A health coach’s perspective on rice cakes, calories, ingredients, and creating snacks that better support your body
If you’ve ever followed a diet, you’ve probably been told to eat rice cakes. I did years ago when I believed the old idea of calories in, calories out. Potential clients often tell me they eat rice cakes, feeling like it’s a win. I see it all the time online too, with “healthy” snacks and meals featuring rice cakes. As a health coach, it makes me shake my head.
If diet culture had a favorite food, rice cakes would probably be at the top of the list. I understand the appeal. They’re crunchy, satisfy that carb or bread craving, and they’re low in calories.
The truth is, they can be the definition of empty calories. Let’s look at why.
I started with Quaker rice cakes in their lightly salted flavor. In my mind, they’re the O.G. of rice cakes. Quaker highlights that they’re gluten-free, which makes sense because rice does not contain gluten. They also promote their whole grain content. The marketing focuses on being gluten-free, low in calories, and fitting into almost any health goal.
Looking at the nutrition facts, one rice cake has 35 calories, 0g fat, 7g carbs, 0g fiber, and less than 1g protein. The ingredients are simple, containing only whole grain brown rice and salt, which is a positive. However, the nutrition offered is limited.
Most people are not eating just one rice cake. Having multiple can quickly bring those carbs into double digits. There is also no meaningful protein, fat, or fiber, which are important parts of balanced nutrition. To me, Quaker’s lightly salted rice cakes are a food that provides mostly carbohydrates without much else.
I was curious about other flavors, so I looked at Quaker’s Apple Cinnamon rice cakes. It’s important to read labels on every flavor because nutrition facts can vary.
The Apple Cinnamon version has 110 calories per serving, 25g carbs, less than 1g fiber, 8g added sugar, and 1g protein. The ingredient list is also more complex, including sugar, corn maltodextrin, natural flavors, vegetable oils, and stevia.
Maltodextrin is often used as a sweetener, thickener, or stabilizer. It can come from sources like corn, rice, potato, or wheat. Many commercial forms are highly processed, high glycemic, and for some people may affect gut health.
Now, if you’re a Trader Joe’s fan, I hear you. You’re thinking about Trader Joe’s Rice Cake Thins. Let’s look at those too.
The serving size is 6 thins with 110 calories, 23g total carbs, 1g fiber, and 3g protein. Similar to the Quaker lightly salted version, you’re mostly getting carbs without much nutritional value.
The point is not that you can never eat rice cakes. The point is to consider nutrition and what your body needs. If rice cakes are something you enjoy, pair them with quality fat like avocado, protein like turkey, tofu, chicken, or nutritional yeast, and fiber from veggies or fruit.
You can also stick with simpler flavors and add your own toppings. Another option is to use rice cakes more like a condiment by breaking them up as a crunchy topping for something else, similar to croutons.
Bottom line, there is a difference between what is marketed to us as “healthy” and what may truly provide nutrition that supports your health.