Are Rice Cakes Good for Weight Loss? What a Singapore Snacker Should Know
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Rice cakes have been the "diet snack" for decades: round, crunchy, and only about 35 calories each. But low calories don't automatically mean a snack helps you manage your weight. Here's what the evidence says, and how to read the packet if you're picking one up in Singapore.
The case for rice cakes: they're light
According to WebMD, a plain brown rice cake has roughly 35 calories, 7.3g of carbohydrate, 0.7g of protein and 0.4g of fibre. If you're comparing against a handful of fried chips, the calorie gap per piece is real. They also carry small amounts of minerals such as manganese and magnesium.
The catch is in that last number set: under 1g of protein and well under 1g of fibre per cake. Those are the two nutrients most associated with feeling full.
The problem: low calories, low staying power
A classic study, "A Satiety Index of Common Foods", fed volunteers 38 foods in equal 1000 kJ portions and tracked how full they felt over two hours. Protein, fibre and water content were linked to higher satiety, while fat was linked to lower satiety. Boiled potatoes scored highest and croissants lowest. The study was small and tested specific foods in a lab, so it won't tell you how a particular rice cake performs, but the pattern is useful: a snack that's mostly starch with little protein or fibre tends not to hold you for long.
WebMD makes a similar practical point: eaten plain, rice cakes may not be satisfying, which can lead to eating several in a row. Three or four plain cakes can quietly add up to more than the number on the front of the pack suggests.
What about blood sugar?
Harvard Health lists rice cakes among high glycaemic index (GI) foods, meaning a score of 70 or above on the scale. Puffed starch is digested quickly, which is why a plain rice cake on an empty stomach may leave you hungry again sooner than you'd expect.
Some nuance: GI is measured on a single food eaten alone, and most people don't snack that way. Adding protein, fat or fibre to a snack changes how it behaves in practice. If you have diabetes or are managing blood sugar, speak to your doctor or dietitian rather than relying on a single number.
Wholegrain helps, but check what "wholegrain" means on the pack
The Health Promotion Board has long encouraged Singaporeans to swap refined grains for wholegrain. In a 2013 newsroom release, HPB noted that increased wholegrain intake is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and reported that the share of Singaporeans eating at least one serving of wholegrain daily rose from 8.4% in 2004 to 27.0% in 2010. Brown rice is a wholegrain; white puffed rice is not. So when comparing rice-based snacks, look for brown or wholegrain rice near the top of the ingredients list.
A practical checklist for choosing a snack
- Check the serving size. Is the calorie figure for one piece or one pack?
- Look at protein and fibre per serving. A snack with a few grams of each is more likely to keep you going than a plain puffed cake.
- Scan the sodium line. Light snacks can still be salty.
- Skip the coated versions. WebMD advises avoiding chocolate-coated rice cakes because of added sugar and saturated fat.
- Pair it. Nut butter, yoghurt with fruit, or hummus with cucumber add protein and fibre, as suggested by WebMD.
So, are rice cakes good for weight loss?
They can fit into a weight-loss plan, as a light, low-calorie base, but they're not a weight-loss food in themselves. No single snack is. What matters more is whether the snack keeps you satisfied until your next meal so you don't end up reaching for something else. A plain rice cake on its own usually won't do that; a rice cake with a protein-rich topping, or a snack that already contains some protein and fibre, is a better bet.
A gentle tie-back
If you like the crunch of a rice cracker but want more protein per bite, HexaCrunch's baked brown-rice crackers are made with cricket protein. They're not a magic fix, and we'd still tell you to check the label and the serving size. If you're curious, the Try-All 3-Pack is an easy way to sample the range.