A rice cake is a good choice with tea if you want a crunchy base and would like to choose the flavour yourself by adding a topping. A digestive biscuit is for when you fancy a biscuit. Don’t choose a rice cake just by its name: plain, multigrain and coated varieties can differ in ingredients, salt, fibre and allergens. So compare the packaging of the products you’re considering, especially if a nutritional value or allergy affects your choice.
You want something crunchy without a distinctly sweet flavour, and would rather decide for yourself whether to add a topping. For plain rice cakes, compare the ingredients and salt content: ‘plain’ doesn’t mean every pack has the same ingredients.
If the flavour and texture of a biscuit are what matter most, a digestive is a different choice from a rice cake. A rice cake is the better fit if you’re specifically looking for a crunchy rice base rather than a biscuit.
If you’re keeping an eye on fibre, salt, sugars, saturated fat or allergens, compare the exact varieties. A mix of grains or a coating can change the ingredients and nutritional values. If you have an allergy, always check the information on the current packaging.
First, decide whether you want a rice cake or a biscuit. Then compare varieties within that category, focusing on what matters for your tea break.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral base | Compare the ingredients and salt content of the exact plain rice cake you’re considering. | I want something crunchy with my tea that I can flavour myself, rather than immediately choosing a sweet biscuit. For around 36% of consumers, a neutral base comes first. |
| Biscuit break | Check whether you’re buying a digestive biscuit or a rice cake, and compare the portion sizes. | With my tea, I’m mainly looking for the flavour and texture of a biscuit. A classic biscuit break is the top priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Label and allergens | Compare nutritional values per 100 g on the same basis. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging. | If a nutritional value or allergen determines my choice, I want to be able to assess the specific variety. For around 21% of consumers, checking the label matters most. |
| Variety for children | Consider how often a child has rice cakes and other rice products, and vary their snacks with other foods. | For a child, I want to avoid rice products becoming their regular everyday snack. Varying snacks comes first for around 14% of consumers; as a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice products every day. |
A digestive is a biscuit; a rice cake is a rice product. So a rice cake may disappoint if what you’re really after is the flavour and texture of a biscuit.
Before comparing varieties, decide whether you want a biscuit to enjoy with your tea or a rice cake as a base.
‘Multigrain’ doesn’t, by itself, tell you which nutritional values are better for you. Jumbo lists 4.9 g of fibre and 0.65 g of salt per 100 g for its thick multigrain rice cakes. Both values could be relevant to your decision.
Compare the fibre and salt per 100 g on the packs you’re actually considering, and let your priorities guide your choice.
A claim such as ‘gluten-free’ or ‘vegan’ doesn’t mean a product is free from other allergens that may matter to you. For example, Jumbo states that its plain rice cakes may contain sesame and soya.
If you have an allergy, read both the ingredients list and the allergen information on the exact pack you’re buying.
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products, including rice cakes, every day.
Alternate rice cakes with snacks made from other ingredients.
A brand name tells you little about the ingredients of a particular rice cake. Use these ranges to compare varieties, then check the packaging of the one you decide to buy.
The range includes plain, multigrain and coated rice cakes, as well as other types of cakes.
Jumbo offers plain and thick multigrain rice cakes, among other varieties.
PLUS offers plain rice cakes and thick rice cakes with sea salt, among other varieties.
The range includes rice cakes with sea salt, as well as varieties coated in yoghurt or chocolate.
Lidl lists rice cakes in sea salt, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and yoghurt varieties.
Bolletje is worth considering for crispbreads, crackers and snacks: other options to enjoy with your tea.
These products show three options to enjoy with tea: a digestive biscuit, a salted rice cake and a rice cracker. A rice cracker is a separate type of product, not a rice cake.
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For anyone looking for a digestive biscuit without a chocolate coating to enjoy with tea. The pack contains 400 g; if you have an allergy, check the information on the label.
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For anyone who fancies a digestive with dark chocolate to enjoy with tea. The pack contains 266 g; if you’re choosing based on sugars, saturated fat or allergens, compare the nutritional information and ingredients on the packaging.
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For anyone who’d prefer a digestive with milk chocolate to enjoy with tea. The pack contains 266 g; if you have questions about nutrition or allergies, check the details for this variety rather than those for an uncoated digestive.
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A rice cake for anyone looking for an uncoated, salted variety to enjoy with tea. The pack contains 130 g; if the salt content or an allergen affects your choice, check the label on this product.
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An option if you’d like a rice cracker with your tea rather than a rice cake or digestive biscuit. The pack contains 65 g; compare the nutritional information and allergens on the packaging if they matter to your choice.
No, a digestive is a biscuit, not a rice cake. Choose based on what you’re looking for with your tea: the flavour and texture of a biscuit, or a crunchy rice base that you can add a topping to if you like.
Compare the salt content per 100 g of the exact varieties so you’re using the same basis. A name such as ‘plain’ or ‘multigrain’ doesn’t tell you how much salt it contains; Jumbo lists 0.65 g of salt per 100 g for its thick multigrain rice cakes.
No, check the ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack. For example, Jumbo states that its plain rice cakes may contain sesame and soya; a claim relating to another dietary preference doesn’t replace this check.
As a precaution, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving children rice or rice products, including rice cakes, every day. So vary their snacks with options made from other ingredients.
Nutri-Score B doesn’t guarantee that a rice cake is healthy. According to the Dutch Government, Nutri-Score helps you compare products within the same product category. Also check the ingredients and nutritional values of the variety you want to buy.
