Are rice cakes good for weight loss?

Only eating small portions of brown rice cake is good for weight loss, as it can control appetite with only 176 calories per a medium serving bag. Much higher doses can cause belly fat, though.

Eat small servings to lose weight

Rice cake is a popular snack for losing weight. It can be a great alternative to other highly processed snacks which are high in calories, fat, refined flours, or sugar! Rice cakes have 392 calories per 100g. A rice cake has only 12 calories, whereas a large serving bag has 333 calories.[1]

Rice cakes support weight loss as they regulate appetite

Only brown rice cakes can regulate appetite, due to their high fiber content. A serving of brown rice cake provides almost 5% of the Daily Value (DV). On the contrary, rice cakes made from white rice are poor in fiber.

Fiber regulates appetite and keeps us full for a long time. Therefore, a diet high in fiber is beneficial for losing weight and for improved body composition.[2]

Fruits, beans, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are the best dietary sources of fiber. You can combine rice cakes with other foods high in fiber, like avocado or banana, for a more filling snack.

Furthermore, rice is good for weight loss because it’s a great dietary source of GABA. This chemical also plays a key role in regulating energy intake.

Eat rice cakes with protein-rich foods for weight loss

Moreover, rice supports weight loss because it contains decent amounts of protein. Brown and wild rice have the highest protein content as compared to white rice. Actually, a serving contains up to 2.5 grams of protein.

We need protein to lose weight. Protein:

  • digestion burns up to 30% of calories.
  • is vital for increased metabolism. It protects the lean body mass during a hypocaloric diet.
  • with fiber and water promote satiety.

Therefore, combining rice cakes with foods high in protein can help you lose weight. For instance, you can eat rice cakes with hummus, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, almond butter, tahini etc.

However, you should be very cautious with portion sizes. Although peanut butter and other nut spreads have a great nutritional value, they’re particularly high in calories. For instance, almond and peanut butter have almost 100 calories per tbsp. High amounts can certainly make us gain weight.

Brown rice cakes are good for weight loss!

In fact, brown rice cakes are among the healthiest snacks for weight loss. They’re healthier and better for weight loss than white rice cakes because:

  • brown rice cakes are more filling because they have more fiber than white rice cakes.
  • they don’t spike blood sugar levels as much as white rice. Brown rice cakes have a lower glycemic index than white rice cakes. White rice cakes have a pretty high glycemic index of 91, as white rice is high in sugar.[4,5]
  • they’re richer in minerals, which are involved in energy metabolism, such magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc compared to white rice.

You can buy a wide variety of brown rice cakes on Amazon.

How many rice cakes can I eat a day to lose weight?

If you want to lose weight, you should eat no more than a medium serving bag of rice cakes, which has only 176 calories. Actually, you should eat only small doses of any popular snack, such as breadsticks, pretzels, and popcorn if you want to lose weight.

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