If you want to choose a rice cake with less sugar for a late-morning snack, compare both ‘of which sugars’ and the information about added sugars per 100 g. Then consider how many cakes you’ll have as a portion. Plain rice cakes are a useful starting point, while a multigrain variety may have different fibre values. Check the salt and allergen information for both, too: the variety with the least sugar may not be the best fit in those respects.
For a late-morning snack, you’ll want to know how much total sugar a rice cake contains and whether any sugar has been added. Compare the figures for the exact varieties you’re considering; plain products don’t all have the same nutritional values.
You want to look at fibre as well as sugar. Multigrain rice cakes may differ from plain varieties in this respect, but compare their salt content and ingredients before you choose, too.
If you’re buying rice cakes for a child, how often you serve them matters, too. As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products every day because of the arsenic they contain.
Start with the sugar content per 100 g, then consider the portion you plan to eat and weigh up fibre, salt and allergens for the variety you’ve chosen.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Total and added sugars | Compare ‘of which sugars’ per 100 g and check separately what the packaging says about added sugars. Then consider how many cakes you’ll have as a portion. | For my snack, I don’t want to rely only on a claim about added sugars; I want to know how much sugar the rice cake contains overall. Around 33% of consumers put this first. |
| Fibre | Compare fibre per 100 g and check the salt content at the same time. Albert Heijn lists 6 g of fibre and 0.78 g of salt per 100 g for AH Dikke rijstwafels meergranen; Jumbo lists 4.9 g of fibre and 0.65 g of salt per 100 g for Dikke Rijstwafels Meergranen. | If I also want to compare fibre, I’ll look beyond the sugar figure and won’t simply accept a different salt value; around 27% of consumers give fibre top priority. |
| Salt and allergens | Read the salt content and the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety. AH Dikke rijstwafels meergranen contains oats and rye; Jumbo states that Rijstwafels Naturel may contain sesame and soya. | If salt or an allergen determines my choice, I want to be sure that this specific variety meets my requirements; around 20% of consumers put this consideration first. |
| Variety for children | Don’t give a child rice products as a regular snack every day. As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises varying their diet because rice products contain arsenic. | If I’m buying rice cakes for a child, I want to be able to alternate them with other snacks; around 20% of consumers prioritise variety. |
This claim doesn’t tell you how much sugar the product contains overall. Albert Heijn lists 0 g of added sugars but 1.2 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Dikke rijstwafels zonder toegevoegd zout.
Check ‘of which sugars’ as well, and compare the figure with other rice cakes on the same basis.
The word ‘multigrain’ tells you nothing about the salt content or allergens. Albert Heijn lists 0.78 g of salt per 100 g for its thick multigrain rice cakes, which also contain rye.
Compare salt per 100 g and check the ingredients before switching from plain to multigrain.
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products every day because of the arsenic they contain.
If you choose rice cakes for a child, alternate them with other snacks.
Ingredients and nutritional information may change if the variety or recipe has been updated.
Check the label on the pack you’ve chosen each time you buy, especially for sugar and allergen information.
Albert Heijn offers, among other products, thick rice cakes with no added salt and a thick multigrain variety.
Jumbo offers plain rice cakes and a thick multigrain variety, each with different nutritional values.
One of the varieties ALDI lists is Goud Gebakken rice cakes with sea salt.
Lidl lists rice cakes, including options in the Sondey range.
PLUS lists 130 g packs of plain rice cakes and 120 g packs of thick multigrain rice cakes.
No. Added sugars and total sugars aren’t the same thing. Albert Heijn lists 0 g of added sugars and 1.2 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Dikke rijstwafels zonder toegevoegd zout. So be sure to check the ‘of which sugars’ line, too.
You can’t tell from the name alone; compare the figures for the specific products. Jumbo lists 0.6 g of sugars per 100 g for Rijstwafels Naturel, while Albert Heijn lists 1.2 g per 100 g for AH Dikke rijstwafels zonder toegevoegd zout. When choosing, consider the portion, salt content and any allergens as well.
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products every day because of the arsenic they contain. So alternate rice cakes with other snacks.
No. Check the ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety. AH Dikke rijstwafels meergranen contains rye; Albert Heijn separately describes its thick rice cakes with no added salt as gluten-free.
