Choose a plain rice cake if you want a neutral, crunchy snack with your coffee; choose a digestive biscuit if you fancy a biscuit. Compare the ingredients, nutritional values per serving and allergens for the exact product, and consider whether you can reseal an opened pack securely in your hotel room.
You want something dry and crunchy with your coffee, but would rather not choose a sweet biscuit. A plain rice cake suits that preference. Also check whether you can reseal the pack securely once it’s open.
You’re choosing a digestive biscuit for its flavour and texture. When comparing different varieties, check the ingredients, serving size and nutritional values per 100 g. A chocolate variety is not the same as a biscuit without a coating.
Don’t rely on the words rice cake or digestive biscuit alone. Jumbo says its plain rice cakes may contain sesame and soya, while its classic digestive contains wheat. Check the label of the variety you choose, including any ‘may contain’ statements.
First decide whether you’d like a plain rice cake or a biscuit with your coffee. Then check the ingredients of your chosen variety and whether the pack is practical for your stay.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should consider this? |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral snack | Check the ingredients, salt content per 100 g and whether the pack can be resealed once open. | I want something dry and neutral with my coffee, and I want to be able to store the rest. For around 44% of consumers, a simple snack like this comes first. |
| Digestive biscuit with coffee | Compare the ingredients and nutritional values per 100 g and per serving, including sugars, fat and salt. | With my coffee, I specifically want the flavour and texture of a biscuit. This preference matters most to around 33% of consumers. |
| Allergens and gluten | Read the allergen and ‘may contain’ information for the exact variety; if necessary, look for an explicit gluten-free label. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, I check the label before choosing between a rice snack and a biscuit. This is the main consideration for around 23% of consumers. |
The product name doesn’t mean that the biscuit has an effect on digestion. For McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate, Jumbo’s product information says that the ingredients in the biscuit do not contain substances that aid digestion.
Choose the biscuit you want to eat, and compare the ingredients and nutritional information for the exact variety.
A claim on one variety does not automatically apply to another. For example, Jumbo says its plain rice cakes may contain traces of sesame and soya, while ALDI explicitly labels its Goud Gebakken rice cakes with sea salt as gluten-free.
For the pack you choose, check both the allergen information and any ‘may contain’ statements, as well as any gluten-free label.
If you’re staying in a hotel for several days, you’ll need to store the rest of the pack too. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends storing rice cakes in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed pack.
Check whether you can reseal the pack, or bring an airtight container or bag with you.
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products, including rice cakes, every day because of the potential for arsenic intake with frequent, long-term consumption.
Give children a variety of snacks instead of making rice cakes their regular daily choice during your stay.
Albert Heijn’s rice cake range includes plain rice cakes and thick rice cakes with no added salt.
Jumbo sells both a plain rice cake and a classic digestive under its own brand. The plain rice cake lists wholegrain rice as an ingredient, while the digestive contains wheat flour, oil, sugar and wholemeal wheat flour, among other ingredients.
PLUS Plain Rice Cakes list rice, water and 0,3% sea salt as ingredients.
ALDI lists Goud Gebakken rice cakes with sea salt and Biscotto Digestive Biscuits as separate products.
Below you’ll find three digestive biscuit varieties and a plain rice toast. The rice toast is a different type of rice snack from the plain rice cakes mentioned above, so compare the exact product type and ingredients before choosing.
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A digestive biscuit for anyone who would rather have a biscuit than a rice cake with their hotel-room coffee. Check the nutritional information for your portion, and read the current label if allergens are relevant to you.
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A milk chocolate digestive for anyone who specifically wants a chocolate variety with their coffee. Check the ingredients, allergens and nutritional values for this variety; a chocolate coating means it isn’t comparable to an uncoated biscuit based on the name alone.
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A dark chocolate digestive for anyone looking for this variety to enjoy with coffee. To compare it with other digestives, read the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving, and check the allergens on the pack.
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A plain rice toast for anyone who’d like to try a rice snack with their coffee but isn’t specifically looking for a rice cake. The product information gives conflicting details about sesame and soya; if you have an allergy, don’t rely on this information alone—check the current label.
No, they’re different types of product. Jumbo lists wholegrain rice as an ingredient in its plain rice cake, while its classic digestive contains wheat flour, oil, sugar and wholemeal wheat flour, among other ingredients. So first decide which kind of snack you’d like with your coffee.
No, don’t assume it has any particular effect based on the name. For McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate, Jumbo’s product information says that the ingredients in the biscuit do not contain substances that aid digestion. Judge the biscuit by its ingredients and nutritional information.
Store them in a cool, dry, dark place in a well-sealed pack, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends for rice cakes. An airtight container or bag is handy if you can’t reseal the original pack securely.
Read the label on the exact pack, including any statements that the product may contain traces of allergens. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for prepacked foods must appear on the label. Don’t rely on the product category or information about a different variety.
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products, including rice cakes, every day. So vary the snacks during your stay instead of making rice cakes a regular daily choice.
