Rice cakes emerged as a popular snack during the low-fat craze of the nineties. Made from puffed rice pressed together into a cake, rice cakes are often eaten as a low-calorie substitute for bread and crackers. While flavored varieties are available, the most basic kind is made from only rice and sometimes salt. As you might expect, they don’t have much flavor on their own. This article looks at rice cake nutrition, health benefits and downsides, and how to enjoy rice cakes.
Nutritional Profile of Rice Cakes
Rice cakes are essentially rice and air and thus don’t boast an impressive nutrient profile. One plain rice cake (9 grams) made from brown rice offers:
- Calories: 35
- Carbs: 7 grams
- Fiber: 0 grams
- Protein: 1 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Niacin: 4% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Pantothenic acid: 2% of the DV
- Manganese: 15% of the DV
- Copper: 4% of the DV
- Selenium: 4% of the DV
- Magnesium: 3% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 3% of the DV
- Zinc: 2% of the DV
They also contain minimal amounts of several other vitamins and minerals. Their sodium content depends on whether they’re salted. If you’re watching your salt intake, check the sodium on the Nutrition Facts panel of your rice cakes or look at the ingredients for added salt. Additionally, the process of puffing rice, which is used in making rice cakes, has been shown to decrease the rice’s antioxidant content. Keep in mind that this nutrition information is for plain rice cakes only. Flavored varieties often contain added sugars and other ingredients.
In 100 grams of rice crackers, there are 416 calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 80% carbs, 11% fat, and 10% protein. This is a good source of protein (18% of your Daily Value), magnesium (37% of your Daily Value), and vitamin B6 (43% of your Daily Value).
Potential Benefits of Rice Cakes
Some of the benefits of rice cakes are that they’re low in calories, they’re typically gluten-free, and they’re sometimes made with whole grains.
Read also: Keto Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe
Low in Calories
One rice cake (9 grams) has 35 calories, primarily from carbs. Many people eat rice cakes in place of bread or crackers, both of which can be higher in calories. It may feel like you’re eating more because the air in the rice cakes helps make you feel full, but the flip side is that in order to save calories, you’ll need to stick to a reasonable portion size of rice cake. This is because, ounce-for-ounce and gram-for-gram, rice cakes actually contain more calories than white bread and a similar amount of calories as saltine crackers.
Whole Grain Option
Rice cakes can be made using whole grain brown rice. A diet high in whole grains has been proven to lower the risk of chronic diseases. A large study in more than 360,000 people found that those who consumed the most whole grains - such as brown rice - had a 17% lower risk of death from all causes than those who ate the fewest whole grains. However, not all rice cakes on the market use brown rice, so look for “whole grain brown rice” on the label to ensure that you’re buying one with whole grains.
Gluten-Free
Rice cakes made solely from rice are gluten-free. Some varieties incorporate barley or other gluten-containing grains, so be sure to read the label carefully if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Additionally, rice cakes are widely available, which makes them a convenient gluten-free option away from home. If you’re in a place where your favorite gluten-free products are unavailable, you will likely be able to find rice cakes in any mainstream grocery store.
Potential Downsides of Rice Cakes
Rice cakes may raise your blood sugar, particularly if you eat multiple servings in one sitting or if you choose sweet-flavored varieties that contain added sugar. They’re mostly carbs and have very little protein and fiber to slow the effect of these carbs on your blood sugar. To blunt their effect on your blood sugar, combine them with protein, such as meat, cheese, hummus, or nut butter, and add fiber to your snack in the form of fruits or veggies. Also, if you’re choosing them only because they’re low in calories and you think they’re healthy, but you don’t actually like them, they may not be the best choice for a snack. There are other nutritious options you can eat.
Rice Cakes and Blood Sugar
Rice cakes are mostly quickly digesting carbs that will increase blood sugar levels, so on their own, they’re not the best choice for people with diabetes. However, a single plain rice cake contains only about 7 grams of carbs, so it may easily fit into your carb allotment for a meal or snack. Regardless, try to stick to just one serving as a snack and add healthy protein, fat, and fiber to both reduce the blood sugar effects and make the rice cake more filling and nutritious. Some good rice cake toppings for people with diabetes are avocado, nut butter, and hummus.
Read also: Chicken and Brown Rice: A Healthy Choice
Ways to Incorporate Rice Cakes into Your Diet
Rice cakes are low in calories, fiber, and protein. Most of the calories come from carbs. Combining them with protein and fiber can balance their potential effect on your blood sugar. You can buy many varieties of rice cakes, so they can be fairly versatile snacks. There are whole grain versions made with brown rice, miniature versions that are bagged like potato chips, and thin varieties. Rice cakes also come in several flavor options, including savory flavors like sour cream and onion and cheddar and sweet flavors like chocolate and caramel.
Miniature savory-flavored rice cakes are a lower calorie alternative to potato chips, but it’s a good idea to eat them with a yogurt- or hummus-based dip to add some protein and fat.
Try pairing rice cakes with:
- Hummus and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes
- Cream cheese, smoked salmon, and sliced cucumbers
- Peanut butter and sliced bananas
- Almond butter and sliced strawberries
- Guacamole and sliced cheese
- Sliced turkey and tomatoes
- White bean spread and radishes
- Tuna salad and celery
- Mashed avocado and an egg
- Tomato, basil, and mozzarella
Rice Crackers and Low-Carb Diets
Rice crackers are crunchy snacks made from rice or rice flour that’s been baked or fried. They are available in various flavors including salty, seaweed, or teriyaki. Since they are light, rice crackers are a popular snack for noshing. On the other hand, rice cakes are like oversized crackers but puffier, almost like a large disk of puffed rice. They come in sweet and savory versions- like apple cinnamon or lightly salted. Rice cakes have that signature crunch, but are less dense, offering a different mouthfeel than rice crackers. Both are popular snack options perceived as healthy due to their ‘guilt-free’ serving sizes and relatively low-calorie count.
Rice crackers predominantly contain rice flour made from white rice. From a typical serving of plain rice crackers (30 g or roughly 20 crackers), you can get 20-30 grams of carbs. If you have a daily carb limit, that is a substantial chunk of your carb allowance. They’re crunchy and convenient, but don’t be fooled-ricer crackers carbs can easily torpedo your carb intake.
Read also: Everything You Need to Know About the Rice Diet
Unlike rice crackers, a plain rice cake is made from puffed whole-grain rice. The puffing process involves heat and pressure that makes the grains stick together naturally. Even though no binders or other artificial ingredients are used, a single rice cake contains up to 15 grams of carbs, which doesn’t exactly make it a low-carb count superstar. Moreover, many rice cakes have a cheddar cheese seasoning coating, which may spike the overall carb count.
Nutritional Information of Rice Crackers
In a typical serving of 20 crackers or 30 g of plain crackers, you will get 20-30 grams total carbs. This is pretty significant if you have a daily carb limit. To calculate net carbs, you subtract the fiber content from the total carbs in rice crackers. Unfortunately, rice crackers don’t contain much fiber, therefore, don’t expect the net carbs to be significantly lower than the total carb count. For each serving, you get 1-2 grams of fiber. It’s something, but not significant enough to make a difference in your daily fiber intake goals. You may get 2-3 grams of protein per serving, which is not sufficient, but not entirely bad for those looking for a low-calorie snack with some protein. A single serving will give you anything between 2 and 5 g of fat, which is not bad, but it won’t fill you up when you are hungry. Rice crackers generally have a high glycemic index, meaning they can cause your blood sugar-and blood glucose levels-to spike.
It is not recommended to eat rice crackers on a low-carb diet as it is a slippery slope. Although they are light and touted as healthy, rice crackers are high-carb snacks that will not only raise your blood sugar but also trigger cravings for other carb-laden foods. On a low-carb diet, you want to minimize your carb intake and focus more on healthy protein, fat and fiber. If you are on a keto diet, please keep your hands off rice products. They may be famous for a couple of merits, like being a great gluten-free snack choice, but their carb content can quickly add up and throw you off your keto game. Rice crackers are not keto-friendly.
Rice Cracker Substitutes
Although they are better than potato chips and a pint of ice cream, rice crackers or rice cakes aren’t the best snacking choices on a low-carb diet. Here’s a list of low-carb and keto-friendly alternatives that are big on flavor and low on carbs.
- Almond flour-based crackers: These low-carb crackers are the real snack game changers. They offer a great way to get that satisfying crunch you crave while keeping your carb count in check. Plus, they’re often seasoned with herbs and spices, making them a flavorful option. A handful of these work great for a strict ketogenic diet as well.
- Flax seed: You’ll get a hefty dose of fiber and omega-3s, without derailing your low-carb lifestyle. Slather with some Keto Cream Cheese Dip and a sprinkle of sea salt for a delightful snack.
- Keto cheese breadsticks: They’re cheesy, crunchy, and perfectly low-carb. Dunk them in Homemade Tomato Sauce for a huge burst of flavors.
- 100% cheese crackers: Just take your favorite hard cheese-think Parmesan or cheddar-grate it, place small mounds on a baking sheet, and bake them until they’re crispy. You’ll get these heavenly, crunchy rounds that are blissfully low-carb. This is a tasty snack.
- Almond butter and 100% dark chocolate: If you’ve never spread almond butter on a square of 100% dark chocolate, you’re seriously missing out. The almond butter cuts through the bitterness of the chocolate wonderfully. The combo is a fantastic way of sorting out dessert cravings without getting off the low-carb track. Substitute peanut butter for almond butter if you like it better.
With these alternatives, there’s no reason to feel snack-deprived on a low-carb diet.
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