How to Make Healthy and Fun Rice Cake Snacks

A single plain rice cake contains just 35 calories -- and a pleasing crunch.

Crunchy rice cakes on their own may be a little bland. But these functional snacks are anything but boring. Exercise a little creativity to spice up traditional plain rice cakes, which on pack as few as 35 calories apiece. Tasty toppings turn rice cakes into healthy and fun snacks.

Things You'll Need

• Rice cakes

Instructions

1. Indulge in peanut butter and jelly with the carbs. Just replace the two slices of bread with two rice cakes, which adds a welcome crunch to this classic pairing. Rice cakes carry fewer calories than bread but may actually be more filling. Simply spread a healthy peanut butter on one cake, sugar-free jelly on the other, put them together and eat up.

2. If peanut butter is not your favorite, make a jelly and banana rice cake sandwich. Choose a sugar-free jelly, jam or other spread, then spread it on two rice cakes. Slice a banana into 1/4- to 1/2-inch rounds and place them on top of the jelly, creating two open-faced sandwiches. For kids, make smiley faces with the banana slices.

3. A spin on chips and salsa, a Mexican-style rice cake treat comes with the same great taste and crunch but with far fewer calories and less fat. Simply take two rice cakes and spread fresh salsa on one side of each cake. Lay sliced avocado on top of the salsa for a healthy addition.

References

• Martha Stewart: Quick Rice Cake Snack
• Eating Well: Mini Rice-Cake Stack