Balanced Rice Cake Snack Combos

Snacks

Jan 31

As someone who follows more foodie accounts than a normal person should, I usually try to spot major food trends so that I can “beautify” or rather “healthify” for my clients. Hence, healthy crispy chicken salad, crunchwrap supreme, catfish nuggets, and Reese's peanut butter cup to name a few.

But a recipe trend I want to highlight today is an actual health trend that started in the low fat craze of the 1990’s - the rice cake!

If you have ever tasted a plain rice cake on its own - there is literally no flavor. Made with puffed rice pressed together into a cake with maybe a hint of salt. That’s it. And since this started in the 90’s, everyone wanted to swap out bread and crackers for this low calorie substitute.

So are these flavorless, crunchy snacks good for your health? Since plain rice cakes are essentially rice and air, they don’t really have an impressive nutrient profile. They are low in essential vitamins and minerals, basically fat-free and contain very little protein or fiber. Some benefit is that most rice cakes are typically gluten-free and made with whole grains.

But eaten on its own, eating multiple servings in one sitting or choosing a sweet-flavored variety that contains added sugar may raise your blood sugar. As said before, rice cakes are mostly carbs, so combining them with protein, healthy fat and fiber can balance their potential effect on your blood sugar.

Try pairing rice cakes with:

A nut butter, cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit slices
Caprese style (tomato slices, basil, and mozzarella)
White bean spread with veggie slices
Tuna or chicken salad
Avocado toast style (mashed avocado, fried egg, EBTB)
Bagel and lox style (cream cheese or goat cheese, smoked salmon, sliced veggies, fresh dill and lemon)
Turkey sandwich style (pickles, sliced turkey meat, avocado, sprouts)