If your aim is a low-fat office snack, start with the fat figure per 100g: GOV.UK states that a solid food claiming to be ‘low fat’ must contain no more than 3g fat per 100g. The stated figures for Kallo Lightly Salted, Tesco Lightly Salted and M&S Lightly Salted rice cakes meet that condition; compare portions, salt and allergen information before choosing. A low-calorie or flavoured rice cake should not be assumed to be low in fat, and ‘reduced fat’ is not the same claim as ‘low fat’.
If fat content is the deciding factor, use the per-100g figure rather than the size or appearance of a cake. GOV.UK gives a limit of 3g fat per 100g for a solid food claiming to be ‘low fat’; the stated figures for the plain and lightly salted examples below are within that limit.
Check the exact pack for the dietary statement you need and read its precautionary allergen wording separately. Kallo describes its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes as gluten free and vegan-friendly, but also says they may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya.
A single flavoured pack may be convenient to take to work, but its calorie figure does not establish whether it is low in fat. Snack a Jacks gives per-pack figures for its flavoured singles; check fat per 100g on the particular product before using a low-fat claim to guide your choice.
Check fat on a per-100g basis first if low fat is the goal. Then compare the portion you would eat at work, along with salt, ingredients and the exact pack’s storage directions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Read fat per 100g, not just calories per cake. GOV.UK sets a limit of 3g fat per 100g for a solid food claiming to be ‘low fat’. Check the exact flavour or coating. | I’m choosing rice cakes because I want a low-fat snack, so I need the figure for the product I’ll actually buy—not an assumption based on plain rice cakes. |
| Portion | Compare per-cake or per-pack nutrition with the amount you expect to eat. Tesco lists 27 kcal and 0.2g fat for one Lightly Salted rice cake. | One cake might not be my usual portion. I want to know what the label figures mean for the number I take to work. |
| Salt and flavour | Check salt for the intended portion, keeping pack sizes in view. Snack a Jacks lists 0.63g salt per 23g pack for both Sour Cream & Chive and Salt & Vinegar singles. | I like a flavoured snack, but I also want to check its salt figure rather than choosing by calories alone. |
| Dietary suitability | Read dietary claims, ingredients and precautionary allergen statements on the exact pack. Kallo says its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya despite its vegan-friendly and gluten-free descriptions. | If an allergen matters to me, a vegan or gluten-free statement cannot replace a check of the full current label. |
| Keeping a pack at work | Check how the product must be stored after opening and whether you can finish it within any stated period. | I may leave an opened pack at my desk, so I need storage instructions that fit how I use it. |
Calories per pack and fat per 100g answer different questions. Snack a Jacks lists flavoured 23g singles at 93–96 kcal per pack, while GOV.UK’s condition for a solid food claiming to be ‘low fat’ is based on fat per 100g.
Check the per-100g fat figure for the exact flavour; use the per-pack calorie figure to understand the portion separately.
Salt is a separate figure worth reading. Snack a Jacks lists 0.63g salt in a 23g pack of either Sour Cream & Chive or Salt & Vinegar singles.
Compare salt for the amount you plan to eat, using the same portion basis when comparing products.
Kallo describes its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes as vegan-friendly and gluten free, yet warns that they may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya. The Food Standards Agency explains that precautionary allergen labelling communicates possible unintended allergen presence.
If you need to avoid an allergen, read the current pack’s ingredients and precautionary statement before buying.
These figures describe the named products, not every rice cake made or sold by each brand or retailer.
Kallo’s Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes are labelled low fat, gluten free and vegan-friendly.
Tesco Lightly Salted Rice Cakes offer a plain, portionable example made with brown rice and sea salt.
M&S Lightly Salted Rice Cakes are made with wholegrain brown rice and salt, and are labelled vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
Snack a Jacks offers flavoured singles in individual 23g packs.
These rice cakes offer a lightly salted option and a flavoured option for office snacking. If low fat is your deciding requirement, check fat per 100g on the exact pack before choosing; the products below should not be treated as interchangeable with the similarly named retailer examples above.
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A lightly salted option to consider if you prefer a plain rice cake for your desk. The product guidance calls for an airtight container after opening and consumption within 14 days; it also flags a precautionary milk cross-contact warning, so check the current pack if milk is an allergen for you.
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A flavoured choice for an office snack. Check fat per 100g and salt on the current pack if those figures guide your choice. The product guidance flags barley, wheat, oats, rye and celery in its allergen information, so read the label if you need to avoid any of them.
For a solid food claiming to be ‘low fat’, GOV.UK states a limit of no more than 3g fat per 100g. Read the per-100g figure for the exact rice cake; calories per serving and ‘reduced fat’ wording are different matters.
No; compare the particular recipes. M&S lists 2.5g fat per 100g for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes and 15.2g per 100g for its Sweet and Salty Rice Cakes, which include rapeseed oil and sugar.
No. Kallo describes its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes as vegan-friendly but says they may contain milk, sesame seeds and soya. Check the ingredients and precautionary allergen statement on the current pack.
Use per-cake figures to account for the number you eat, then use per-100g figures to compare products on the same basis. Tesco lists 27 kcal and 0.2g fat per Lightly Salted rice cake, alongside 2.9g fat per 100g.
Follow the storage directions on the exact pack. For the Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Rice Cakes listed here, the product guidance calls for an airtight container after opening and consumption within 14 days.