Choose a protein-led cake when you want the cake itself to contribute protein: Tesco Groceries lists Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes at 26.0g per 100g and 1.8g per cake, compared with 0.6–0.8g per cake for the plain rice cakes considered here. A plain gluten-free rice cake can instead serve as a base for a protein food that suits your needs; choose a coated cake for its stated free-from properties or flavour, not on the assumption that it supplies the same protein. Check the exact pack for other allergens, because gluten-free products can still carry milk, sesame or soya warnings.
If a crunchy cake is meant to contribute protein without a topping, compare the amount per cake as well as per 100g. Tesco Groceries lists Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes at 1.8g per cake; its listed plain rice-cake examples provide 0.6–0.8g per cake.
A plain rice cake may suit a snack assembled with a separate protein food. Look for a gluten-free declaration on the exact product and read its other allergen statements: the plain Nature's Store and Tesco Free From examples listed by Tesco Groceries carry may-contain warnings.
Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Store Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes as dairy free, gluten free and suitable for vegans. They provide 1.1g protein per cake and carry a may-contain soya warning, so check both the nutrition and allergen information if those details matter to your choice.
Decide whether the cake needs to supply protein itself or act as a base, then check free-from claims and allergens for the exact variety.
Choose when: You want protein from the cake itself; Tesco Groceries lists Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes at 1.8g protein per cake.
Bear in mind: This is a lentil cake rather than a conventional rice cake, and its listing says it may contain sesame and soya.
Choose when: You want a declared gluten-free plain cake to pair with a protein food that meets your requirements.
Bear in mind: The Nature's Store and Tesco Free From plain examples listed by Tesco Groceries provide 0.8g and 0.6g protein per cake respectively.
Choose when: A sweet snack and the exact product's declared gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan status matter more to you than protein from the cake.
Bear in mind: Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Store Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes at 1.1g protein and 3.9g sugars per cake, with a may-contain soya warning.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein contribution | Compare protein per cake and per 100g; cake sizes can differ. Tesco Groceries lists 26.0g per 100g and 1.8g per cake for Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes, versus 0.6–0.8g per cake for its listed plain examples. | I want to know whether the cake contributes protein on its own, or whether I will pair a plain cake with another protein food. |
| Gluten and wheat claims | Check the declaration for the exact variety. Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Store Wholegrain Rice Cakes as gluten and wheat free, and Tesco Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes as wheat and gluten free. | For gluten avoidance, I want an explicit product-level claim rather than relying on the word ‘rice’ in the name. |
| Other allergens | Read ingredients and may-contain statements separately. Tesco Groceries lists sesame and soya warnings for Nature's Store plain cakes, and sesame, soya and milk warnings for Tesco Free From plain cakes. | A gluten-free cake still needs a separate check if I must avoid milk, sesame or soya. |
| Sweet coating | Compare protein and sugars per cake, then check the coating's ingredients. Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Store Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes at 1.1g protein and 3.9g sugars per cake; Kallo lists milk and soya ingredients in its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes. | I may want a coated snack, but I do not want its free-from label to stand in for a protein or allergen check. |
Tesco Groceries lists 0.6–0.8g protein per cake for its plain examples, compared with 1.8g per cake for Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes. Per-100g figures alone do not show what one cake supplies.
Compare both measures. If you choose a plain cake as a base, select a separate protein food that fits your requirements.
Some of the listed gluten-free cakes still carry may-contain warnings for sesame, soya or milk. Coated varieties can also have different ingredients from plain ones.
Read the current ingredient list and allergen statement for the exact flavour and pack size, particularly when avoidance of another allergen is necessary.
Tesco Groceries lists the dairy-free Nature's Store Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes at 1.1g protein and 3.9g sugars per cake. Kallo's gluten-free Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes contain milk and soya ingredients.
Check the coating's ingredients and nutrition alongside its free-from declarations. If protein from the cake is your deciding factor, compare the coated option with a protein-led product.
These declarations and figures apply to the named varieties, not to every product from each brand.
Kallo has both a protein-led lentil cake and conventional plain rice cakes among the examples considered here.
Tesco Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes are a plain option listed as wheat and gluten free by Tesco Groceries.
The named Nature's Store examples cover a plain gluten-free rice cake and a coated option listed as dairy free and vegan.
These Joybuy options include a protein-led lentil cake, a plain rice cake and a savoury flavoured rice cake. Check the exact pack before choosing for a free-from requirement: the Kallo products here are different varieties from the Kallo products used for some of the nutrition comparisons above.
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A lentil-cake option to consider when you want protein from the cake itself rather than from a topping. Check this exact pack's protein figure and allergen declaration, including milk, rather than applying figures or free-from claims from the separately listed Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes.
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A plain rice-cake option if you want a base for a separate protein food. This is the lightly salted variety, not the Organic Unsalted product cited above; check its own protein figure, gluten-free declaration and allergen warnings, particularly if you avoid milk.
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A savoury flavoured rice-cake choice rather than a substitute for checking protein per cake. If you need to avoid gluten or milk, inspect this variety's current ingredients, allergen statement and any free-from declaration before buying.
The named plain examples contribute less protein per cake than the protein-led lentil example: Tesco Groceries lists 0.8g per cake for Nature's Store Wholegrain Rice Cakes and 0.6g for Tesco Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes, while Kallo lists 0.6g for its Organic Unsalted Wholegrain Rice Cakes. If protein is the reason for the snack, compare the exact serving or use a plain cake with a protein food that suits your needs.
No. The gluten-free plain products listed here can still carry other warnings: Tesco Groceries lists may-contain sesame and soya for Nature's Store Wholegrain Rice Cakes, and sesame, soya and milk for Tesco Free From Wholegrain Rice Cakes. Read the current declaration on the exact pack for every allergen you need to avoid.
Do not assume so from its free-from declaration. Tesco Groceries lists Nature's Store Gluten Free Wholegrain Dark Chocolate Rice Cakes as dairy free, gluten free and suitable for vegans, with 1.1g protein and 3.9g sugars per cake; compare those figures with your other options and check its may-contain soya warning. Kallo's gluten-free Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes contain milk and soya ingredients, so the two coated products do not meet the same exclusions.