nutrition

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on POPSUGAR Fitness!

You know how some restaurants highlight their lighter offerings in an attempt to woo their healthier customers? Well, at Panera Bread, some of the healthiest and most flavorful options don't appear anywhere on their menu. It turns out that earlier this year, Panera Breads nationwide started offering a new lineup of "power foods" with lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and veggies as part of its all-new Hidden Menu. These six "power foods" items aren't promoted in-store, but fans and followers of Panera's social media channels will get the inside scoop. Lucky for you, we've got the inside scoop now, too. Check out the six pack here — plus the skinny on each of 'em.

If you're trying to lose weight, understanding how many calories you're eating in a day can really help. But if you think that you have to deprive yourself and your grumbling stomach all day long in order to see the scale drop, think again. The following meal plan clocks in at 1,400 calories and is full of healthy, whole foods that will keep you full and help you get the important nutrients you need every day. Use this plan as a guide if you are looking to reduce calories safely.

Breakfast: Antioxidant Chia Berry Smoothie

Start your day off right with this fiber-rich mixed berry, pomegranate, and chia smoothie, which will keep you full and energized.
Calories: 233

Midmorning Snack: Grapes and Apples With Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt

If a late-morning hunger attack hits, don't make a vending machine trip. The creamy peanut butter and Greek yogurt spread in this recipe is a cinch to whip together and is a lower-calorie option than just dipping in regular peanut butter. Make these grape and apple snacks in the morning to take with you to work.
Calories: 150

Lunch: Chard Veggie Burger Wraps

A leftover veggie burger is perfect for lunch the next day. This recipe for chard veggie burger wraps takes almost no time at all to prepare but is filled with different textures and flavors to keep you satisfied. If you make it with these 202-calorie quinoa veggie burgers, your wrap will be around 316 calories total. Add a side salad of mixed baby greens with homemade oil and vinegar dressing (around 100 calories) to round out your meal.
Calories: 416

Get the rest of the plan after the break.

Not all calories are created equal, and while we know the best ones can be found in fresh, whole foods like fruits, veggies, and lean proteins, when it comes to navigating the grocery store, it helps to know which foods we should definitely avoid. We asked a few nutritionists and a registered dietitian to tell us which foods they believe are the worst for women to eat; read on for their picks.

1. Dairy: It's "the number one thing I tell my clients to stop eating," says nutritionist and author of The Beauty Detox Solution Kimberly Snyder. Besides being a common food allergy, Kim says dairy can leave acidic residue in the body, which can weaken bones. "Nature did not intend for humans to drink the milk of another species, and into adulthood at that! When we go against nature's law, trouble always ensues." Kimberly says she encourages clients to seek out the nutrition they would get from dairy, such as calcium, from plant foods instead.
2. Refined carbs: Stay away from these ingredients, advises nutritionist Melissa Costello, author of the Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook. "They do nothing to feed us nutritionally or spiritually," Melissa says. "They drain us of our life force, and women need to have their life force and their energy as they are such an important part of the day-to-day of life!"
3. Foods with hidden sugars: It's not just blatantly sweet processed foods you should avoid. Added sugar is everywhere, even in items you'd least expect, like refined bread products, gravies, and condiments. Try to avoid foods that may be hiding sugar, advises registered dietitian Erin Palinski, a spokesperson for ZICO Coconut Water, because too much simple sugar in your diet can "elevate insulin levels, leading to increased storage of dangerous belly fat, elevated triglyceride levels, and even leptin resistance, which can increase the risk for obesity as well as certain cancers, specifically breast cancer." Erin reminds us to read all nutrition labels, choose whole-grain bread, and choose drinks sweetened with natural sugars (like 100 percent fruit juice or coconut water) to help reduce the amount of sugar in our diets.
4. Foods with artificial additives: These additives "are just pollution" to your body, says registered dietitian and author of S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim Cynthia Sass, so stick to whole foods instead. "When we eat real, whole foods, the nutrients they provide go to work, to either perform a function or become a structural part of your tissues, from your muscles and bone to skin, immune cells, etc.," she says.

If you're training for a marathon or other long race, there are many things to think about: your training schedule, your race-day outfit, which shoes are right for you. Your hydration habits also need to be closely examined, says fitness expert and Pear Sports coach Matt Fitzgerald, author of The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition. Contrary to what many runners believe, drinking too much can hinder — not help — your run.

How have runners been hydrating wrong? "In the bad old days, a lot advice that runners got was to drink as much as possible, or to drink in order to completely offset sweat losses when doing long runs," Matt explains. "That turns out to be bad advice."

Research has shown that drinking more than your body needs doesn't help you, and in fact can hurt your race, Matt tells us. "When you force yourself to drink more than you're thirsty for or are comfortable drinking, you don't get any more benefit than you would than if you just drank by thirst or by comfort. In fact, the only change that can happen is that you have a much bigger risk of gastrointestinal distress," he says.

His advice: be mindful of your thirst and hydration needs, but don't force it. "Go ahead and trust your body's signals. That way you'll get as much fluid as your body can actually use and you won't increase the risk of having your whole run ruined by GI distress," he says. And come race day, don't try to stave off dehydration by drinking a lot before the race. "Human beings are not camels," Matt says. "If we drink more than our bodies actually need at that moment, we just end up going to the bathroom." If you want to avoid the long pre-race Porta Potty line or losing precious minutes relieving yourself during the race, stick to drinking just enough water to have to go to the bathroom once in the morning (after your initial wake-up bathroom trip) — about 15-20 ounces of fluid for most people, Matt advises.

It may only be the start of the week, but if you're already feeling like you could use a pick-me-up, use this meal plan to boost your energy. You'll be ready to take on the rest of your week in no time!

Pre-Workout: Chia Seeds, Supergreens, and Coconut Water

If you've woken up feeling a little bloated and de-energized from the weekend, making this chia seeds, supergreens, and coconut water drink from celebrity trainer Valerie Waters will get you back on track before your morning workout. Chia seeds contain high amounts of healthy fats and protein to power you through your workout.

Breakfast: Apple-Pie Smoothie

You need a filling breakfast that won't weigh you down, and this nutrition-packed breakfast smoothie recipe from celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak has got just what you need. Healthy fats, carbs, and fiber all help you stay energized throughout the morning.

Lunch: Kale, Blood Orange, and Avocado Salad

This creamy kale, blood orange, and avocado salad contains an energizing punch: vitamin C from the oranges and healthy fats from the avocado all contribute to your energy levels, while übernutritious kale is packed with antioxidants and vitamins like B6, which aids in metabolizing energy.

Read on for the dinner plan!

Traditional trail mix — the realm of peanuts, almonds, and walnuts — are a great way to get those essential fatty acids and protein to make sure you aren't hungry between meals. But if you're suffering from trail mix fatigue, there's another type of nut you should be snacking on: pine nuts. Here are some nutritious reasons why.

• They're high in manganese: Pine nuts are an amazing source of the essential mineral manganese, which, among other things, helps you maintain normal blood sugar levels. Manganese also helps keep your bones and nerves healthy, and may help promote reproductive system health.
• They help fight disease: Pine nuts are rich in vitamin E, which helps maintain healthy disease-fighting cell health, as well as those monounsaturated fats, which help lower bad cholesterol levels to reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke.
• They're appetite suppressing: Studies have shown that an essential fatty acid found in pine nuts, called pinolenic acid, can help curb hunger cravings. One study, for example, found that about half a teaspoon of pine oil before a meal reduced food intake by nine percent.

So, how do you eat pine nuts? Sprinkle some on your next salad or sauteed kale, make a pesto sauce, or make these zucchini goat cheese rolls (shown above). Just watch your intake, since pine nuts, like all nuts, are high in calories — 77 pine nuts is around 100 calories.

If your exposure to sweet potatoes is limited to the Thanksgiving table or your favorite diner's healthier french fry option, now's the time to open your eyes to the weight-loss wonders of the tuber. Here are three reasons sweet potatoes help you drop pounds.

They're naturally sweet: No refined sugar overload here — sweet potatoes make for a healthy lower-calorie treat. Satisfy any morning sweet/salty cravings with these sweet potato breakfast biscuits and get your healthy dessert fill with these sweet potato desserts.

They regulate blood sugar: Sweet potatoes may have their fair share of carbs (about 33 grams per cup), but they contain a compound that increases levels of adiponectin, the blood-sugar-regulating hormone, in the body. Sweet potatoes have a relatively low glycemic index rating (50), which can also help prevent blood sugar spikes after you eat. Regulated blood sugar levels can help get rid of those sugary cravings you get when your levels dip. And while studies have been conflicting, some research has shown that low-glycemic foods stay in your digestive tract longer, helping you control your appetite. To maintain sweet potatoes' low-glycemic properties, boil or steam them instead of roasting them (which destroys some of these properties).

They contain fiber: High-fiber foods are another foolproof way to control hunger. Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, and one medium sweet potato (about one cup) contains four grams of the nutrient.

Sweet potatoes don't just help you trim your waistline, however. They're powerful sources of vitamin A, which helps boost immunity and promotes good eye, skin, and bone health, as well as high levels of anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Regardless of whether you're trying to lose weight or not, sweet potatoes' seemingly superfood status isn't a license to order all the sweet potato fries you want — a recent study found that those deep-fried sweet potato fries may not be as healthy as you think!