A ready-to-eat rice cake with a chocolate coating is a good match for hotel-room coffee when you fancy something crunchy with no preparation. Choose dark or milk chocolate to suit your taste, then compare portion sizes, allergens and storage advice. A rice and corn snack with a chocolate flavour is not necessarily the same as a fully coated rice cake.
You’re looking for a crunchy, ready-to-eat rice cake with dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate. Even with a dark chocolate variety, check the allergen information: Albert Heijn’s product details warn that it may contain milk, sesame seeds and lactose.
You don’t want to be left with a large opened pack during a short stay. Compare the number of portions and check how the packaging says to store the rice cakes after opening.
Ingredients, allergens or nutritional value influence your choice. Check the information on the current pack: a dark chocolate coating, a milk chocolate coating and a snack with a chocolate flavour may all differ.
First decide whether you want a chocolate coating and which chocolate flavour you prefer. Then compare the label and choose a pack size that suits your stay.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate flavour | Check whether the rice cake has a coating and whether it is made with dark or milk chocolate. | I want a rice cake with the chocolate flavour I enjoy alongside my coffee, not just a snack with a chocolate flavour. For around 36% of consumers, this choice of flavour comes first. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the ingredients list and check both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ on the pack. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I can’t rely on the word ‘dark’ alone. For around 29% of consumers, allergens and ingredients are the top priority. |
| Pack size and storage | Compare the pack weight and number of portions; read the storage advice for before and after opening. | For a short stay, I want to finish the pack or be able to seal the rest properly. Pack size and storage come first for around 21% of consumers. |
| Nutritional value | Compare the portion size and nutritional information per 100 g and per portion. | When weighing up different rice cakes, I want to compare sugars, fats and fibre on the same basis. For around 14% of consumers, nutritional value is the main consideration. |
A rice cake with a chocolate coating and a rice and corn snack with chocolate pieces don’t have the same ingredients or portion size.
If you want a chocolate layer, look specifically for a chocolate coating in the product description.
According to product information from Albert Heijn and Jumbo, the dark chocolate varieties checked may contain milk or sesame.
Check the allergens on the current packaging, even if the front says ‘dark’.
The packs checked recommend storing the products in a cool, dry place; heat and an open pack can affect quality.
Follow the advice on the pack and seal the rice cakes properly after opening, keeping them away from sunlight and sources of heat.
The stated portions of the products checked vary in weight, so a figure per rice cake doesn’t tell the whole story.
As well as the value per portion, check the nutritional information per 100 g.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, the rice cakes checked are available with either 60% dark or 60% milk chocolate, in 150 g packs containing nine portions.
Jumbo describes its organic rice cakes with 60% dark chocolate, among those checked, as a 100 g pack containing six portions.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, the Dreamy chocolate chip variety checked is a rice and corn snack with a chocolate flavour and chocolate pieces.
According to Albert Heijn’s product information, the organic rice cakes from Zonnatura checked have 60% dark chocolate; the 100 g pack contains six pieces.
This rice and corn snack with a chocolate flavour is a good choice with coffee if you don’t need a full chocolate coating. Check the packaging if you’re specifically looking for a coated rice cake.
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A good choice with coffee if you’re after a rice and corn snack with a chocolate flavour rather than a specifically fully coated rice cake.
Check the current packaging for details of the chocolate layer and allergen information, especially if sesame is a concern for you.
Yes, the packaged rice cakes checked are ready to eat. Store them as directed on the label; the varieties checked should be kept in a cool, dry place and sealed properly after opening.
No, ‘dark’ doesn’t guarantee that. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product information states that the dark chocolate varieties checked may contain milk; always check the current allergen information.
At the very least, check the ingredients, allergens, quantity, best-before date, any storage instructions and nutritional information. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority stresses that a food label should make clear what’s in the product, how to use it and how long it can be kept.
First compare the values per 100 g, then look at the stated portion for each product. This also helps you spot when a difference per rice cake is down to a different portion size. Use the nutritional information on the packaging in question to make your final choice.
