; a mixed snack’s pack size is not the same thing as a 30g dried-fruit portion.
Yes, particularly if someone sharing it needs to avoid sulphites. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphites are often used in dried fruit, while ASDA’s Fruit & Nut Mix declares them; read the allergen information on the exact pack you intend to serve.
Use a listing to compare options, then check the current pack before serving. Ingredients and allergen statements apply to the product in hand, which matters when a communal bowl may contain nuts or sulphites.