What to choose from the Nando’s menu if you want to lose weight

At WeightWatchers® we’re all about freedom and flexibility, which means you can lose weight while eating the foods you love.

There’s no need to miss out on social occasions with friends and family as a WW member. And we can prove it! From Nando’s to Pizza Express, this is the first in a series of articles dedicated to eating out and staying on track.

Whether you’ve saved some weeklies for a special occasion, or someone’s sprung a surprise dinner on you, there are plenty of Points®-friendly choices at all your favourite restaurants. As long as you pay attention to portion sizes, plan ahead and make savvy food choices, nothing is off-limits.

First up in the series is Nando’s! There are plenty of healthier options on the menu, but don’t just wing it: read our expert recommendations, then scroll for our Points® guide to boss your Budget while chowing down on some tasty Peri-Peri chicken.

Our 4.8* rated WW app can also help keep you on track, with in-built Points values for meals at 70 restaurants across the UK.

Skinless chicken breast is a lean protein, which means it's super low in Points. However, Nando’s chicken is cooked with the skin on and some is cooked on the bone, which means all menu items have a Points value that you’ll need to track.

Our top choices would be the ¼ chickenwhich is 7 Points or the chicken butterflywhich is 6P. Both dishes feature chicken breast as opposed to thighs (which are higher in saturated fat) and wings (which are just plain fiddly!).

If you did want to opt for wings, 3 chicken wings are 6P and 5 chicken wings are 9P in total.

Sink your teeth into a Grilled chicken burger for 10P or a Grilled chicken pitta 12P. Fancy doubling up? Just add 2 extra Points.

Top with a grilled portobello mushroom for an extra 3P.

Looking for veggie alternatives? Try the Spiced Chickpea Burger for 17P, The Great Imitator Burger for 15P or how about a Beanie Burger for 16P.

Fancy something lighter? At 0P, you don’t even need to track the mixed leaf salad. If a bowl of leaves isn’t going to cut it, add a chicken breast for an extra 2P.

The Rainbow Bowl Salad with Chicken (14P) is also a great option. Thanks to the wholegrains, green beans and butternut squash, this is a healthy and hearty dish. Keep it veggie by having the Rainbow Bowl Salad with PERi-plant strips instead for 19P.

Alternatively, you could build your own salad by ordering different sides and small dishes. For instance, the mixed leaf salad with chicken (2P) and a regular s piced grains & butternut squash side (6P) with rainbow slaw (4P) makes a delicious, fibre-packed DIY salad for 12P.

Or, how about going for a mixed leaf salad with chicken (2P), a side of long stem broccoli (1P) and a corn on the cob without butter (0P) for a total of 3 Points.

What’s a salad without a dressing? The Peri Peri drizzle is 3 Points per 20ml.

If you fancy something on the side, how about the spiced grains & butternut squash side packed full of wholesome grains for 6P? It also contains green beans and dried fruit which boost the protein and fibre content, helping you feel fuller for longer.

Not in the mood for grains? The regular spicy rice is 7P per serving. A regular corn on the cob without butter is 0P and a regular rainbow slaw is 4P. You can even add to your budget at Nando’s by tracking a handful of non-starchy vegetables; with a side of long stem broccoli (1P) or a mixed leaf salad (0P).

Dessert was NEVER out of the question, and here are our top picks. We love the frozen yogurt which comes in four flavours. The mango, vanilla and strawberry is 5P per serving, while the chocolate is 6P per serving. Special occasion? If your Budget allows, go bottomless and grab a free refill.

The grilled pineapple in the ‘Extras’ section of the menu is 0P. It makes a great fruity finish to any meal and is full of fibre and antioxidants. Or, if dessert is the main event, treat yourself to a Naughty Nata custard tart for 8 Points- who can resist a freshly baked Portuguese tart?

Cast your eyes below for a super Points-friendly meal at Nando's.

• Starter: Spicy mixed olives, shared between 2 people (2P)

• Mains: Mixed leaf salad with a grilled chicken breast (2P) and a corn on the cob (0PP)

• Dessert: Frozen yogurt. Choose from vanilla, strawberry and mango (5P per serving)

• Drink: Iced water (0PP)

TOTAL: 9-13 Points

There you have it: proof you can enjoy a 3-course meal at Nando’s for as little as 9 Points! Feeling peckish? Find your nearest Nando’s.

Disclaimer: The Points listed in these guides are correct at the time of publishing (March 2022). Unless otherwise stated, the Points values listed are for the item as served in the restaurant - so if you ordered the chicken steamed gyoza at Wagamama, the Points value of 7P includes all five gyoza that come as part of the dish. You might notice discrepancies between the Points you calculate using the nutritional details provided by the restaurant and the Points listed for meals in these guides. That's because the Points have taken into account any ZeroPoint™ ingredients in the meal and been adjusted accordingly, whereas the restaurant information includes nutritional values for all ingredients. For tracking purposes, use the Points values listed in these guides.

How to track on the WW app: simply scroll to 'Browse restaurants' on your My Day screen, tap 'Restaurant name' and type 'nando's' into the search bar, then scroll or search for your meal. Find out more about tracking on the app.

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