For a mid-morning snack between meals, choose fresh fruit rather than dried fruit: NHS guidance says to keep dried fruit to mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth decay. If you want dried fruit with breakfast or lunch, compare the exact product’s ingredients, sugars, portion size and allergens alongside its fat value.
If you are looking for a mid-morning fruit snack with little fat, the eating occasion matters more than a dried-fruit fat value. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes, not between meals; fresh fruit is an alternative for your snack.
Raisins or other dried fruit can be planned as part of breakfast or lunch. Check the portion, sugars and ingredients on the product you intend to use rather than choosing by a reduced-fat description alone.
If sulphites or nuts are a concern in your household, read the label of each product. The Food Standards Agency notes that sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit, while fruit-and-nut mixes require a separate nut-allergen check.
Decide whether the fruit is for a between-meal snack or part of a meal before comparing packs. For dried fruit at mealtimes, use the exact label to compare portions and ingredients.
Choose when: you want fruit as a standalone mid-morning snack.
Bear in mind: check the preparation and storage needs of the fruit you choose.
Choose when: you plan to add it to breakfast, lunch or another meal, in line with NHS guidance on timing.
Bear in mind: a small fat value does not tell you the sugars in your portion; Tesco lists 18.8g sugars per 30g of its Seedless Raisins.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Eating occasion | Check whether you will eat the fruit between meals or with a meal. The NHS advises keeping dried fruit to mealtimes to reduce tooth-decay risk. | I want fruit mid-morning without making dried fruit a standalone between-meal snack. |
| Nutrition and ingredients | Compare fat and sugars on the same per-100g or per-serving basis, then read the ingredients. For example, Sainsbury’s lists apple juice concentrate in BEAR dried cherries infused with apple juice. | A small fat value alone will not tell me how much sugar is in my serving or what else is in the product. |
| Portion format | Look at the pack size and stated serving. The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion; a smaller pack may contain a different amount. | For dried fruit with breakfast or lunch, I want to know how much I am adding, whether I use a larger bag or an individual pack. |
| Allergens and storage | Read the current label for sulphites and any nuts. Follow the storage instructions for the particular fruit product, especially after opening. | I need ingredients and handling instructions that suit my household, rather than assuming every dried-fruit format is alike. |
A small fat value does not settle whether dried fruit suits a mid-morning snack. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes, not between meals, to reduce tooth-decay risk.
Choose fresh fruit for a between-meal fruit snack. If buying dried fruit for a meal, compare its serving size, sugars and ingredients as well as fat.
Ingredients vary across fruit snacks. Sainsbury’s lists apple juice concentrate in its BEAR dried cherries, while M&S lists chocolate-coated raisins among its fruit snacks.
Read the ingredient list before comparing nutrition panels, and check that you are comparing the type of fruit product you intend to buy.
A large pack does not divide itself into the amount you intend to use. The NHS defines 30g of dried fruit as one 5 A Day portion, while Tesco’s Seedless Raisins are sold in a 1kg bag.
Measure the amount you plan to add to a meal, or check the quantity in an individual pack. Portion packaging does not change the NHS advice on when to eat dried fruit.
The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit and notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma. Fruit-and-nut mixes also need a nut-allergen check.
If either allergen matters to you, check the current label of the exact pack rather than relying on another product in the range.
These brand examples show why the exact product matters; a brand’s wider fruit-snack range need not share one ingredient list or nutrition profile.
Tesco Seedless Raisins come in a 1kg pack that can be portioned for cooking or meals.
Whitworths offers Sunny Raisins in individual 14g boxes alongside other raisin formats.
M&S sells plain raisins as well as other fruit snacks, including coated products.
Sainsbury’s carries dried-fruit products with different ingredient lists, including dried mango and juice-infused cherries.
These options include small packs of dried fruit for planned mealtime use and a blueberry product to consider when choosing fruit for mid-morning. For a between-meal snack, keep the NHS advice on dried fruit’s mealtime timing in mind; check how the blueberries are stored and prepared before choosing them for that occasion.
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The 14g boxes show the quantity available to add to a meal. This is dried fruit, so keep it to mealtimes in line with NHS guidance; check the pack’s ingredients and allergen information.
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This 10g pack is an option for adding dried fruit to a meal. Check its nutrition panel and ingredients for the exact pack; NHS advice is to eat dried fruit at mealtimes rather than between meals.
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The 10g pack provides a stated quantity for planned mealtime use. Compare its own fat and sugars values with other products on the same label basis, and keep dried fruit to mealtimes as the NHS advises.
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Consider this blueberry product if you would prefer fruit to dried raisins or mango mid-morning. Check its storage and preparation instructions to see whether it suits the way you plan to eat it.
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For adding raisins to a meal, the 100g pack lets you measure the amount you intend to use. Check its ingredients, nutrition panel and allergens rather than assuming its values match another raisin product.
Not for a standalone snack between meals. The NHS advises eating dried fruit at mealtimes to reduce tooth-decay risk, regardless of the fat value on the pack. Choose fresh fruit if you want fruit between meals.
The NHS says 30g of dried fruit counts as one 5 A Day portion, equivalent to around 80g of fresh fruit. It still advises having dried fruit at mealtimes rather than as a between-meal snack.
No. Check the nutrition panel for total sugars as well as the ingredient list. For example, Sainsbury’s lists its BEAR dried mango as “No Added Sugar” and gives 57g sugars per 100g.
Yes, particularly if sulphites are a concern for you. The Food Standards Agency says sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used in dried fruit and notes a higher risk of reaction for people with asthma. Check the label of the exact pack.
No. Nuts change the ingredient and allergen profile, so compare the exact products’ nutrition panels on the same per-100g or per-serving basis. Check the mix’s nut declaration if it matters to your household.