Host with a range of guests
Wants to serve rice cakes to guests with different tastes. Plain rice cakes leave room for a variety of toppings, while the number of cakes or servings helps with planning.
Who are these choices relevant to?
Family buying snacks for several occasions
Wants to know how many rice cakes are in a pack and how to keep an opened roll crisp. Weight, serving size and storage advice are more useful here than a pack that simply looks large.
Buyer considering ingredients and snacks for children
Compares plain, multigrain and flavoured varieties by looking at ingredients, nutritional information and allergens. For children, it’s also worth offering a range of different snacks.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, decide whether the rice cakes are for one gathering or several snack breaks. Then choose between a plain base and a variety you can serve without toppings.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity for guests | Check the number of rice cakes or servings alongside the net weight and serving size. | If I’m hosting several guests, I want to know in advance how many rice cakes I can serve. Having enough to serve is the top priority for around 31% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | Check the ingredients, allergens and salt per 100 g on the pack of the variety you’ve chosen. | Anyone buying for people with different tastes wants to know exactly what’s in a plain, multigrain or flavoured variety. Around 31% of consumers give ingredients the highest priority. |
| Storing leftovers | Compare the packaging and check how to store the rice cakes once opened. | If the roll will still be used after the coffee morning, I want to stop the remaining rice cakes from going soft. Storage matters most to around 23% of consumers. |
| Ready to serve | Choose plain rice cakes for your own toppings or a flavoured variety you can serve as it is; check the ingredients of that variety. | A pronounced flavour can be the deciding factor if you don’t want to put out separate toppings. Being able to serve the rice cakes straight away is the top priority for around 15% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Judging a roll by weight alone
Packs of a similar weight don’t necessarily contain the same number of servings. Jumbo lists around 20 servings for its 130 g Naturel roll and 12 servings for Dikke Meergranen, which weighs 120 g; Albert Heijn lists 18 servings for its 130 g AH Naturel.
Decide how many rice cakes you want to serve each guest, then use the stated number of cakes or servings to work out how many rolls to buy.
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Assuming multigrain is the same as plain
A different grain mix doesn’t in itself tell you how much salt a product contains. Jumbo lists 0.65 g of salt per 100 g for Dikke Meergranen and less than 0.01 g per 100 g for its Naturel variety.
Compare the nutritional information per 100 g for the exact varieties and choose the texture you want to serve.
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Giving children rice cakes as a daily snack
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products, including rice cakes, every day because of possible exposure to arsenic.
Vary the snacks you offer children instead of giving them the same type every day.
Brands to consider
Albert Heijn
The range includes plain rice cakes and other varieties, including thick multigrain rice cakes.
- AH Naturel lists 130 g and 18 servings, which is useful when planning for a gathering.
- Albert Heijn notes that product information can change, so check the ingredients and allergens on the pack.
Jumbo
Jumbo offers plain, thick multigrain and flavoured rice cakes, among other varieties.
- Jumbo Naturel and Dikke Meergranen list around 20 and 12 servings respectively.
- These varieties differ in serving size and ingredients, so don’t compare them by roll weight alone.
PLUS
PLUS offers a 130 g roll of plain rice cakes as well as other rice cake and wafer varieties.
- The stated pack size makes the plain roll easy to compare with other rolls by weight.
- To work out how much to serve, check the number of rice cakes or servings on the current pack.
ALDI / Goud Gebakken
Goud Gebakken includes rice cakes with sea salt and coated flavoured varieties.
- ALDI lists 17 rice cakes in its 130 g sea salt variety.
- A rice cake with sea salt or a sweet coating won’t work in the same way as a plain rice cake for adding toppings.
Lidl / Sondey
Lidl lists rice cakes in its Sondey range of biscuits and snacks.
- Sondey is a brand to consider when you’re looking at rice cakes.
- Check the contents, ingredients and nutritional information on the pack you choose.
Rice cakes on Joybuy
These rice cakes have caramel, barbecue pepper or chocolate flavour, or are made with salt. They’re a good fit for a coffee morning when you want to serve rice cakes straight away; if you’d like to offer a choice of toppings, a plain variety is another option.
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Snack A Jacks Smooth Caramel rice cakes, 140 g
Caramel-flavoured rice cakes to serve without separate toppings. The pack contains 140 g; choose another variety if you’d like guests to pick their own toppings.
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Snack A Jacks Barbecue Pepper rice cakes, 103 g
A savoury option to serve as it is. The pack contains 103 g and has a barbecue pepper flavour; check the listed allergens before serving to make sure it’s suitable for your guests.
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Snack a Jacks Choc Chip rice cakes, 166 g
A sweet variety to serve with coffee straight away. The pack contains 166 g. If anyone has a sesame allergy, check the current label before serving these rice cakes.
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g'woon rice cakes with salt, 130 g
A savoury rice cake option for serving with salt. The pack contains 130 g; check the number of rice cakes on the pack if you’re planning for a group. If anyone has a sesame allergy, check the current label before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How many rice cakes do I need for a coffee morning?
Work out how many rice cakes you want to serve each guest, then compare that with the number of cakes or servings listed on the pack. Jumbo lists around 20 servings for Naturel and 12 for Dikke Meergranen; Albert Heijn lists 18 servings for AH Naturel.
How can I keep an opened roll of rice cakes crisp?
Store the rice cakes in a cool, dry place and seal the pack tightly after opening. Albert Heijn and PLUS recommend using a sealed tin or container to help stop the remaining rice cakes from absorbing moisture.
Can I give children rice cakes every day?
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products, including rice cakes, every day because of possible exposure to arsenic. So vary them with other snacks.