For a familiar pre-5k snack, a plain or lightly salted rice cake is a practical option if you have tried the product, portion and timing in training. A larger pack does not tell you how much carbohydrate is in each cake, and a 5k does not automatically call for food during the run: the Gatorade Sports Science Institute discusses during-exercise carbohydrate in the context of exercise lasting more than 60 minutes.
If you already eat rice cakes, a pack kept at home can make it easier to use the same snack and portion on training days. Compare pack weights and the number of cakes rather than assuming a larger-looking packet is a bulk pack.
Sports Dietitians Australia advises choosing familiar, well-tolerated food that is high in carbohydrate and low in fat before exercise, and trying snack timings in training rather than for the first time on an important run.
Gluten-free and vegan descriptions answer different questions from allergen and cross-contact statements. Check the exact pack: the products described here do not all carry the same ingredient or allergen information.
Start with when you plan to eat the snack, then compare the portion and label of packs you would actually use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pack and portion | Compare pack weight and cakes per pack. Check carbohydrate per cake or per serving; a 100g figure describes a different quantity. | I want a pack that suits how often I eat rice cakes, with a portion I can identify from the label. |
| Pre-run familiarity | Choose a food and timing you have tried in training. Sports Dietitians Australia advises familiar, well-tolerated, carbohydrate-containing food that is low in fat before exercise. | A familiar snack matters more to me than trying a new flavour immediately before a run. |
| Run duration | Separate a snack before running from carbohydrate eaten during exercise. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute discusses during-exercise carbohydrate for activity lasting more than 60 minutes. | For my 5k, I want to decide whether I need a pre-run snack without assuming I must carry food on the route. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the exact product label for ingredients, dietary descriptions and cross-contact statements. Do not treat a gluten-free label as an answer to every allergy question. | If I avoid a particular ingredient or allergen, I need the current pack information for the flavour I choose. |
A rice cake eaten before setting off and carbohydrate eaten during a run address different situations. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute places its during-exercise carbohydrate discussion in the context of exercise lasting more than 60 minutes.
Consider your expected run duration and usual meal timing, then try any proposed pre-run snack during training.
Pack weights and individual cake sizes vary. For example, Kallo lists 5.6g carbohydrate per cake for its Organic Lightly Salted product, while the Snack a Jacks Jumbo Chocolate Chip listing gives 11g per 15g snack; these are different products and serving sizes.
Check the serving size and carbohydrate figure on the exact pack you intend to eat.
Kallo says its Organic Lightly Salted rice cakes may contain milk, sesame and soya. The reviewed Snack a Jacks Chocolate Chip Jumbo product contains milk and soya. A dietary description for one product does not describe another flavour or brand.
Read the current ingredient and cross-contact statements on the exact pack before choosing it.
The Sainsbury's Salt & Vinegar Corn & Rice Cakes page stated that the product was out of stock when checked. A listed product may therefore not be an option for a planned shop.
Confirm availability when ordering, particularly if you intend to buy the same snack for several training runs.
These details concern the named products, rather than every rice cake made by each brand.
Tesco Lightly Salted Rice Cakes come in a 130g pack.
Asda Slightly Salted Rice Cakes are listed in a 130g pack.
Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes are described by Kallo as gluten free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The reviewed Chocolate Chip Jumbo product is a sweet, larger-format rice-cake snack.
Sainsbury's Salt & Vinegar Corn & Rice Cakes are a flavoured 130g option.
These options include lightly salted rice cakes, lightly salted rice crackers and flavoured rice cakes. Check each pack's portion and ingredients against the snack you have tried before a run.
No image available
A lightly salted option if this is a product you have already tried before running. Kallo lists 5.6g carbohydrate per cake and says the product may contain milk, sesame and soya.
No image available
These are lightly salted rice crackers in a 100g pack, rather than the rice cakes named elsewhere in this selection. Check the serving information and allergen label if considering them as your usual pre-run snack.
No image available
A sour cream and chive option in a 117g sharing pack. If you plan to eat a flavoured snack before running, try the exact product and portion in training and check its ingredient label.
No image available
An apple and cinnamon rice-cake option in a 127g pack. Compare its per-cake serving information with the portion you intend to eat, and check the current allergen label.
No image available
A blueberry and vanilla option made as rice and corn cakes, in a 131g pack. Check the per-cake portion and ingredients if choosing it for a familiar pre-run snack.
Not automatically. Rice cakes may be a familiar snack before you run, while the Gatorade Sports Science Institute discusses carbohydrate eaten during exercise in the context of activity lasting more than 60 minutes. Consider your expected duration and usual meal timing rather than treating an in-run snack as compulsory.
Try the exact product, portion and timing during training first. Sports Dietitians Australia advises familiar, well-tolerated food that is high in carbohydrate and low in fat before exercise, rather than experimenting for the first time on an important run.
No: pack weight and the amount in an individual cake are different measures. Check the number of cakes and the nutrition information per cake or serving on the product you choose; do not use another flavour's figures as a substitute.
No. Kallo describes its Organic Lightly Salted product as gluten free but also says it may contain milk, sesame and soya. Read the ingredient and cross-contact statements for the exact current pack, particularly when changing flavours or brands.