You feel like a snack, but it has to be both healthy and tasty. What do you choose then? Yes, a rice cake! They are incredibly addictive and low in calories. You would think the perfect snack, but are rice cakes a healthy snack? Because what else is in the rice cake besides puffed rice?
What are Rice Cakes?
A rice cake is made from puffed rice. Brown rice or white rice is often used for this. The rice is popped under high pressure. The puffed rice is compressed into a rice cake. To bring the rice cake to taste, a number of ingredients are added. In general, an amount of salt is added in every kind of rice cake. Millet, buckwheat and quinoa are also added to multigrain rice cakes.
Are rice cakes bread substitutes?
People often opt for rice cakes instead of bread, but are rice cakes a bread substitute? When you compare a rice cake with a whole meal sandwich, it is clear that bread cannot be replaced by rice cakes. Bread contains more fiber and minerals, which gives you a feeling of satiety. However, this is not the case with a rice cake. Rice cakes can be replaced by biscuits or snacks.
Few nutrients
Rice cakes are low in calories, but also low in nutrients. This also means that you don’t get a full feeling from rice cakes. In fact, within half an hour you are hungry again and therefore want to eat again. This is because rice cakes have a high glycemic index. As a result, your body will process the rice cake very quickly, so that you are only satiated for a short time. Rice cakes therefore have no added value for your appetite and health.
So are rice cakes healthy?
There’s nothing wrong with a rice cake once in a while. It is important that you do not consume rice cakes as a bread substitute or too often / too much. They are absolutely not suitable for that. Rice cakes contain a high glycemic index, which means that your body processes the rice cake quickly. This will make you hungry again quickly. In addition, a rice cake causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. Finally, rice cakes contain ‘arsenic’, also known as arsenic. This is a metal that occurs naturally in the soil. A long-term high intake of arsenic is very harmful to your body. You can get various diseases from it. These include skin conditions, heart disease and certain forms of cancer.
