For snacks you want to take with you or hand out without weighing them first, individual bags are practical. For lunchboxes where you want to decide the portion size yourself, a larger pack is a better fit. For everyday nut snacks, look for unsalted varieties, and treat cocktail nuts as a different mix of ingredients, not just a different type of packaging. If children will be eating them, put age and allergen information ahead of packaging convenience: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises giving children under 4 nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
If you want a snack that’s easy to pop in a bag, individual bags and resealable larger packs offer different ways to organise things. Foods & Goods describes the Duyvis pack as containing twenty individual bags, while ALDI lists a 200 g resealable nut mix pack.
If you’re putting out snacks for several people, check the ingredients and allergen information for the specific variety. For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises giving nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts, because of the risk of choking.
If you regularly prepare lunchboxes and want to decide the portion size yourself, you can portion snacks from a larger pack. ALDI lists a 200 g resealable pack, while PLUS offers an unsalted nut mix in a 500 g stand-up pouch; you’ll need to make individual lunchbox portions yourself.
Start by thinking about who’ll be eating the snack and what it contains. Then choose between individual bags and portioning it yourself.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Sharing safely | Check who the snack is for, the children’s ages and the allergens listed on the label. | When I share snacks, I want to know that they’re suitable for everyone eating them and take account of their allergies. Around 25% of consumers put safe sharing first. |
| Taking snacks out and handing them round | Check how many individual bags there are and how many grams each one contains. | If I want to hand out snacks straight away without weighing or repacking them first, individual portions are handy. Around 31% of consumers place the most importance on this convenience. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredients and check whether the variety is unsalted, contains raisins or has a crunchy coating. | For an everyday nut snack, I want to know what’s in it first, including whether any salt has been added. Around 25% of consumers start by checking the ingredients. |
| Pack size and portions | Compare the net weight and decide whether you want individual bags or to portion the snacks yourself. | If I fill lunchboxes myself, I want to decide how much to use each time and know how much I’m buying. Around 19% of consumers focus mainly on this. |
A smaller pack doesn’t reduce the choking risk posed by whole nuts.
For children under 4, follow the advice of the Netherlands Nutrition Centre: choose nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
A resealable bag or stand-up pouch isn’t the same as a pack containing individual portions.
Check whether the pack really contains separate bags. If you want to decide the portion size for each lunchbox, portion the snacks yourself.
Portioning snacks yourself takes time and may require portion pots, so bear this in mind when preparing lunchboxes.
Duyvis Borrelnootjes Provencale contains peanuts with a crunchy coating, as well as wheat and added salt, among other ingredients. It’s a different mix from a plain unsalted nut mix.
Compare the type of snack and its ingredients first, then look at the packaging.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives different storage times for different product categories. These don’t automatically apply to every nut mix or cocktail nut.
Follow the storage advice on the specific pack and reseal opened products as instructed.
The examples below apply to the products or ranges mentioned; a brand name alone doesn’t tell you about the range or the suitability of other varieties.
A relevant choice if you’re looking for individually wrapped savoury snacks: according to product information from Foods & Goods, the Provencale box reviewed contains twenty 45 g bags.
The product pages list a salted six-nut mix and an unroasted nut and raisin mix, both sold as a 6-pack.
The Jumbo Unsalted Nut Mix listed is a 200 g larger pack.
Alesto is Lidl’s range of nuts, dried fruit and party snacks.
Trader Joe’s lists a 200 g unroasted nut mix in a resealable pack and a 500 g unsalted nut mix.
The PLUS Nut Mix reviewed is a 500 g stand-up pouch of unroasted, unsalted walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and cashews.
These Joybuy products include individual packs of unsalted peanuts or nuts, as well as a nut and fruit mix in separate bags.
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A good fit if you’re looking for a simple unsalted peanut snack. The product description lists 99% peanuts and sunflower oil; the product may contain cashews.
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An option if you’re looking for almonds with no added salt. The product name specifies raw, unsalted almonds; the product contains almonds.
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A good fit if you want an unsalted snack made with one type of nut. The product name specifies roasted cashews; the product contains cashews.
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A larger-pack option if you want to make up your own portions. The product description lists hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds and cashews; the product may contain traces of peanuts.
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Handy to take with you if you’re looking for pre-portioned snacks. The description lists 30 individual 25 g bags containing nuts and dried fruit, including walnuts, raisins, cranberries, blackcurrants, almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. Contains tree nuts.
Because of the risk of choking, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises giving children under 4 nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts. A multipack of whole nuts is therefore not suitable as baby food.
No, treat these as two different product characteristics. The PLUS variety reviewed is labelled both unroasted and unsalted. If the product name only says unroasted, check the ingredients and product information.
According to the NVWA, allergen information must appear on the label of pre-packed products; peanuts and nuts are among the 14 allergens that must be declared. From 1 January 2026, businesses in the Netherlands must also follow rules on how and when to warn customers about allergens that accidentally get into food, for example through cross-contamination. Always check the label of the variety you choose.
First check whether the pack contains individual bags or is one larger bag. Then look at the amount in each individual bag or the net weight of the larger pack. If you’re portioning it yourself, you’ll need to divide the contents between lunchboxes.
Follow the advice for the specific variety. For the mix reviewed, PLUS advises storing it in a cool, dark place; the product information for Duyvis Provencale advises storing it in a dry place and, once opened, in a light- and airtight container. For opened cocktail nuts, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 2–5 days in a kitchen cupboard, and 6 months for the specific category of mixed salted nuts. These storage times don’t automatically apply to every nut mix or snack.
