Coffee drinkers watching their sugar intake
Older people and their families who are considering a plain rice cake instead of a sweet biscuit with their afternoon coffee, and want to compare the amount of sugars per 100 g.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Older people who also consider nutritional value
If you’re keeping an eye on your fibre and protein intake, comparing values per portion eaten is more useful than looking at the sugar figure alone. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of getting enough nutrients and fibre as you get older.
Shoppers with other dietary requirements
If you need to check salt, carbohydrates, ingredients or allergens as well as sugars, compare the label with your own dietary requirements.
What should you look for when choosing?
First compare like-for-like rice cakes per 100 g, then consider how many you’ll actually eat with your coffee. The most important factor depends on what matters most to you at that coffee break.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and read the ingredients list. | If I want to eat less sugar with my coffee, I want to compare a plain variety with a coated rice cake. Around 46% of consumers put sugar content first. |
| Fibre and protein | Check fibre and protein per 100 g and per portion eaten. | For a small snack with my coffee, I want to know what the portion offers nutritionally beyond its sugar content. This matters most to around 36% of consumers. |
| Other dietary requirements | Check salt per 100 g, carbohydrates per portion, and the information on ingredients and allergens. | If I follow specific dietary requirements, my chosen portion needs to fit them, even if the rice cake is low in sugars. This is the main concern for around 18% of consumers. |
Common mistakes
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Assuming ‘no added sugars’ means ‘sugar-free’
A rice cake with no added sugars may still contain sugars. The claim also tells you nothing about its fibre, protein or salt content.
Before choosing, check both ‘of which sugars’ in the nutrition table and the ingredients list.
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Assuming a coated rice cake is the same as a plain one
Jumbo lists 24 grams of sugars per 100 g for Zonnatura Pure Chocolate Rice Cakes. The plain varieties from PLUS, Zonnatura and Jumbo list 0.4 to 0.6 grams per 100 g.
If your aim is to eat less sugar, compare the label of a chocolate or yoghurt-coated variety separately with that of a plain rice cake.
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Assuming ‘multigrain’ answers every nutritional question
Jumbo Thick Multigrain Rice Cakes list 4.9 grams of fibre, but also 2.6 grams of sugars and 0.65 grams of salt per 100 g. So make sure the label matches your own main priority.
For multigrain rice cakes, compare sugars, fibre and salt side by side, using the same 100 g basis each time.
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Thinking of a plain rice cake as a complete snack
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a large 15 g plain rice cake contains an average of 0.7 grams of fibre. So a low sugar figure alone tells you little about the nutrients you get from your coffee break as a whole.
Consider the rice cake as part of your overall diet. If you have specific dietary requirements, take these into account when choosing snacks too.
Brands compared
Jumbo
This own-label range offers a plain rice cake and a thick multigrain variety, with different amounts of sugars, fibre and salt.
- Per 100 g, Jumbo Plain Rice Cakes list 0.6 grams of sugars, 3.7 grams of fibre and less than 0.01 grams of salt.
- Per 100 g, Jumbo Thick Multigrain Rice Cakes list 4.9 grams of fibre, but also 2.6 grams of sugars and 0.65 grams of salt. So don’t choose based on the word ‘multigrain’ alone.
PLUS
This own-label plain rice cake is a useful point of comparison if you’re looking at sugar content.
- Per 100 g, PLUS Plain Rice Cakes list 0.4 grams of sugars, 0 grams of added sugars and 3.4 grams of fibre.
- The stated salt content is 0.28 grams per 100 g. If salt is also a factor in your choice, check the current packaging.
Zonnatura
With this brand, the sugar content differs considerably between the plain rice cake and the dark chocolate variety.
- PLUS lists 0.5 grams of sugars and 3.5 grams of fibre per 100 g for Zonnatura Plain Rice Cakes.
- Jumbo lists 24 grams of sugars per 100 g for Zonnatura Pure Chocolate Rice Cakes. So the brand name or organic label is no substitute for comparing varieties.
Albert Heijn
The thick rice cake with no added salt offers another point of comparison if salt matters alongside sugars.
- For AH Thick Rice Cakes with No Added Salt, Albert Heijn lists 0 grams of added salt and 0.03 grams of salt per 100 g.
- The same variety lists 1.2 grams of sugars per 100 g; ‘no added salt’ doesn’t mean it also has the lowest sugar content.
Rice cakes at Joybuy
Related products will be available soon.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘no added sugars’ mean that a rice cake contains no sugars?
No. Sugars can occur naturally in a rice cake, even when no sugars have been added. So check ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g in the nutrition table.
Why compare rice cakes per 100 g and per portion?
Comparing per 100 g lets you assess similar products on the same basis; comparing per portion shows what you actually eat with your coffee. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends comparing labels per 100 g. Then check the weight of one rice cake or the portion you eat.
What should I consider if I need to keep track of carbohydrates in rice cakes?
The carbohydrates in the portion you eat count towards the dietary plan you follow. The Diabetes Fund’s snack list gives 4 grams of carbohydrates for one 5 g wholegrain rice cake; check the label and the weight of the rice cake you choose.
Is a plain rice cake a complete snack on its own for an older person?
Not necessarily: a low sugar content doesn’t tell you how much fibre, protein and other nutrients you’ll get from your coffee break. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre highlights the importance of getting enough nutrients and fibre as you get older, and states that a large 15 g plain rice cake contains an average of 0.7 grams of fibre. So consider the portion you eat as part of your overall diet.