Can Street Food Be Your Protein Source? A Nutritionist Shares the Real Deal

Street food is a big part of everyday life in the Philippines. Whether it’s fish balls, kikiam, squid balls, or the more recent crab sticks, these snacks are everywhere, from school gates to office corners. They're cheap, quick to cook, and undeniably tasty. But a question has been circling for a while now: Can these favorites actually count as a good source of protein?

In a recent YouTube video, Olympic nutrition coach Jeaneth Aro took a closer look at some of our well-loved street foods and their nutritional value, especially in terms of protein content. If you’re someone who snacks on these regularly, this might interest you.

Let’s start with what these foods are made of. Fish balls are made from ground ladyfish, mixed with flour, eggs, salt, flavorings, and other additives. Kikiam is a mix of finely ground seafood like shrimp, squid, and fish, again blended with flour and seasonings. As for crab sticks, they aren’t real crab. They're made from something called surimi paste, which is basically processed fish mixed with sugar, flour, egg whites, salt, and flavoring to mimic the taste and texture of crab meat.

Once flavored, these mixes are shaped, round for fish balls, long and firm for kikiam and crab sticks, then either boiled, steamed, or deep-fried, which is the most popular way of cooking them.

Now, here’s the part that matters: Are they actually good sources of protein?

According to Aro, when you compare these snacks to real meat, they fall short. Here's a rough breakdown per 100 grams:

• Fish balls: 121 calories, 8.6g protein
• Kikiam: 121 calories, 8.6g protein
• Crab sticks: 95 calories, 7.7g protein

Meanwhile, natural protein sources look much better:

• Fish: 117 calories, 23g protein
• Chicken, pork, beef: 137 calories, 27g protein

That's a huge difference, especially if you're trying to meet your daily protein needs. Experts recommend around 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight per day, which means a 60-kilo adult needs roughly 48 grams daily. If you rely only on street food, you’ll fall short.

Aro emphasized that while street food is affordable and accessible, it's not ideal as a regular protein source. The protein they offer is considered low quality because of extenders and fillers. Plus, most of these items are high in sodium and packed with preservatives, things that can raise your risk of high blood pressure and cause negative reactions in your body when consumed too often.

Another concern is how these are cooked. Most of them are deep-fried, and too much fried food is linked to health problems like obesity and heart disease.

So, should you quit street food completely? Not necessarily. Aro says it's all about balance. Enjoy them occasionally, not daily. If you're serious about getting quality protein, your best bet is still fresh meat, poultry, and seafood.