For more protein in the cake itself, consider lentil cakes rather than assuming a plain rice cake will provide it: Tesco lists 1.8g per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake, while Sainsbury's lists 0.6g per plain rice cake. If you prefer a rice base, choose the protein food separately. For a snack 60–90 minutes before exercise, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises including carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat when you have not eaten a meal in the previous 2–3 hours.
If you have not eaten a meal recently, the timing of your session affects what to put together. University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust describes a carbohydrate-and-protein snack with minimal fat for the 60–90 minutes before exercise when no meal was eaten 2–3 hours earlier.
The product format matters: Tesco lists 26g protein per 100g for Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes, whereas Sainsbury's lists 8.1g per 100g for its plain rice cakes. Check the per-cake figure as well as the per-100g figure when deciding on a portion.
A vegan or gluten-free description does not replace the exact pack's allergen statement. Tesco's Kallo lentil-cake listing warns that the product may contain sesame and soya.
Choose this route: when you want more protein in the cake itself; Tesco lists 1.8g per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake.
Bear in mind: these are lentil cakes, not conventional rice cakes, and one cake may not provide the amount of protein you intend for the whole snack.
Choose this route: when you want a rice base and would rather select the protein food or topping yourself.
Bear in mind: Sainsbury's lists only 0.6g protein per plain rice cake, so assess the combined snack rather than the cake alone.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Compare protein per 100g and per cake on the same basis. Tesco lists 26g per 100g and 1.8g per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake; Sainsbury's lists 8.1g per 100g and 0.6g per plain rice cake. | I want to know whether the cake itself contributes the amount of protein I am looking for, or whether I need to choose another food alongside it. |
| Timing and portion | Check carbohydrate, protein and fat for the portion you plan to eat. For a snack 60–90 minutes before exercise after no meal in the previous 2–3 hours, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat. | My session is approaching, so I want to plan the whole snack rather than select a cake on its protein description alone. |
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and precautionary statement on the exact pack. Tesco warns that its listed Kallo lentil cakes may contain sesame and soya; Sainsbury's says its listed plain rice cakes are unsuitable for customers with a milk allergy because of manufacturing methods. | I need the particular pack to fit my dietary requirements; a vegan description alone does not answer my allergy question. |
Sainsbury's lists 0.6g protein per cake for its plain rice cakes. A cake's format does not tell you how much protein a serving contributes.
Compare the protein figures per cake and per 100g on the products you are considering.
Tesco lists 1.8g protein in one Kallo Protein Lentil Cake. That per-cake amount is different from the 26g per 100g shown on the same listing.
Decide how many cakes you plan to eat and check the nutrition values for that portion and any accompanying food.
Product-specific warnings still matter: Tesco's Kallo listing says the lentil cakes may contain sesame and soya, while Sainsbury's gives a milk-allergy warning for its plain rice cakes despite describing them as prepared to a vegan recipe.
Use the ingredients and allergen statement on the exact pack when an allergen affects your choice.
Snack a Jacks lists 96kcal and 0.63g salt per 23g Sour Cream & Chive pack on its product page and directs shoppers to individual packs for nutritional values. Those figures do not establish its protein content.
If protein is your reason for buying, read the exact pack's protein value per serving and per 100g.
Kallo's Protein Lentil Cakes illustrate the cake-style alternative when protein in the cake is the priority. They are lentil cakes rather than conventional rice cakes.
Sainsbury's plain rice cakes provide an example of a rice base for a snack assembled with a separate protein food.
The Sour Cream & Chive product is an example of a flavoured, single-pack snack rather than a basis for assuming a particular protein content.
This lentil-cake option is relevant if you want to consider a cake-style snack alongside conventional rice cakes. Compare the exact pack's nutrition and allergen information with the portion you plan to eat.
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A lentil-cake option to consider when you want protein in the cake itself rather than a conventional rice base. Check the exact pack's protein per cake and per 100g, along with its ingredients and allergen statement, before choosing a portion.
Check the particular product rather than relying on the category name. Sainsbury's lists 0.6g protein per cake for its plain rice cakes, so you may want to select a separate protein food if protein is a priority for the whole snack.
Tesco lists 1.8g protein per Kallo Protein Lentil Cake and 26g per 100g; Sainsbury's lists 0.6g per plain rice cake and 8.1g per 100g. The Kallo product is a lentil cake, not a conventional rice cake, and figures should be checked for the exact pack being bought.
For the 60–90 minutes before exercise, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust advises a snack containing carbohydrate and protein with minimal fat when you have not eaten a meal in the previous 2–3 hours. Check the values for your planned portion and any topping, rather than judging the cake on its own.
No. Tesco says its listed Kallo Protein Lentil Cakes may contain sesame and soya, and Sainsbury's says its plain rice cakes are unsuitable for customers with a milk allergy because of manufacturing methods, despite being prepared to a vegan recipe. Read the allergen statement on the exact pack.