Runners looking for a protein-containing snack
If you want a crisp snack that also supplies carbohydrate, compare protein per cake as well as per 100 g. The amount in one cake may be much smaller than the pack’s headline figure suggests.
Who might consider these snacks?
Runners eating shortly before a morning 5K
Timing makes your usual food choices important. Nike UK’s dietitian guidance favours a mostly carbohydrate pre-run meal with moderate protein and low fat and fibre, rather than choosing by protein content alone.
Shoppers checking dietary suitability
If you need a gluten-free or vegan option, check the current pack as well as the product description. Kallo’s lentil cakes are described as gluten-free and suitable for vegans, but their information also carries a possible sesame and soya statement.
What matters before a 5K?
Start with when you plan to eat, then compare the portion and nutrition information for the particular cake you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-run timing | Check the carbohydrate, fat and fibre figures, and consider how close the snack is to your start time. Nike UK’s dietitian guidance describes a mostly carbohydrate pre-run meal with moderate protein and low fat and fibre for races from 5K upwards. | If I am eating shortly before running, I would rather choose a familiar carbohydrate-led snack than select a cake just because it says protein on the pack. |
| Protein in the portion | Compare grams per cake with grams per 100 g. Kallo lists 26 g protein per 100 g for its Protein Packed Lentil Cakes, but 1.8 g in one cake. | I want to know what the number means for the portion I am actually likely to eat. |
| Ingredients and fat | Check whether the product is rice-based or made from other ingredients, then compare fat on the same per-100-g basis. M&S lists wholegrain rice among the ingredients of its Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes and 16.2 g fat per 100 g. | Rice in the recipe matters to me, but I also want to assess the whole nutrition panel if I plan to eat close to the run. |
| Dietary labels | Read the current ingredients, suitability statements and precautionary allergen wording. Kallo’s product information says its lentil cakes may contain sesame and soya. | I need to check whether this particular pack meets my dietary requirements, not assume that gluten-free covers every allergen. |
Checks that are easy to miss
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Reading “high protein” as a large serving
Kallo lists 26 g protein per 100 g of its lentil cakes, but 1.8 g in one cake. The amount you eat matters more to portion planning than the front-of-pack wording alone.
Use the per-cake or per-serving figure alongside the rest of what you plan to eat.
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Choosing on protein without checking fat
M&S lists 16.2 g fat per 100 g for its Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes. Nike UK’s dietitian guidance recommends keeping a pre-run meal low in fat and fibre, so the snack’s timing matters.
Compare the full panel and choose food you have already tried before running, rather than trying a new option on race day.
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Assuming gluten-free means free from other allergens
Kallo describes its lentil cakes as gluten-free, while its product information says they may contain sesame and soya. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen wording communicates a risk of unintended allergen presence.
Read the allergen information on the physical pack you intend to eat.
Relevant brands and retailers
Kallo
Its Protein Packed Lentil Cakes offer a cake-style option made with lentils and buckwheat, rather than a conventional rice cake.
- Kallo lists 26 g protein and 59 g carbohydrate per 100 g, and 1.8 g protein per cake.
- The product information says it may contain sesame and soya; check the current pack if either matters to you.
M&S
Its Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes include wholegrain rice alongside buckwheat, pea protein and lentil flour.
- M&S lists 24.8 g protein and 49.4 g carbohydrate per 100 g for this product.
- The same per-100-g panel lists 16.2 g fat, a figure worth checking against your preferred pre-run snack.
Snack a Jacks
A reference point for flavoured rice-cake snacks when flavour and pack size are part of your choice.
- Its Salt & Vinegar multipack information gives nutrition values for a 23 g pack.
- Check the protein figure on the particular variety you are considering rather than assuming it matches a protein-focused cake.
Tesco
Tesco’s listing for Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes provides another place to read that product’s nutrition and dietary-suitability information.
- The listing gives 26 g protein and 59 g carbohydrate per 100 g and describes the product as gluten-free and suitable for vegans.
- Use the nutrition and allergen information on the pack you receive for the final check.
Sainsbury's
Its rice-and-corn-cake range includes both conventional rice cakes and Kallo’s protein lentil cakes.
- The Kallo listing identifies lentil flour, corn flour and buckwheat among the ingredients.
- Products on the same shelf need not have the same ingredients or nutrition values; compare the individual packs.
Joybuy product options
A lentil-cake option for shoppers considering a protein-containing snack alongside their 5K plans.
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Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes 100g
A lentil-cake option if you want to compare a protein-containing snack with your usual pre-run food. Check the current pack’s protein per cake, carbohydrate, fat and fibre figures, as well as its precautionary allergen wording.
Common questions
Do I need a high-protein rice cake before a 5K?
Not necessarily. Nike UK’s dietitian guidance describes carbohydrate as the main fuel for races from 5K upwards and recommends a mostly carbohydrate pre-run meal with moderate protein and low fat and fibre. If you choose a protein-containing cake, consider its portion, timing and whether it is food you already know suits you before running.
Does a high-protein label tell me how much is in one cake?
No. Kallo lists 26 g protein per 100 g of its Protein Packed Lentil Cakes, but 1.8 g per cake in its product information. Check the per-cake or per-serving amount on the current pack when planning a portion.
How do the Kallo and M&S options differ?
Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes are made with lentils and buckwheat rather than conventional rice, while M&S Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes include wholegrain rice. Kallo lists 26 g protein per 100 g; M&S lists 24.8 g protein and 16.2 g fat per 100 g. Compare the current packs if ingredients or pre-run fat content will affect your choice.
Are Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes suitable if I avoid gluten?
Kallo and retailer product information describe these lentil cakes as gluten-free, but Kallo also lists possible sesame and soya. Check the current physical pack for the dietary and allergen information relevant to you; a gluten-free statement does not address every allergen.