Shoppers comparing calories per cake
If rice cakes are replacing bread or crackers in a ploughman’s lunch, the per-cake figure helps you plan a portion. It does not account for the cheese, meat or condiments served with them.
Who these choices suit
Shoppers checking gluten and allergens
A gluten-free label does not answer every allergy question. Check the ingredients and any “may contain” statement on the exact rice cakes you plan to serve.
Shoppers choosing a seasoned base
A savoury-flavoured rice cake offers seasoning in the base. Compare its kcal and salt per cake, then consider whether that flavour works with your cheese and pickle.
What to check before choosing
Start with the number of cakes and the toppings you intend to serve, then compare the nutrition and allergen information for the exact variety.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per cake | Compare kcal for one cake and decide how many you will serve. Kallo lists 27 kcal for a Lightly Salted cake; Snack a Jacks lists 38 kcal for a Jumbo Sour Cream & Chive cake; Tesco lists 47 kcal for a Salt & Vinegar cake. | I’m using the cakes as one part of lunch, so I want to count my portion alongside the cheese, meat and condiments. |
| Flavour with toppings | Choose whether a lightly salted base or a seasoned cake works with your planned cheese, pickle and salad. Check the flavour of the exact variety rather than assuming all rice cakes are plain. | With strongly flavoured cheese or pickle, I’d rather let the toppings set the flavour; for simpler toppings, I might prefer a seasoned cake. |
| Coatings and serving size | Compare finished products on the same basis. Marks & Spencer lists 386 kcal per 100 g for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes and 481 kcal per 100 g for its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes. Check cake weights before comparing them per cake. | I’m looking for a savoury lunch base, not treating a chocolate-coated cake as interchangeable with a lightly salted one. |
| Salt | Read the salt value per cake, particularly for flavoured varieties. Tesco lists 0.2 g salt per Salt & Vinegar rice cake; consider that figure alongside the rest of the lunch. | If I’m serving cheese, cured meat or pickle, I want to know how much salt the rice cakes add. |
| Dietary requirements | Check the current pack’s ingredients, dietary labels and precautionary allergen wording. Kallo’s Lightly Salted product is described as gluten free and vegan friendly but says it may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya. | A gluten-free or vegan-recipe label alone doesn’t settle whether a particular pack meets my allergen requirements. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming every rice cake has similar nutrition
Coatings change the finished product. Marks & Spencer lists 481 kcal, 26.4 g sugars and 12.2 g saturates per 100 g for its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes, compared with 386 kcal, 0.6 g sugars and 0.5 g saturates per 100 g for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes.
For a savoury base, compare the exact product’s nutrition panel. Use the pack’s serving size or cake weight before making a per-cake comparison.
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Counting the cakes but overlooking the toppings
Cheese, meat, chutney and other additions all contribute to the lunch. A per-cake figure describes only the rice cake.
Decide how many cakes you will use and consider the portions served with them. The NHS Eatwell Guide describes balance across a day or week, rather than requiring every meal to match the guide on its own.
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Treating a dietary label as a complete allergen check
Kallo describes its Lightly Salted rice cakes as gluten free and vegan friendly, yet says they may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya. The Food Standards Agency explains that “may contain” wording communicates possible unintended allergen presence.
Read the ingredients and precautionary statement on the current pack, especially if a particular allergen must be avoided.
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Forgetting salt in a seasoned base
Tesco lists 0.2 g salt per Salt & Vinegar rice cake. That is worth considering when the lunch also includes cheese, cured meat or pickle.
Compare salt per cake across the varieties you are considering, or choose a plain or lightly salted base if you want the toppings to provide most of the seasoning.
Relevant brand ranges
These examples show how particular rice-cake varieties differ; nutrition and allergen details apply to the named products, not every product from each brand.
Kallo
Kallo’s Lightly Salted wholegrain rice cakes offer a lightly seasoned base for ploughman’s toppings.
- Kallo lists 27 calories per Lightly Salted rice cake and names wholegrain brown rice as its main ingredient.
- The product information says it may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya, despite its gluten-free and vegan-friendly descriptions.
Snack a Jacks
The Jumbo range includes savoury-flavoured rice-and-corn cakes for shoppers who want seasoning in the base.
- Snack a Jacks lists 38 kcal per Sour Cream & Chive or Black Pepper & Sea Salt Jumbo cake, and 41 kcal per Salt & Vinegar Jumbo cake.
- Check the chosen flavour’s salt and allergen information and whether its seasoning suits your toppings.
Tesco
Tesco’s Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes are a seasoned own-label option.
- Tesco lists 47 kcal per Salt & Vinegar rice cake.
- The same listing states 0.2 g salt per cake. Tesco advises checking the current label because product information can change.
M&S
M&S has both lightly salted wholegrain rice cakes and a milk-chocolate-coated variety, which serve different roles in this lunch.
- Marks & Spencer lists 386 kcal and 0.6 g sugars per 100 g for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes.
- Its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes list 481 kcal and 26.4 g sugars per 100 g. Those per-100-g figures do not establish a per-cake difference without the cake weights.
Rice cakes to consider on Joybuy
These options include a lightly salted base and two savoury-flavoured alternatives for a ploughman’s lunch. Check the exact pack against your toppings and dietary requirements.
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Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Rice Cakes 130g
A lightly salted option if you want cheese and pickle to provide most of the flavour.
Check this Organic variety’s pack for its kcal per cake and allergen statement; the figures for Kallo’s separately listed Lightly Salted product should not be assumed to apply to it.
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Marmite Rice Cakes 110g
The Marmite flavour makes these an option when you want a seasoned base rather than leaving all the flavour to the toppings.
Check kcal per cake on the pack and read its ingredients if you need to avoid gluten-containing cereals or celery.
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Snack A Jacks Jumbos Sour Cream & Chive Rice Cakes 117g
A seasoned jumbo cake to consider with milder toppings, rather than assuming its flavour will work with strongly flavoured cheese or pickle.
Snack a Jacks lists 38 kcal per cake for Jumbo Sour Cream & Chive. Check the current pack’s allergen information if you need to avoid milk or other ingredients.
Questions about rice cakes for lunch
Which calorie figure should I compare for a ploughman’s lunch?
Compare kcal per individual cake when planning how many to serve. Kallo lists 27 kcal for its Lightly Salted cake, Snack a Jacks lists 38 kcal for Jumbo Sour Cream & Chive, and Tesco lists 47 kcal for Salt & Vinegar. Those figures exclude the cheese, meat and condiments you add.
Should I choose lightly salted or flavoured rice cakes?
Choose a lightly salted base if you want cheese and pickle to supply most of the flavour; choose a savoury-flavoured cake if you want seasoning in the base. For either choice, compare the exact variety’s kcal and salt per cake and check how its flavour fits the planned toppings.
Are chocolate-coated rice cakes comparable to plain ones?
Not without comparing the finished products on the same basis. Marks & Spencer lists 481 kcal, 26.4 g sugars and 12.2 g saturates per 100 g for its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes, against 386 kcal, 0.6 g sugars and 0.5 g saturates per 100 g for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes. Check the cake weight or serving information before comparing them per cake.
Does a gluten-free label settle every allergy concern?
No. Kallo describes its Lightly Salted product as gluten free and vegan friendly but says it may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya. The Food Standards Agency explains that “may contain” wording identifies possible unintended allergen presence, so read the current pack for the allergens relevant to you.
Are rice cakes a complete ploughman’s lunch on their own?
Rice cakes alone do not represent all the foods in a ploughman’s lunch. Consider the cheese or other fillings, fruit or vegetables and condiments you serve with them. The NHS Eatwell Guide considers dietary balance across a day or week, not necessarily within each individual meal.