At WW we’re all about freedom and flexibility - which means you can lose weight while eating the foods you love.
We’re on a mission to prove the flexibility and liveability of the WW programme, by creating a series of articles dedicated to eating out and staying on track.
First, we gave you a Points®-friendly Nando’s menu and showed you how to enjoy a three course meal at the legendary home of Peri-Peri chicken for 9 Points.
Next up is none other than Wagamama!
You may be surprised to hear that Wagamama burst onto the UK food scene over two decades ago, opening its first doors in London’s Bloomsbury in 1992. There are now over 130 Wagamama restaurants across the country and 60 more internationally, from Norway to New Zealand.
From nourishing noodles to revitalising ramen and bold, beautiful flavours (think ginger, chillies and miso), Wagamama serves budget-friendly Asian food inspired by the flavours of Japan.
WW x Wagamama
Wagamama pride themselves on following the philosophy of kaizen, which means good change. We’re advocates for good change here at WW - after all, we’re committed to helping people build healthy habits for real life.
It's easier than you might think to put healthy habits and good change into practice at Wagamama. But how?
The great news is that there are plenty of Point-friendly options. Plus, it’s easy to make healthy food swaps - for example, you can change the type of noodles in your dish, order brown rice instead of white and even substitute the type of protein in your meal. Anything is possible!
At first glance, the menu looks pretty extensive. But don’t worry - we’re here to help you navigate straight to the dishes that won’t bust your Points Budget.
With our expert recommendations and just a little bit of advance planning, you can max the flexibility of your Budget.
In fact, you can enjoy a full three course meal and easily stay on track. We say Waga, you say Mama - let’s get this show on the road!
Wagamama starters
Edamame pods
Why not kick off your meal with Wagamama’s amazing selection of sides? Edamame pods with salt are packed with plant-based protein - nearly a whopping 22g per serving!
In Japan, these nutritionally nourishing pods are considered a delicacy, and at 0P with salt or chilli, you can’t go wrong with them. Plus, they contain all the essential amino acids your body needs to function optimally and are known to help increase feelings of satiety due to their high protein content, meaning they can help prevent overeating as you move onto mains and dessert1.
They’re also gluten-free and vegan friendly - bonus!
Prawn kushiyaki
Another top choice for starters are the prawn kushiyaki, which are essentially little skewers of grilled king prawns that have been marinated in lemongrass, lime and chilli. As well as being an excellent source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, they are also a good source of many vitamins and minerals like B12 and iron2.
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However, despite king prawns being ridiculously low in calories, this side dish has been prepared using some oil, which brings it up to 5P per serving. Still, if you’re in the mood for some seafood, this might be right up your aisle.
Comfort food
Craving something warming and comforting? Try a little pot of miso soup served with Japanese-style pickles for just 1P.
Or, if you’re willing to spend 7P, chicken steamed gyoza might be your thing. You get a generous serving of five dumplings accompanied by a flavourful dipping sauce - yum!
Wagamama mains
Revitalising ramen
Ramen is a flavoursome noodle soup that was originally imported from China to Japan. Despite not being considered traditionally Japanese, it’s become a very popular dish in both Japan and the UK.
Ramen generally consists of two key components: noodles and a rich broth. Other common ingredients include sliced meat like chicken, duck or beef, and ZeroPoint™ foods like shiitake mushrooms, boiled eggs, prawns, onions and beansprouts.
There’s an endless array of choices when it comes to ramen at Wagamama, but our favourite (and the lowest Points) has to be the chicken ramen for 10P. The chilli prawn & kimchi ramen is 15P and the miso-glazed cod is 17P.
Super salad bowls
Not keen on a ‘brothy’ main? Not to worry – Wagamama serve Kokoro bowls which are colourful dishes packed with goodness and perfect for warmer days.
The teriyaki chicken hiyashi bowl contains teriyaki dressed chicken which is a good source of high-quality protein, and and comes with heaps of veggies like cauliflower, pickled slaw, and sliced radish - all rich in vitamins and minerals.
You can opt for the miso mixed vegetable hiyashi bowl for 14P or another vegan option that’s a great shout is Shu's Shiok Jackfruit for 14P.
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Delicious donburi
If salads aren’t really your thing, one of the warming donburi dishes like the no duck donburi for 7P might tickle your fancy. The teriyaki chicken donburi comes in at 20P.
Donburi is a big bowl of rice, topped with protein and crunchy vegetables.
Time for tea
Fancy a cuppa? Green tea, which is known to be high in antioxidants, is one of the most consumed beverages in Japan. It’s often served alongside meals for free and you can generally have as many refills as you like3.
At Wagamama it’s no different: green tea is completely free of charge! Best of all, it tastes great with any meal and is 0 Points.
Wagamama desserts
We get it: there are some days that just don’t feel complete without dessert.
There are lots of lovely dessert options at Wagamama, but they’ll set you back a good number of Points. The lowest Points dessert available is banana katsu at 13P per portion.
References
1. British Nutrition Foundation: Satiation, satiety and their effects on eating behaviour
2. British Nutrition Foundation: Protein
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.