If you want less fat in your holiday lunch, compare the total fat per 100 g and check what any comparison is based on. Unsalted nuts and nuts prepared without added cooking fat answer different questions. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends unsalted nuts for everyday eating, but for children under 4 it recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
You’re looking for nuts for lunch and want to distinguish between a different nutritional profile, no added cooking fat and a smaller quantity. Compare the nutritional information rather than relying on the front of the pack.
You choose the product type according to your child’s age and check the allergen information. For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
You want to prepare a lunch portion in advance and are comparing a multipack with a resealable bag. Check how many grams each individual pack contains; a multipack isn’t automatically a suitable portion.
First decide whether you want to focus on fat content, a suitable product type for a child or a handy quantity to take with you. These priorities aren’t interchangeable.
| What to consider | What to look for when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Genuinely less fat | Compare total fat and energy per 100 g separately. A description of how a product is made is not a comparison of nutritional values. | I want to know whether a product genuinely contains less total fat, so I compare the nutritional information. Around 37% of consumers put reducing fat first. |
| Choosing unsalted | Check the salt information and keep this choice separate from your goal for fat. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends eating unsalted nuts every day. | If I’m mainly looking for unsalted nuts, I check the salt content and assess the fat separately. Around 27% of consumers put choosing unsalted first. |
| Product type and allergens | For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts. Also check the allergen information on the label. | When preparing lunch for a young child or when allergens are a consideration, I want to check the suitable product type and label information first. Around 18% of consumers put product type or allergens first. |
| Quantity and packaging | Check the quantity in each individual pack. Albert Heijn lists a 6-pack of unsalted cashews, while ALDI describes a 200 g resealable nut mix. | If I want to prepare a lunch portion or take one with me, I compare the pack size with the quantity I need. Around 18% of consumers put portioning and portability first. |
Duyvis describes Oven Baked Peanuts Original as being made without added oil or fat. On its own, this doesn’t tell you how much total fat the product contains compared with another product.
Compare the nutritional values per 100 g, and treat the preparation claim separately from the nutritional information.
Unsalted describes the salt content, not the fat content. So an unsalted variety doesn’t automatically answer the question of whether it contains less fat.
Choose unsalted if that’s what you need, and check the fat content separately in the nutrition table.
A multipack doesn’t tell you how many grams are in each portion, and it isn’t age-specific nutritional advice. For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts.
Check the quantity in each individual pack and, for young children, follow the advice on suitable product types.
Relevant to this guide for oven-roasted peanuts and an unsalted nut mix with raisins.
The range includes a multipack of unsalted cashews.
Jumbo Unsalted Cashews 200 g is a specific option if you’re looking for unsalted cashews.
Lidl sells nuts under the Alesto brand and includes Way To Go cashews in its range.
Under Trader Joe’s, ALDI lists, among other products, a 200 g unroasted nut mix and a 500 g unsalted nut mix.
PLUS Unsalted Unroasted Cashews 200 g is an option if you’re looking for this particular product type.
For solid foods, the European Commission defines the ‘low fat’ claim as a maximum of 3 g of fat per 100 g. This is different from asking whether a product contains less fat than a comparable product.
First compare the nutritional values per 100 g, then check how many grams you want to take with you or serve. A multipack or smaller portion doesn’t change the product’s composition.
For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts because of the risk of choking. This is nutritional and safety advice, not a legal age limit.
Check the allergen information on the packaging. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority lists peanuts and nuts separately among the allergens that must be declared on the labels of prepacked products.
