Office snackers comparing protein
If you want a crunchy alternative to the usual biscuit-tin contents, compare the declared protein in the portion you would eat, not just the description on the front of the pack.
Who are these snacks for?
Buyers checking dietary labels
Vegan or gluten-free labelling may help narrow your options, but the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements still matter when snacks are shared.
People stocking a shared office tin
Choose a product whose storage directions work for your cupboard or tin, and keep its label available so colleagues can check what they are eating.
What should you compare?
Decide whether the snack needs to be a rice cake at all, then compare portions and the practicalities of keeping an opened pack in the office.
Rice cake with added protein
Choose when: The office wants an actual rice cake; M&S Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes contain wholegrain rice alongside buckwheat, pea protein and lentil flour.
Bear in mind: This is a barbecue-flavoured option, and its label declares 16.2 g fat per 100 g.
Lentil cake alternative
Choose when: A lentil-based cake is acceptable and you want to compare its declared protein with rice-cake options.
Bear in mind: Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes are not rice cakes, and the Tesco-listed product may contain sesame and soya.
Plain rice cake with a topping
Choose when: A plain base suits varied tastes and toppings can be kept separately.
Bear in mind: The plain cake contributes less protein on its own; any topping needs its own storage and allergen checks.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein per portion | Compare protein per 100 g, then per cake where stated. Tesco Groceries lists 1.8 g per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake and 0.6 g per Kallo Lightly Salted Rice Cake. | I want to know what the number of cakes I would actually take from the tin provides, rather than judge a snack by its name. |
| Cake ingredients | Check whether the main ingredient is rice or lentil flour. Tesco Groceries lists lentil flour as the main ingredient in Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes; its lightly salted rice cakes contain wholegrain rice. | If a rice cake is important to me, a lentil cake is a different choice even when it sits among similar snacks. |
| Storage after opening | Follow the pack’s directions for a cool, dry place and an airtight container. Tesco Groceries says to eat both listed Kallo products within 14 days of opening. | A shared tin may be opened repeatedly, so I need somewhere to keep the cakes sealed between visits. |
| Allergen information | Read the current ingredients and may-contain statement, and keep that information with any snacks removed from their packaging. Tesco Groceries lists possible sesame and soya for its Kallo lentil cakes. | Colleagues need to be able to check the label for themselves before taking a cake. |
| Nutrition label | Read protein alongside the other declared nutrition values, including fat and salt, on the exact pack. Traffic-light colours describe those labelled nutrients; they do not show protein per cake. | I want to compare the whole label rather than rely on a front-of-pack description. In the Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland’s 2024 tracker, 49% of 611 people interviewed between 16 September and 23 November said they actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food. |
What can trip up the choice?
-
Assuming a plain rice cake contains plenty of protein
Tesco Groceries lists 0.6 g protein per Kallo Lightly Salted Rice Cake, compared with 1.8 g per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake. A calorie figure alone does not answer the protein question.
Compare protein per 100 g and per cake where available, then consider how many cakes you would eat.
-
Treating lentil cakes as rice cakes
Tesco Groceries lists lentil flour as the principal ingredient of Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes, while its lightly salted rice cakes are made primarily from wholegrain rice. The ingredients matter if the office specifically wants rice cakes.
Settle that distinction before comparing protein figures across the two types.
-
Emptying packs into a tin without keeping the label
Tesco Groceries lists possible sesame and soya for Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes, and possible milk, sesame and soya for Kallo Lightly Salted Rice Cakes. Colleagues cannot check those warnings from an unlabelled tin.
Keep the original packaging beside the tin, or provide a legible copy of its current ingredients and allergen information.
Which brands are relevant?
These brand references help distinguish the products discussed here; they do not establish that every product from a brand has the same ingredients or nutrition values.
M&S
Its Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes are a rice-based option made with wholegrain rice, buckwheat, pea protein and lentil flour, according to Marks & Spencer.
- The listed product declares 24.8 g protein per 100 g and is labelled vegan and gluten-free.
- It has a barbecue flavour and declares 16.2 g fat per 100 g; check the current pack for the full nutrition and ingredient information.
Kallo
The Tesco-listed range offers a choice between lentil-based protein cakes and lightly salted wholegrain rice cakes.
- Tesco Groceries lists 26 g protein per 100 g for Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes, compared with 8.5 g per 100 g for Kallo Lightly Salted Rice Cakes.
- The cakes have different main ingredients and may-contain statements; check the exact pack rather than applying one product’s details to another.
Snack a Jacks
A rice-cake brand to consider if the office is choosing a familiar cake-style snack rather than selecting by protein alone.
- Snack a Jacks describes its snacks using calorie information on its own site.
- A calorie description does not establish a particular pack’s protein content; read its nutrition panel if protein is the deciding factor.
Joybuy lentil-cake option
This Kallo listing is a lentil-cake alternative for an office tin where a conventional rice cake is not essential. Check the exact pack before using nutrition details from similarly named products.
No image available
Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes 100g
A lentil-cake option if the office tin does not need a conventional rice cake. Joybuy’s product information gives 21 g protein per 100 g, while Tesco Groceries lists 26 g per 100 g for a similarly named Kallo lentil cake; check the exact pack’s nutrition and allergen statements before sharing.
Common questions
Are ordinary rice cakes high in protein?
Do not assume so from the product type. Tesco Groceries lists 0.6 g protein per Kallo Lightly Salted Rice Cake and 1.8 g per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake; Marks & Spencer lists 24.8 g per 100 g for its Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes. Compare the current pack and the portion you would eat.
Does the wording on the front tell me how much protein is in a cake?
No. Use the nutrition panel to compare protein per 100 g and per cake where both are given, then relate the per-cake figure to your usual portion.
How should I store Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes after opening?
Tesco Groceries says to keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and eat them within 14 days of opening. If they are shared, retain the packaging or a legible copy of its ingredients and allergen information alongside the tin.
Does a gluten-free or vegan label settle allergen suitability for a shared tin?
No. Tesco Groceries lists a may-contain warning for sesame and soya on Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes. Read the current pack’s ingredient and allergen statements and leave that information available to colleagues.