NAYA is a build-your-own Lebanese chain, and that format is what makes it work on a GLP-1. When you are taking Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound, your appetite drops and every calorie has to carry more nutrition. A 2025 joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Obesity Medicine Association puts the protein target at 80 to 120 grams per day to protect muscle during weight loss, which can be split across meals depending on appetite. For this guide, anything around 30g or more counts as a useful high-protein restaurant meal.
The build-your-own format lets you clear that target without piling on calories. The lean chicken proteins carry the meal, fresh vegetables add volume for almost no calories, and the light sauces keep fat in check.
All macros here come from NAYA's official nutrition guide, the same source behind our NAYA macro calculator.
One note before you order: NAYA currently labels rotisserie chicken as a limited-time item. It is the leanest protein on the menu when available, so this guide flags it as a bonus. The core builds use chicken kebab and chicken shawarma, which are permanent menu proteins, so the article works whether or not your location has rotisserie.
Why NAYA works on a GLP-1
On a GLP-1, the priorities are protein first, moderate calories, and lower fat, since higher-fat foods can be harder to tolerate for some people on these medications. The build-your-own format gives you control over all three.
The move is to choose a light base, load a lean protein, and use fresh vegetables for volume rather than calorie-dense dips and dressings. Done that way, a NAYA bowl can clear 45g of protein and stay under 500 calories.
The protein ranking
NAYA's proteins range from very lean to fat-heavy, and the leanest ones are not always the ones people reach for. Here is how they rank on a bowl build.
| Protein | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotisserie Chicken* | 120 | 25g | 1g | 1g |
| Chicken Kebab | 150 | 20g | 2g | 7g |
| Chicken Shawarma | 200 | 23g | 1g | 11g |
| Kafta Lamb Kebab | 270 | 18g | 2g | 20g |
| Braised Beef | 180 | 13g | 4g | 12g |
| Falafel (6) | 300 | 13g | 41g | 20g |
| Cauliflower | 120 | 2g | 5g | 11g |
Chicken kebab and chicken shawarma are the two lean permanent proteins to build around. Rotisserie chicken is the best of all when your location has it, marked here with an asterisk because it is currently a limited-time item. Falafel is the one to avoid, since it carries 41g of carbs and 20g of fat for only 13g of protein, the weakest ratio on the board.
The builds
Build 1: Double Chicken Kebab Salad
Double chicken kebab on greens, dressed like a loaded protein salad. This is the lean, high-protein order that works at any location.
Double Chicken Kebab Salad
465 calories, 47g of protein. Doubling the chicken kebab is the play, adding 20g of protein for 150 calories. Cucumbers, tomatoes, sumac onions, and green bell pepper are all near zero calories, so load up for volume. Cucumber yogurt is the light sauce at 35 calories, and it keeps fat lower than a tahini or dressing would.
If your location has the limited-time rotisserie chicken, swap it in for the kebab. Double rotisserie on the same build drops this to roughly 405 calories with 57g of protein and just 11g of fat, the best numbers on the page.
Build 2: Mediterranean Chicken Bowl
For a bowl with more body. Single shawarma protein with hummus for substance, still built to stay protein-forward.
Mediterranean Chicken Bowl
450 calories, 29g of protein. The hummus gives this bowl the richness and texture a plain salad lacks, and it still clears the mark for a high-protein restaurant meal. The fat runs higher here at 27g because of the hummus and shawarma, so this is the build for a day when you want a proper meal rather than the leanest possible option. To pull the fat down, swap the shawarma for chicken kebab and you land near 20g of fat with more protein.
Build 3: Quinoa Power Bowl
For a bigger appetite or a post-workout meal. A grain base and two proteins push this to the highest protein count on the page.
Quinoa Power Bowl
715 calories, 55g of protein. Pairing kebab and shawarma gives you two distinct textures instead of a single protein doubled up. Quinoa adds 200 calories, 6g of protein, and 3g of fiber over a greens base, making it the better grain pick when you want more staying power. At 715 calories this is a full meal, so if your appetite is still suppressed, drop to a single protein and you land near 515 calories with 32g of protein.
A note on sodium
These builds are high-protein and calorie-conscious, but they are not low-sodium. NAYA's proteins and pickled toppings carry meaningful sodium, so a double-protein bowl with pickles and feta can climb quickly. If sodium matters for you, go easy on the Lebanese pickles and pickled turnips, use feta lightly, and keep the sauce on the side. The lean protein and fresh vegetables are still the right base either way.
The base and sauce traps
Two choices quietly decide whether your NAYA bowl stays GLP-1 friendly: the base and the sauce.
On the base, seasonal greens are 30 calories and vermicelli rice is 150. Quinoa sits at 200 calories but brings 6g of protein and 3g of fiber, so it earns its place when you want a grain. For the leanest bowl, greens win. For a fuller meal, quinoa is the better grain than vermicelli rice.
On the sauce, the pomegranate vinaigrette and Greek dressing are each 270 calories with 29g of fat on a bowl build, enough to undo an otherwise lean order. Toum is only 80 calories but is 9g of fat and almost no protein. The lighter picks are cucumber yogurt at 35 calories, lemon tahini at 70, and spicy red pepper sauce at 45. Ask for dressing on the side regardless, so you control how much lands in the bowl.
What to skip
Falafel is the most common mistake. At 300 calories for 13g of protein and 41g of carbs, it has the weakest ratio on the menu, and it is fried, which works against you on a GLP-1. Chicken kebab delivers more protein for half the calories.
The pomegranate and Greek dressings are each 270 calories and 29g of fat. On a bowl that is otherwise 400 calories, a single dressing nearly doubles the total. Use a lighter sauce or ask for it on the side.
The vermicelli rice base is 150 calories for only 3g of protein. If you want a grain, quinoa is the better trade at 200 calories with 6g of protein and fiber. If you do not need a grain, greens save you the calories entirely.
The rolls and Chef's Creations carry the biggest loads. A white pita adds 300 calories and 60g of carbs, and the Chef's Creations braised beef bowl runs 940 calories. On a smaller appetite, the build-your-own bowl gives you the same proteins without the carb-heavy wrap or the premium calorie count.
Build and check your own order with the NAYA nutrition calculator before you go. For the max-protein angle without the GLP-1 framing, see our highest protein NAYA bowl guide, and for a similar build-a-bowl approach at another Mediterranean chain, the CAVA GLP-1 bowls guide.
Values may vary by location and preparation. This is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or dietitian about dietary needs while on GLP-1 medications.