For a weekly shop, plain or lightly salted rice cakes are a useful starting point if calories per cake matter: Sainsbury's lists Kallo Organic Lightly Salted at 27 kcal per cake and its own Lightly Salted at 29 kcal. Flavoured cakes may also fit that aim, but compare the number you expect to eat, salt or sugars per 100 g, and the exact pack's allergen information before choosing.
If rice cakes are going into your weekly cupboard shop, the kcal figure for one cake is most useful alongside the number you expect to eat and any toppings you add. The NHS notes that a manufacturer's portion may differ from yours.
A modest kcal figure per cake does not tell you how much salt a seasoned product contains. Check salt per 100 g as well as per cake when comparing it with a lightly salted option.
Gluten-free and vegan statements, ingredients and allergen warnings vary between products. Check the label on the particular flavour and pack you intend to buy rather than relying on the words “rice cake”.
Start with the amount you are likely to eat, then use the per-100 g label to compare cakes of different sizes. For a weekly shop, also consider which pack size you can use and store as directed.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories and portions | Compare kcal per cake or stated serving, then kcal per 100 g when cake sizes differ. Count the cakes and toppings in the portion you plan to eat; the NHS warns that the stated portion may not match yours. | I want a snack portion I can judge by what I actually eat, not just by the figure printed for one cake. |
| Salt | Check salt per 100 g and per cake. ASDA lists 1.1 g per 100 g for its Salt & Vinegar cakes; Sainsbury's lists 1.73 g per 100 g for its Salt & Vinegar Rice & Corn Cakes. The NHS classifies more than 1.5 g per 100 g as high in salt. | If I choose a savoury flavour regularly, I want to compare its salt label with a lightly salted pack, not assume similar calories mean similar salt. |
| Sweet flavours | Read sugars per cake and per 100 g alongside kcal. Sainsbury's lists Kallo Blueberry & Vanilla at 35 kcal and 1.4 g sugars per cake, or 14.4 g sugars per 100 g. | A sweet flavour appeals to me, but I still want to see its sugar figures before treating it like a plain rice cake. |
| Dietary suitability | Check the exact product's dietary statements, ingredients and allergen warnings. Sainsbury's labels its Lightly Salted cakes gluten free and suitable for vegans; its Kallo Organic Lightly Salted listing warns that the product may contain milk, sesame and soya. | If I have a dietary requirement, I need the current pack to meet it; another flavour or brand's label cannot answer that for me. |
| Pack size and storage | Compare pack weights with the amount you expect to use. Follow the pack's storage instructions after opening; Sainsbury's advises airtight storage for its Lightly Salted cakes. | I would rather choose a pack I can finish while the cakes retain their texture than buy more than I am likely to use. |
Calories per cake describe one cake, not several cakes with toppings. The NHS also notes that a manufacturer's stated portion may differ from the amount you eat.
Compare the stated portion with your planned portion, and use kcal per 100 g when the cakes differ in size.
Sainsbury's lists 1.73 g salt per 100 g for its Salt & Vinegar Rice & Corn Cakes. That exceeds the NHS threshold of more than 1.5 g per 100 g for a high-salt food, even though the product lists 42 kcal per cake.
Read salt per 100 g and per cake alongside kcal, especially when choosing between seasoned and lightly salted packs.
Tesco lists milk as an ingredient in Snack a Jacks Sour Cream & Chive and gives may-contain warnings for wheat, soya, mustard and other cereals containing gluten. Sainsbury's Kallo Organic Lightly Salted listing also carries may-contain warnings.
Check the current pack's ingredients, dietary statements and allergen panel for the exact flavour you buy.
A larger pack may remain open for longer. Sainsbury's advises keeping its Lightly Salted rice cakes airtight once opened.
Choose an amount you expect to use and follow the storage directions on that pack.
These examples show why a brand name alone cannot settle the choice: flavour and product formulation change the figures and warnings you need to check.
Kallo has both a lightly salted wholegrain cake and sweet-flavoured rice-and-corn cakes in the cited Sainsbury's listings.
The cited Tesco listing provides a savoury, flavoured example with nutrition stated per snack.
Its cited own-label products provide a direct contrast between lightly salted wholegrain and salt-and-vinegar rice-and-corn cakes.
ASDA's cited Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes offer a flavoured option with both per-cake and per-100 g figures.
The cited M&S products include a lightly salted cake and a separate barbecue high-protein product, which answer different label-comparison priorities.
These Joybuy options cover lightly salted, sweet-flavoured and savoury-flavoured rice cakes for the weekly snack shop. Compare the exact listing and pack label before choosing, particularly when flavour or dietary suitability matters.
No image available
A lightly salted option when you want to compare calories per individual cake. Sainsbury's lists this product at 27 kcal per cake and warns that it may contain milk, sesame and soya; toppings change the figures for the finished snack.
No image available
An apple-and-cinnamon option for shoppers who prefer a sweet flavour. Compare the listing's kcal per cake with its sugars per 100 g, and check the current pack's allergen information.
No image available
A sweet-flavoured rice-and-corn cake to compare with plain options. Sainsbury's lists it at 35 kcal and 1.4 g sugars per cake, with 14.4 g sugars per 100 g.
No image available
A savoury-flavoured option for shoppers comparing a stated snack portion with what they expect to eat. Check the current pack for its serving figure, salt and allergen warnings; the cited Tesco listing for Sour Cream & Chive contains milk and has may-contain warnings.
Use kcal per 100 g for a common comparison, then check kcal per cake or stated serving against the amount you plan to eat. The NHS notes that the manufacturer's portion may differ from yours.
No. ASDA lists 32 kcal per cake but 1.1 g salt per 100 g for its Salt & Vinegar cakes; Sainsbury's lists 1.73 g salt per 100 g for its Salt & Vinegar Rice & Corn Cakes. The NHS classifies more than 1.5 g salt per 100 g as high, so read both measures on the product you choose.
No; check the exact pack. Sainsbury's labels its Lightly Salted cakes gluten free and suitable for vegans, while its Kallo Organic Lightly Salted listing warns that the product may contain milk, sesame and soya. Tesco lists milk in Snack a Jacks Sour Cream & Chive and gives may-contain warnings including wheat.
Follow the pack's storage instructions and keep it airtight where directed. Sainsbury's advises airtight storage once its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes are opened.
Compare kcal and sugars for the portion you expect to eat, then look at the per-100 g figures. For example, Sainsbury's lists Kallo Blueberry & Vanilla at 35 kcal and 1.4 g sugars per cake, or 14.4 g sugars per 100 g.