Snackers comparing fat content
If fat content is your main consideration, compare the per-100g figure across plain, lightly salted and flavoured products before looking at serving sizes.
Who might choose these rice cakes?
Shoppers looking for a gluten-free snack base
A plain rice cake can be a base for your own topping. Check the exact pack’s gluten-free wording and precautionary allergen statement separately.
Shoppers who prefer a portion-packed flavour
A single bag makes the serving size clear, but its calories per bag and fat per 100g tell you different things. Compare both figures if fat content matters to you.
What should you compare?
Use fat per 100g to compare products, then check the serving size, salt and allergen information for the particular pack you plan to eat.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Compare total fat per 100g. The Department of Health and Social Care’s UK guidance sets no more than 3g fat per 100g as the threshold for a ‘low fat’ claim on solid food; check each flavour rather than assuming the range shares one figure. | I’m choosing rice cakes chiefly for their fat content, so I want a like-for-like comparison between packs. |
| Serving size | Identify whether energy is stated per cake, per bag or per 100g. Sainsbury’s lists 29 kcal per plain rice cake, while its Snack a Jacks Salt & Vinegar listing gives 80 kcal per 19g bag. | A ready-portioned bag appeals to me, but I don’t want its calorie figure to stand in for a fat comparison. |
| Allergens | Read the current ingredients and precautionary allergen statement as well as any gluten-free or vegan wording. Asda’s listings say its Free From Slightly Salted cakes may contain soya and Kallo’s Organic Lightly Salted cakes may contain milk, sesame and soya. | If I need to avoid a particular allergen, I need the warning for the exact product, not just its dietary label. |
| Salt | Compare salt per 100g when choosing between plain and savoury flavours. Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.01g per 100g for its plain cakes and 1.1g per 100g for the Snack a Jacks Salt & Vinegar multipack. | I’d like a savoury afternoon snack, but salt matters to my choice alongside fat. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Comparing only calories per cake or bag
Sainsbury’s lists the Snack a Jacks Salt & Vinegar multipack at 80 kcal per 19g bag, but also at 9.9g fat per 100g. A serving figure alone does not settle a lower-fat comparison.
Compare fat per 100g first, then use the per-cake or per-bag figure to understand the portion you intend to have.
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Assuming every rice cake has similar fat content
Flavour makes the exact product important: Tesco lists 5.7g fat per 100g for its Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes, whereas Asda lists 2.5g per 100g for its Free From Slightly Salted cakes.
Read the nutrition panel for each variety, including flavoured or coated ones, rather than relying on the words ‘rice cakes’ on the pack.
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Treating a dietary label as an allergen clearance
Asda’s gluten-free Free From Slightly Salted cakes carry a may-contain-soya warning. Its listing for Kallo Organic Lightly Salted cakes warns of possible milk, sesame and soya.
For an allergy, check the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary statements for the exact variety.
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Overlooking salt in savoury flavours
Sainsbury’s lists less than 0.01g salt per 100g for its plain rice cakes, compared with 1.1g per 100g for the Snack a Jacks Salt & Vinegar multipack it sells.
If salt affects your decision, compare its per-100g figure separately from fat and calories.
Relevant brand references
These figures describe the named products in retailer listings, not every rice cake sold under each brand.
Kallo
Asda lists Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes as an organic, lightly salted option.
- The 130g product is listed at 2.7g fat per 100g and 27 kcal per cake.
- The listing says it may contain milk, sesame and soya; check the current pack if these matter to you.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s 135g Rice Cakes provide a plain own-label reference for comparing nutrition labels.
- Sainsbury’s lists 2.4g fat and less than 0.01g salt per 100g, with 29 kcal per cake.
- The listing says they are not suitable for customers with a milk allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Asda
Asda’s Free From Slightly Salted Rice Cakes are a gluten-free, lightly salted option.
- Asda lists 2.5g fat and 0.21g salt per 100g for the Free From product.
- Its listing includes a may-contain-soya warning.
M&S
M&S Lightly Salted Rice Cakes are made with wholegrain brown rice and salt, according to Marks & Spencer.
- Marks & Spencer lists 2.5g fat, 3.4g fibre and 0.33g salt per 100g.
- Check the exact pack’s dietary and allergen information for your requirements.
Snack a Jacks
The Salt & Vinegar 5 × 19g multipack listed by Sainsbury’s offers a flavoured snack in individual bags.
- Sainsbury’s lists 80 kcal per 19g bag.
- The same listing gives 9.9g fat and 1.1g salt per 100g, so the per-bag calorie figure should not be read as a low-fat claim.
Tesco
Tesco Salt & Vinegar Rice Cakes show why a savoury flavour needs its own nutrition check.
- Tesco provides per-100g nutrition figures for this named variety.
- Its listing gives 5.7g fat and 1.45g salt per 100g; compare those figures with any other variety you are considering.
Rice cake options on Joybuy
These options include a lightly salted rice cake and two flavoured varieties for an afternoon snack. Compare the nutrition and allergen information on the exact pack before choosing; a flavoured cake should not be assumed to have the same figures as a plain one.
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Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Rice Cakes 130g
A lightly salted option if you want a rice cake to eat as it is or use as a snack base.
Asda’s listing for the corresponding Kallo Organic Lightly Salted 130g cakes gives 2.7g fat per 100g and a may-contain warning for milk, sesame and soya. Check the current pack, particularly if an allergen warning affects your choice.
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Kallo Jumbo Apple & Cinnamon Rice Cakes 127g
An apple-and-cinnamon-flavoured alternative for an afternoon snack rather than a plain topping base.
Compare the current pack’s fat and sugar figures per 100g with any plain cakes you are considering, and read its allergen statement.
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Marmite Rice Cakes 110g
A Marmite-flavoured option if you prefer a savoury afternoon snack.
Check fat and salt per 100g on the current pack. If you avoid gluten or particular allergens, read its ingredients and allergen statement before choosing it.
Common questions
What does ‘low fat’ mean on a UK rice cake pack?
For solid food, the Department of Health and Social Care’s UK guidance sets the threshold for a ‘low fat’ claim at no more than 3g fat per 100g. Read the per-100g figure for the exact variety so different cake and pack sizes do not obscure the comparison.
Are flavoured rice cakes necessarily lower in fat?
No. Sainsbury’s lists its Snack a Jacks Salt & Vinegar multipack at 9.9g fat per 100g, while its plain rice cakes list 2.4g per 100g. That comparison concerns those particular products: check each flavour’s own label rather than treating all flavoured cakes alike.
Do I still need to check allergens on gluten-free or vegan rice cakes?
Yes. Asda’s listing for its gluten-free Free From Slightly Salted cakes says they may contain soya, while its Kallo Organic Lightly Salted listing warns of possible milk, sesame and soya. Read the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary warnings for the allergen you need to avoid.
Do toppings change a lower-fat rice cake comparison?
Yes: the rice cake’s nutrition figures describe the cake, not a finished snack with a topping. If you add one, check its portion and nutrition information separately when comparing what you plan to eat.