Rice cakes and their health factor!

Rice cakes are a popular crunchy snacks made of rice or puffed rice. They are carbs. Are they healthy or not?

Rice cakes

Rice cakes are prepared from rice or puffed rice that have been condensed or pressed together into a particular shape, usually round to form a single piece.

The rice can be white rice or brown rice. It can be regular rice or the organic rice. This is a popular crunchy snack common in countries where rice is the staple food. Sometimes the rice is whole rice or some people ground the price and use it to make the cake.

Usually, these cakes contain a binding substance and this could be sugar or jaggery. They might be bland or sweet. And in some regions of the world, they add other ingredients to these cakes. These include coconut milk, grated coconut, glutinous rice, vanilla flavor, chocolate, white cheddar etc.

Are these cakes healthy to consume? What’s it’s nutritional value?

Nutritive value

Every rice cake is different. The nutrition depends on the size of the cake, the binding agent used, added sugar, and whether chocolate, cheddar, cinnamon and the like are added to it or not. Some that are made of whole brown rice are healthy. Whereas, the added sugar and salt might tip the cakes to the unhealthy side.

According to the Department of Agriculture, a 9 grams of plain brown rice cake has 34.8 calories with 7.3 grams of carbs.

Sugar is 0 grams and protein is 0.7 grams. The fat content is 0.3 grams. It has 0.4 grams of dietary fiber and sodium content is 2.3 mg. Moreover, it has manganese, zinc, magnesium, and niacin in significant amounts. Manganese is beneficial for immunity, strong bones, and collagen production.

The heavier cakes have more calories and may have added sugar, fats, and salt. Check the label to know the ingredients and nutritional aspects of that particular cake.

Health benefits and health risks

The health aspect depends on the type of cake, it’s size and composition. Brown rice cakes are healthy. These should be free of added salt, sugar or fats. White rice cakes with sugar, salt or fats might not be so healthy. But pairing them with fruits, avocados or peanut butter enhances their health aspect.

Brown rice has a lot of antioxidants, as per a systematic review in 2018 in the journal Antioxidants. It is rich in phenolic compounds.

These protect the body and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, and heart disease. It helps in blood sugar control. This is also due to its high fiber content which white rice lacks. This fiber decreases blood sugar spikes and also favors the growth of healthy gut bacteria. These reduce body inflammation and prevent obesity and diabetes.

Also, read Health benefits of glutinous rice!

Rice cakes help in weight management. They are easy to digest and are light on the stomach. They are free from gluten. Enjoy them at breakfast and add toppings of mashed avocado with pumpkin seeds, vegetables, hummus, vegan pesto, cheese, peanut butter, melted dark chocolate, etc.