Hikers comparing fat content
If you want a plain or lightly salted rice cake, compare the nutrition panels per 100g. Calories per cake answer a different question: how much food you are packing.
Who is choosing these snacks?
Day hikers planning more than one snack
Rice cakes can be one part of the food you carry. For a long hike, University College London Hospitals suggests planning a mixture of carbohydrate and protein rather than relying on a few plain cakes alone.
Shoppers checking dietary suitability
If gluten-free or vegan labelling matters to you, check the exact variety and its current pack. Read precautionary allergen statements as well as the main ingredients list.
What should you check?
Choose the flavour and pack format you want, then compare nutrition on the same basis and plan how much food to carry for the walk.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fat content | Compare fat per 100g between exact varieties. M&S Lightly Salted lists 2.5g, Sainsbury's Lightly Salted Wholegrain and Kallo Organic Lightly Salted each list 2.7g, and Kallo Lightly Salted lists 2.8g per 100g on their respective product panels. | I want to compare plain cakes without mistaking calories per cake for a fat comparison. |
| Food for the route | Check the amount you will carry, not just the per-100g panel. Kallo lists 27kcal per cake for its two lightly salted varieties; University College London Hospitals suggests a mixture of carbohydrate and protein for a long hike. | For a longer walk, I need to plan food beyond a few plain rice cakes. |
| Flavour and salt | Check the exact flavour and whether salt is listed per pack or per 100g. Snack a Jacks lists 0.63g salt per 23g Salt & Vinegar single pack and 0.21g per 23g Sweet Chilli single pack. | A portioned pack would be convenient, but I still want to check its salt figure before choosing a flavour. |
| Dietary labels | Read the current pack's ingredients, dietary labels and precautionary allergen statements. Check the precise variety rather than assuming every product from a brand has the same ingredients. | I need to know whether the cakes I pack meet my dietary requirements. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Using calories per cake to compare fat
A per-cake calorie figure and a per-100g fat figure measure different things. Pack sizes and flavours can differ too.
Use fat per 100g for a like-for-like comparison, then use the per-cake or per-pack information to decide how much to carry.
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Packing only a few plain cakes for a long hike
Kallo lists 27kcal per cake for its lightly salted varieties. University College London Hospitals suggests a mixture of carbohydrate and protein for a long hike.
Plan the quantity and variety of food around the outing rather than treating a few cakes as the entire snack supply.
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Assuming savoury flavours have similar salt figures
Snack a Jacks lists 0.63g salt per 23g Salt & Vinegar single pack, compared with 0.21g for its 23g Sweet Chilli single pack. Plain-cake labels may use a per-100g figure instead.
Read the salt value and its serving basis for the exact flavour you intend to pack.
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Relying on an older ingredient listing
An online description may not reflect the pack you have. This matters when an ingredient or precautionary allergen statement affects your choice.
Check the physical pack before setting off, particularly when suitable alternatives will be difficult to obtain on the route.
Relevant brand references
Kallo
Kallo's Lightly Salted and Organic Lightly Salted rice cakes are plain options for comparing fat per 100g.
- Kallo lists 2.8g fat per 100g for Lightly Salted and 2.7g for Organic Lightly Salted; both list 27kcal per cake.
- Check the current pack's precautionary allergen statement if it affects your choice.
M&S
Its lightly salted and barbecue high-protein rice cakes illustrate why the exact variety matters.
- Marks & Spencer lists 2.5g fat per 100g for Lightly Salted Rice Cakes.
- Its Barbecue High Protein Rice Cakes list 16.2g fat per 100g, so they do not serve the same lower-fat selection need.
Sainsbury's
Its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes are another plain variety to compare.
- Sainsbury's lists 2.7g fat and 0.24g salt per 100g for its 135g pack.
- The product information warns that it is not suitable for customers with a milk allergy due to manufacturing methods.
Snack a Jacks
Its flavoured single packs suit shoppers who prefer a portioned snack to loose plain cakes.
- Snack a Jacks lists nutrition per 23g pack for its singles, making it straightforward to plan a pack portion.
- Salt differs by flavour: its Salt & Vinegar single lists 0.63g per pack, while Sweet Chilli lists 0.21g.
Tesco
Tesco Groceries lists own-label rice cakes alongside products from Kallo and Snack a Jacks.
- The Tesco Groceries rice-cake category includes an own-label chocolate variety.
- Use the nutrition panel of the specific rice cake you choose when comparing fat; a listed corn cake is a different product.
Rice cakes on Joybuy
These options include a lightly salted wholegrain cake and several flavoured cakes for a hiking snack bag. Compare the exact packs if fat content, salt or dietary suitability determines your choice.
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Kallo Organic Lightly Salted Rice Cakes 130g
A plain-flavoured option when fat per 100g is your main comparison. Kallo lists 2.7g fat per 100g and 27kcal per cake; check the pack's allergen statement and plan other food for a long hike.
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Marmite Rice Cakes 110g
For a savoury flavour rather than a lightly salted cake, this Marmite variety comes in a 110g pack. Compare its fat and salt per 100g with the plain options, and check the ingredients for dietary suitability.
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Kallo Jumbo Apple & Cinnamon Rice Cakes 127g
If you would rather pack a sweet flavour, this is an apple and cinnamon variety in a 127g pack. Check fat and sugars per 100g against the other cakes you are considering, as well as the current allergen statement.
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Snack A Jacks Jumbo Caramel 159g
The caramel flavour offers a sweet alternative to plain rice cakes in a 159g pack. Compare the pack's fat and sugars per 100g before deciding whether it fits the snacks you want to carry.
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Snack A Jacks Jumbos Sour Cream & Chive Sharing Rice Cakes 117g
For a savoury sharing pack, this is a 117g Sour Cream & Chive variety, not one of the 23g singles. Check its own per-100g fat and salt figures rather than applying the singles' figures to it.
Questions about hiking snacks
Are a few plain rice cakes enough food for a long hike?
Do not plan a long hike around a few plain cakes alone. Kallo lists 27kcal per cake for its lightly salted varieties, and University College London Hospitals suggests a mixture of carbohydrate and protein for a long hike. Plan the amount and variety of food you carry for your route.
How do I compare fat when packs use different serving sizes?
Compare fat per 100g first, then use per-cake or per-pack figures to plan your portion. Kallo lists 2.8g fat per 100g for its Lightly Salted cakes, while Snack a Jacks lists 1.7g fat per 23g Salt & Vinegar single pack; those printed figures are not on the same basis.
Can I assume a plain rice cake meets my dietary requirements?
No. Dietary labelling and allergen precautions belong to the exact product, not to rice cakes as a category. M&S labels its Lightly Salted Rice Cakes vegan and gluten free, while Sainsbury's warns that its Lightly Salted Wholegrain Rice Cakes are not suitable for customers with a milk allergy due to manufacturing methods. Check the current pack before packing it.