If you’re mainly watching your fat intake, compare the nutritional information per 100 g: for solid foods, the European Commission sets the limit for a ‘low fat’ claim at no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g. This tells you nothing by itself about sugar, energy or your portion size, so assess those separately. A small pack of boxes can be handy to take with you, while a larger bag lets you weigh out your own portion.
You’re looking for dried fruit to have with your university lunch and want to assess its fat content using the values on the label. Don’t confuse ‘low fat’ with low sugar or low energy. For solid foods, the European Commission sets the limit for a ‘low fat’ claim at no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g.
You want a small, sweet addition to your lunch, so you’re checking for added sugar and keeping an eye on how much you eat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre classifies sweetened dried fruit separately in its information about fruit; check the ingredients and nutritional information for the exact product.
You want to portion out your fruit in advance or take it with you in individual boxes. Small boxes and larger bags offer different ways to organise your lunch snack; the pack weight can help you decide which suits your needs.
These points can help you assess dried fruit as an addition to your university lunch.
| What to consider | What should you look for? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content and claims | Compare the fat content per 100 g. Don’t treat ‘low fat’ and ‘reduced fat’ as interchangeable. | If you’re mainly watching your fat intake, you’ll want to compare the nutritional information rather than relying on a product name. Around 36% of consumers make limiting fat their top priority when shopping. |
| Sugar and portion size | Check the ingredients and nutritional values; also consider the energy and sugar content of the amount you eat. | If you want a small lunch snack without unnecessary added sugar, both the ingredients and your actual portion size matter. Around 29% of consumers give sugar and portion size their highest priority. |
| Taking portions with you | Check the weight of each box and how many boxes are included. | If you want to take a pre-portioned snack with your lunch, the weight of each pack is relevant. Around 21% of consumers prioritise convenience when taking food with them. |
| Portioning it yourself | Check the net weight and think about how you’ll portion it out yourself. | If you eat dried fruit regularly and want to decide how much to take with you, a larger bag may suit you. Around 14% of consumers give portioning their own snacks and pack size the highest priority. |
The World Cancer Research Fund advises eating no more than 20 g of dried fruit a day. This is dietary advice, not a legal limit for purchases. A claim about fat also doesn’t replace checking the ingredients, sugar, energy and portion size.
The ‘low fat’ limit is about the fat content per 100 g. It doesn’t tell you how much sugar or energy a product contains, or how much of it you eat.
Compare the nutrition tables on the same basis and, if necessary, work out the values for your own portion. For solid foods, the European Commission sets the limit for a ‘low fat’ claim at no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g.
The pack size doesn’t tell you how much you’ll eat with one lunch. Eating a larger amount also means a higher total intake of the nutrients in the product.
Decide on your portion in advance and add together the contents of multiple boxes. The World Cancer Research Fund advises eating no more than 20 g of dried fruit a day; this is dietary advice.
A range may include different types of fruit and different ingredients. The name of a fruit or nut range doesn’t prove that every variety is low in fat.
Check the ingredients and nutritional values for the exact variety you’re buying, rather than relying on the brand name or product image alone.
Ingredients and allergens can vary between varieties. Information about one product doesn’t automatically apply to another product in the same range.
For pre-packed products, read the label. Before buying an unpackaged product from a canteen, ask for information about the exact variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains what allergen information must be available.
The range includes AH Soaked Dried Apricots, an option if you’re looking for dried apricots to have with lunch.
The range includes raisins in different pack sizes and organic raisin boxes weighing 12 × 14 g.
Alesto is Lidl’s range of products including dried fruit and nuts; the brand page features apricots, for example.
The Dutch Aldi product page lists Trader Joe’s raisins in a 500 g pack.
PLUS lists dried apricots in a 375 g stand-up pouch.
The Dutch range overview includes 1 de Beste sultana raisins weighing 375 g, apricots weighing 375 g and pitted prunes weighing 375 g.
These products are dried fruit options for a lunch snack. Where nutritional values are available, you can assess them alongside the ingredients and your portion size.
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An option if you’re looking for a ready-to-eat lunch snack and don’t want to weigh out a portion yourself.
The product information lists 0 g of fat per 100 g and 100% jujube. The pack contains 390 g. Consume immediately after opening.
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This variety may suit you if you want to take dried soursop with you; check the ingredients too if you want to avoid added sugar.
The product information lists 2,21 g of fat per 100 g and around 95% soursop. The ingredients list includes white sugar, glucose and sodium metabisulphite. Store in a cool, dry place.
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The smaller pack is an option if you want to take a limited amount of dried fruit with you.
The product information lists 0,2 g of fat per 100 g. The ingredients list includes white sugar; the nutritional information lists 3,0 g of salt per 100 g.
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A larger pack may suit you if you want to decide how much to take with your lunch.
The product information lists 0,5 g of fat per 100 g and 100% red dates. The pack contains 500 g, so you’ll need to weigh out your own portion.
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This raisin snack may suit you if you want to take raisins with your lunch.
The product information lists 99,5% raisins and sunflower oil. The pack contains 252 g.
For solid foods, the European Commission sets the limit at no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g; a small box doesn’t change that reference basis.
No, don’t treat the terms as interchangeable. The limit of no more than 3 g of fat per 100 g applies to a ‘low fat’ claim for solid foods; assess any comparative claim using the information for the exact product variety.
Multiply the value per 100 g by the weight of your portion in grams, then divide by 100. Use the same portion weight for each product if you want to compare fat, energy or sugar.
The World Cancer Research Fund advises eating no more than 20 g of dried fruit a day. This is dietary advice, not a legal standard, and it doesn’t mean that amount makes up a complete lunch.
For pre-packed products, read the allergen information on the label. Before buying an unpackaged product, ask for information about the exact variety. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists nuts, sulphur dioxide and sulphites among the allergens for which information is relevant.
