Start with safety: check for allergies and the rules at your child’s school or after-school club, and make sure they eat whole nuts calmly, while seated and under supervision. If nuts are suitable for your child and the occasion, individual packs are convenient and reduce preparation; with a larger pack, you can measure out the amount yourself. A 60 g pack is the amount in the packaging, not automatically a suitable portion for a child.
You want to check first whether nuts are suitable for your child’s age, allergy arrangements and the rules at their school or after-school club. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre and Amsterdam UMC advise eating whole nuts while seated and staying with your child; older children can choke too.
You’re looking for an individual pack or a larger pack from which you can measure out an amount in advance. A pre-portioned pack can save time; portioning it yourself gives you more control over how much you pack.
You want to compare ingredients and the amount you can use, for example if you’re looking for unsalted nuts. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre includes unsalted nuts in its Dutch Wheel of Five dietary guidelines; check the exact variety, as supermarkets also stock salted products.
Choose this if: you want to take a sealed pack with you without weighing out a portion first, and the ingredients are suitable for the occasion.
Bear in mind: the pack has a set weight and ingredients. The Duyvis portion packs reviewed contain 60 g of salted peanuts per pack; FOOX lists 20 packs per box.
Choose this if: you want to decide the amount yourself or prepare snacks for several occasions.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to measure and pack the portions yourself. PLUS lists a 200 g unroasted, unsalted mix; ALDI lists a 500 g unsalted nut mix.
Choose this if: the school or after-school club doesn’t allow nuts, or nuts aren’t suitable under your child’s allergy arrangements.
Bear in mind: a smaller or sealed pack doesn’t change the ingredients. For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts; this doesn’t make nut butter suitable for a child with a nut allergy.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Safety and school rules | Check the allergen information and the rules at your child’s specific school or after-school club. Plan a calm mealtime at the table, with supervision, if serving whole nuts. | I want to make sure nuts are suitable for my child and comply with the school or after-school club’s rules; around 33% of consumers put safety and allergens first. |
| Convenient portions | Check the weight per pack and the number of packs. With a larger pack, you’ll need to measure out the amount to take yourself. | If I want to grab something quickly for after school, I’m looking for a pack or portions I can prepare in advance; around 27% of consumers prioritise portion convenience. |
| Unsalted ingredients | Look for ‘unsalted’ on the exact product and check the ingredients. ‘Unroasted’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘unsalted’. | I want to choose an unsalted variety and check what’s in it; around 27% of consumers put unsalted ingredients at the top of their list. |
| Cost for the amount | Compare suitable varieties using the current price per kilogram and the same measured quantity; a larger pack isn’t automatically cheaper per portion. | For several snack occasions, I want to know which pack size suits the amount I need; around 13% of consumers make cost their top priority. |
Whole nuts and peanuts can pose a choking risk, even for older children. So packing a snack doesn’t mean your child should eat it while walking or cycling.
Plan a calm moment when your child can sit down, and stay with them while they eat whole nuts, as advised by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre and Amsterdam UMC.
A pack still contains nuts, whatever its size. Rules may apply at your child’s specific school or after-school club.
Follow the rules at the relevant location on when your child can eat and which products are allowed.
The Duyvis variety reviewed contains 60 g of salted peanuts per pack. That’s the pack’s contents, not a personal portion recommendation.
Check the weight and ingredients per pack, and decide separately how much to give your child.
ALDI describes the 500 g nut mix as unsalted, and a different, unroasted 200 g mix as resealable.
Check whether the exact pack you’re buying is unsalted, what the ingredients are and whether it’s resealable.
The range includes peanuts, mixes, Borrelnootjes and Tijgernootjes; the portion pack reviewed is an option if you’re looking for individual packs.
Albert Heijn lists unsalted own-brand nut mixes in larger packs.
The range includes both unsalted and salted nut mixes.
Alesto is Lidl’s nut and snack range.
ALDI lists TRADER JOE’S nut products in the Netherlands, including an unsalted mix and an unroasted mix.
PLUS lists a 200 g unroasted, unsalted nut mix in a stand-up pouch.
This selection includes larger packs of unsalted nuts for portioning yourself, as well as individually packed nut snacks. Always check the ingredients and follow the rules at your child’s school or after-school club.
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A larger pack that lets you measure out an amount for a snack occasion.
The product information lists unsalted peanuts and sunflower oil in a 250 g pack. The product contains peanuts and may contain cashew nuts; check the allergen information and follow any rules at your child’s school or after-school club.
These are whole peanuts: make sure your child eats them calmly, while seated and under supervision. For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
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This larger pack is suitable for portioning yourself if an unsalted cashew variety fits the rules and preferences for the occasion.
The product information lists roasted, unsalted cashew nuts in a 200 g pack. Check the allergen information and any rules at your child’s school or after-school club.
These are whole nuts: make sure your child eats them calmly, while seated and under supervision. For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
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The individual sachets are a handy option if you want to pack a snack in advance without measuring out portions yourself.
The product information lists 30 sachets of 25 g each, containing walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, hazelnuts and dried fruit. Check the allergen information and any rules at your child’s school or after-school club.
These are whole nuts: make sure your child eats them calmly, while seated and under supervision. For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
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The individually packed portions are a handy option if you want to take nuts with you without portioning them out in advance.
The product information lists individually packed hickory nuts, sugar and salt. Check the ingredients and allergen information; this isn’t an unsalted option.
These are whole nuts: make sure your child eats them calmly, while seated and under supervision. For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
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The individual packs may suit you if you want to take a mixed nut snack with you without measuring out portions yourself.
The product information lists individually packed nuts, including salted and sweetened varieties. It also lists gluten (wheat), sesame and milk; check the allergen information and any rules at your child’s school or after-school club.
These are whole nuts: make sure your child eats them calmly, while seated and under supervision. For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
Taking nuts with you and eating them while travelling are two different things. Make sure your child eats whole nuts calmly, seated at a table, and stay with them; older children can choke too. So a pack in their bag isn’t advice to eat while walking or cycling.
For children under four, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts. This advice doesn’t make nut butter suitable if your child has a relevant nut allergy or must avoid nuts.
Follow the rules at your child’s specific school or after-school club, for your child and the occasion. For example, OBS De Venen describes its own rules for certain classes; these don’t automatically apply at other locations.
Not just because of the product name. The Duyvis variety reviewed contains 60 g per pack and consists of salted peanuts. Decide separately how much to give your child; the pack doesn’t offer personal portion advice for children.
Check the information on the exact pack and look out for allergens relevant to your child. The NVWA says allergen information must appear on the label of prepacked foods; peanuts and nuts are listed separately. If your child has allergies, also follow the rules at their school or after-school club.
