For the last few weeks my husband and I have been snacking on rice cakes. For me, the “treats” are not diet or health-related - I really enjoy their flavor. At first my husband turned his nose up at the idea of eating a rice cake, but once he tried them he seemed to like the taste, in particular the popcorn-flavored brand from Quaker. I fancy that one as well, although I prefer the plain, lightly-salted rice cakes. They are simple, non-messy and non-greasy snacks that are good on their own.

 

One benefit of having my husband like them is the nutritional content – as he is a diabetic addicted to sweets every little bit helps:

Calories: 35

Total Fat: 0%

Cholesterol: 0%

Sodium: 15mg (1%) – on the lightly-salted flavor

Total Carbs: 7g (2%)

Protein: 1g

If plain rice cakes simply aren’t to your liking, there are recipes included on the Quaker package itself that may lend more of an allure:

Tuna Spread Crunch Break

1 can (6 oz.) water-packed tuna, drained

2 TBS sweet pickle relish

1 whole scallion, thinly sliced

¼ C low-fat mayonnaise

1 tsp. brown mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

2 large lightly-salted Quaker rice cakes

 

Combine the tuna, pickle relish, scallion, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spread mixture on top of two rice cakes and serve. (I might substitute the tuna with canned chicken in water instead).

The packaged rice cakes are not to be confused with oriental rice cakes, which of course are more complex and have a completely different taste and texture.