Dried fruit and nuts in your emergency supplies
How many bags of dried fruit and nuts your household needs, what the date on the label means, and allergens to check.
Use-by is a safety date: food can't be sold after it. Best-before is about quality: food can still be sold if fit to eat.1 For 30 days, one adult would need about 75 bags on dried fruit and nuts alone, or 19 bags as a quarter of their food. SupKit estimate
What the date on the label means
- Use-by is a safety date: food can't be sold after it. Best-before is about quality: food can still be sold if fit to eat.1
- Foods that keep for two years or more, such as some canned foods, don't need a best-before date.1
Store dried fruit and nuts somewhere cool and dry, and check each bag for damage before you use it.
How much to store
SupKit estimates one dried fruit and nuts 200g at about 3,766 kJ (900 Cal), deliberately on the low side so stores aren't overestimated.2 An adult needs around 9,414 kJ (2,250 Cal) a day in SupKit's planning figures.
Nobody should live on one food, so this table assumes dried fruit and nuts make up a quarter of the food.
| Household | 3 days | 7 days | 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| One adult | 2 | 5 | 9 |
| Two adults | 4 | 9 | 18 |
| Two adults and two children | 7 | 15 | 30 |
The calculator above changes the household, the days and the share of food.
When to start using them
At everyday pace, two adults get through 9 bags of dried fruit and nuts in about 9 weeks, so SupKit starts suggesting them about 11 weeks before the date.3
Eating your reserve in everyday meals and replacing it as you go keeps it fresh, so nothing ends up in the bin.
Allergies, dietary needs and children
Plan around everyone at home: allergies, intolerances and diets come first, and familiar food matters most for children. Recipes vary between brands, so always read the label of the product you buy.
| Food | Typical allergens | Typically suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Dried fruit and nuts | tree nuts | vegan, gluten free |
Typical allergens and diets are SupKit's guide to the main ingredient, not a product's label.
- Labels must declare wheat, fish, crustacean, mollusc, egg, milk, lupin, peanut, soy, sesame, named tree nuts, gluten cereals (barley, oats, rye) and added sulphites.4
- Allergens must be in bold in the ingredient list, plus a separate bold summary starting with 'Contains' near the ingredients.4
- 'May contain' statements are voluntary and not regulated by the Food Standards Code.4
Young children
Questions
How many bags of dried fruit and nuts for 30 days?
For one adult, about 75 bags on dried fruit and nuts alone, or 19 bags as a quarter of a mixed diet. This uses SupKit's estimate of 3,766 kJ (900 Cal) per bag and 9,414 kJ (2,250 Cal) a day for an adult.
What allergens do dried fruit and nuts contain?
Typically tree nuts. Recipes vary, so always read the label of the product you buy.
Sources
- Use-by and best-before dates, Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Checked 28 October 2026.
- SupKit product catalogue (typical nutrition estimates), SupKit. SupKit's own planning data.
- SupKit Use First rotation rules (2026.1), SupKit. SupKit's own planning data.
- Allergen labelling for consumers, Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Checked 28 October 2026.
- Nuts and seeds, Better Health Channel, Department of Health, State Government of Victoria. Checked 28 October 2026.
- Introducing solid food, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Healthdirect Australia, funded by the Australian Government). Checked 28 October 2026.
We summarise official guidance in our own words. Always follow advice from your local authorities.
