Shoppers comparing calories per cake
If you plan to eat rice cakes plain or add your own topping, a clearly stated per-cake figure gives you a starting point. Check how many cakes you intend to eat.
Who these options suit
Shoppers who prefer a flavoured snack
A savoury or sweet cake can be eaten without a topping. Compare the exact flavour's calories, sugars, salt and ingredients rather than applying the figures for a plain cake to the whole range.
Shoppers checking dietary suitability
Use the current pack's ingredients and precautionary allergen statements. Gluten-free wording or a vegan recipe description does not, by itself, settle a separate allergy question.
What to check before choosing
Start with the amount you expect to eat, then compare the labels of the particular plain, flavoured or coated products you are considering.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calories per break | Compare kcal for one cake or the stated serving. Count the cakes you expect to eat and any topping; the NHS notes that a manufacturer's portion may differ from yours. | I want to compare the snack I will actually eat, not just the figure for one plain cake. |
| Flavour and coating | Read calories, sugars and fat on the exact variant. Use per 100g figures to compare products on the same weight basis, then check the serving size. | A ready-to-eat sweet or savoury flavour matters to me, but I still want to know how its label differs from a plain cake. |
| Salt | Check salt per 100g and per cake or serving on the same product. Do not transfer a lightly salted cake's figures to a seasoned flavour. | If I am comparing savoury options, I want to see the salt in the amount I plan to eat. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the current pack for ingredients, dietary statements and any precautionary allergen warning. Assess each flavour separately. | I need to know whether this particular pack fits my dietary requirements, rather than relying on a brand-wide description. |
Common buying mistakes
-
Choosing by the per-cake calorie figure alone
Several cakes or a topping change the total for the break. The NHS also points out that the portion shown on a label may not match the amount you eat.
Decide on your number of cakes and check the nutrition information for anything you add.
-
Assuming coated cakes have the same nutrition as plain ones
Marks & Spencer lists 26.4g sugars and 20.4g fat per 100g for its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes, versus 0.6g sugars and 2.5g fat per 100g for its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes. Those are comparisons by weight, not by cake.
Compare the exact products per 100g, then check their stated servings before deciding what to eat.
-
Using vegan or gluten-free wording as an allergy guarantee
Tesco lists possible milk, sesame and soya for Kallo Lightly Salted. Sainsbury's says its lightly salted cakes are made to a vegan recipe but are not suitable for customers with a milk allergy because of manufacturing methods.
For an allergy, read the current pack's ingredients and precautionary statements for the exact product.
Brand and retailer references
These examples show why the variant matters: figures and allergen statements for one product should not be applied to every cake under the same brand.
Kallo
Kallo UK lists 27 kcal per cake for its Lightly Salted wholegrain rice cakes.
- The listed ingredients are wholegrain brown rice and sea salt.
- Tesco lists possible milk, sesame and soya for that product; check the pack if those allergens matter to you.
Snack a Jacks
Its flavoured jumbo cakes offer savoury and sweet alternatives to a plain rice cake.
- Tesco lists 37 kcal per snack for Sour Cream & Chive Jumbo; Snack a Jacks lists 51 kcal per cake for Caramel Jumbo.
- The Sour Cream & Chive seasoning contains milk ingredients. Check each flavour's own label.
Tesco
Tesco lists plain, salted, flavoured and sweet rice cakes as distinct shopping formats.
- Its Salt and Vinegar Rice Cakes listing states 47 kcal per cake.
- That flavoured product's figures should not be used for Tesco's other rice cakes.
Sainsbury's
Its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes listing states 29 kcal and 0.02g salt per cake.
- The listed product contains 99% brown rice.
- Sainsbury's says this vegan-recipe product is not suitable for customers with a milk allergy because of manufacturing methods.
Asda
Asda lists 30 kcal and 0.02g salt per cake for its Slightly Salted Rice Cakes.
- The listed ingredients are brown rice and sea salt.
- Check the current pack for the product's ingredient and allergen information.
M&S
Marks & Spencer lists lightly salted, flavoured and chocolate-coated rice cakes.
- Its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes list 386 kcal per 100g.
- Its Milk Chocolate Rice Cakes list 481 kcal per 100g; use the pack's serving information to compare what you would eat.
Joybuy product options
These options include plain and flavoured rice cakes, plus lentil cakes as a different type of cake for an afternoon break. Compare each pack on its own terms; the named variants are not interchangeable with the retailer examples above.
No image available
Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Rice Cakes 130g
A lightly salted option if you want a plain base for your break. Check this Organic variant's own calories per cake and allergen statement before comparing it with other Kallo products.
No image available
Kallo Protein Packed Lentil Cakes 100g
These are lentil cakes, not rice cakes. If you are considering them as an alternative, compare the pack's calories and protein per serving with the rice cakes you would otherwise choose.
No image available
Kallo Jumbo Apple & Cinnamon Rice Cakes 127g
An apple-and-cinnamon-flavoured rice cake for a sweet-tasting break without adding your own topping. Check this variant's calories per cake, sugars per 100g and allergen statement.
No image available
Kallo Blueberry and Vanilla Rice and Corn Cakes 131g
A blueberry-and-vanilla option made as rice and corn cakes. Compare its stated serving, sugars and ingredients with any plain cake you might otherwise top yourself.
No image available
Snack a Jacks Jumbos Sour Cream & Chive Sharing Rice Cakes 117g
A savoury flavoured option. For a tea break, check the pack's serving size, salt and milk-allergen information rather than assuming its figures match a plain rice cake.
Questions about rice cakes
Which of the compared plain cakes has the lowest stated calories per cake?
Of these three listed lightly salted products, Kallo UK states 27 kcal per cake, Sainsbury's states 29 kcal and Asda states 30 kcal. That compares individual cakes, not a break with several cakes or toppings, and does not describe every variant from those brands.
Does a low per-cake figure tell me the calories in my whole snack?
No. Count the cakes you intend to eat and check any topping separately. The NHS advises comparing label information per 100g and, where shown, per portion, because the manufacturer's portion may differ from yours.
Should I compare flavoured and plain rice cakes in the same way?
Compare each exact variant's serving and nutrition label. Tesco lists 37 kcal per snack for Snack a Jacks Sour Cream & Chive Jumbo, while Snack a Jacks lists 51 kcal per cake for Caramel Jumbo; those figures describe different products, not one value for the range.
Is a vegan-recipe or gluten-free rice cake suitable for a milk allergy?
Do not assume so. Tesco lists possible milk, sesame and soya for Kallo Lightly Salted, and Sainsbury's says its vegan-recipe Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes are not suitable for customers with a milk allergy because of manufacturing methods. Check the current pack for the exact product.