But not everyone loves bananas. In fact, some people hate bananas. Whether because of their texture, their taste or their effect on the stomach, bananas are simply out of the question for many people. Are these people doomed to a life of subpar nutrition and potassium deficiency? Not quite. Luckily for the banana haters, another fruit offers many of the same benefits and can serve as an awesome substitute.

Goodbye Bananas, Hello Kiwis

If you can’t stand bananas but want to reap their nutritional benefits, kiwis are the food for you. The taste of kiwi has been compared to strawberries, melons and nectarines. Like bananas, kiwis can be enjoyed on their own or eaten with a wide variety of dishes. They are a great addition to cereal, oatmeal, parfaits, yogurt, salads, smoothies and desserts. You can eat kiwi with the skin on (like you would an apple); the skin is edible and rich in fiber and vitamin C. Or, you can go the traditional route by either peeling the skin off or cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the innards like a grapefruit.

RELATED: You Should Eat the Peel of these 12 Fruits and Vegetables

Their convenience and diversity make kiwis great, but the fact that kiwi nutrition closely mirrors that of bananas is what really makes them a smart swap. Here are t the nutritional facts for one medium banana and serving of kiwi:

One medium banana: 105 calories, 12% DV potassium, 27 grams of carbohydrate, 12% DV fiber, 14 grams of sugar, 17% DV Vitamin C, 20% DV Vitamin B-6, 8% DV Magnesium

One NLEA serving of kiwi: 90 calories, 13% DV potassium, 22 grams of carbohydrate, 17% DV fiber, 13 grams of sugar, 228% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Vitamin B-6, 6% DV Magnesium

As you can see, the two fruits are comparable in almost every major nutrient. One key difference is the amount of vitamin C. A serving of kiwi packs over 13 times as much as a medium banana. Bananas have long been associated with potassium, but a serving of kiwi actually contains slightly more. Their comparable carb content means that kiwis, like bananas, are a solid choice for simple carbs if you’re looking for a quick burst of energy.

If you’re a banana hater looking for a substitute, kiwi is the perfect fruit for you. Other fruits that contain nutrients similar to bananas include cantaloupes and mangos.

If you don’t get enough of it, almost every aspect of your life will suffer—including your diet.

A new research analysis published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that getting too little sleep in a given night leads people to eat more during the following day.

“Partial sleep deprivation resulted in increased energy intake with no effect on energy expenditure, leading to a net positive energy balance, which in the long term may contribute to weight gain,” the authors wrote. The researchers defined a “full night’s sleep” as at least seven hours, while “partial sleep deprivation” was defined as a night of between 3.5 and 5.5 hours of sleep. The analysis pooled data from 11 different studies and found that people ate an average of 385 extra calories on days after they hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep.

RELATED: Think Sleep Doesn’t Matter? Most Seahawks Players Go To Bed Before 10 p.m.

The researchers also discovered that a poor night of sleep led people to eat more fat and less protein the following day. Protein helps you stay full throughout the day, so eating less of it could lead to an increase in daily calorie consumption.

A general benchmark states that an extra 500 calories per day leads to one pound of weight gain per week. Considering that poor sleep can lead people to consume nearly that many extra calories each day, an argument can be made that insufficient sleep is one of the driving factors in our nation’s obesity problem.

Other studies have found a connection between insufficient sleep and poor nutritional choices. A 2013 study in the journal Pyschoneuroendocrinology found that sleep-deprived people choose larger portions than those who aren’t sleep deprived, and a 2013 study in the journal Obesity found that sleep deprivation led men to buy more high-calorie foods while grocery shopping.

 RELATED: 10 Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running

Maya Moore, Novak Djokovic and Tom Brady have all sworn off dairy in recent years, and they credit that decision with helping them feel and perform better.

Why are so many stars calling it quits on milk and its derivatives? And are they right to do so? Let’s take a look at their reasoning.

What is a Dairy Product?

First, let’s define the word “dairy.” A dairy product is any food produced from the milk of mammals. Dairy products can be made with milk from a variety of animals, including goat, sheep and buffalo. But inside the United States, dairy products are closely associated with cow’s milk. According to Dairy Management, Inc., cow’s milk accounted for nearly 95 percent of all American milk consumption in 2014.

Though cow’s milk and the products it is used to produce are still a gigantic industry in the U.S., overall dairy consumption is on the decline. U.S. cow milk sales tallied under 6 billion gallons in 2012, the lowest total in decades. Meanwhile, non-dairy alternatives such as almond milk have exploded in popularity.

But Isn’t Milk Healthy?

Based on its nutritional profile, cow’s milk looks like a fairly nutritious beverage. One serving of whole cow’s milk contains 103 calories, 2.4 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fats, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 107 mg of sodium, 13 grams of sugar, 8 grams of protein, 366 mg of potassium and 30 percent of your daily calcium. Skim milk is lower in fat, but a growing amount of research is finding whole milk might be the better overall option because the fats it contains deliver beneficial health properties. (That fat also helps promote satiety, helping you feel fuller, longer.)

“The fat content of milk is where many of its nutrients are located, such as vitamin A, vitamin K2 and omega-3 fatty acids. When you remove the fat to create skim milk, you’re removing a lot of those nutrients as well,” says Brian St. Pierre, a dietitian at Precision Nutrition.

RELATED: How 6 Popular Milk Alternatives Measure Up

Since milk has high levels of beneficial nutrients such as healthy fats, protein, potassium and calcium, why are so many athletes moving away from dairy products? For some, the answer lies in how their body digests lactose.

What is Lactose Intolerance?

According to the Mayo Clinic, lactose intolerance refers to a state where one is “unable to fully digest the sugar [lactose] in milk.” Lactose is the main sugar found in cow’s milk. Any product made with cow’s milk contains lactose unless it undergoes a special process to remove the sugar. If so, the product will be marked as lactose-free.

The most common cause of lactose intolerance is a condition known as primary lactase deficiency. Lactase is an enzyme produced in the small intestine that is crucial for breaking down lactose into glucose and galactose, two simple, digestible sugars. People with primary lactase deficiency experience a decrease in lactase production over time, often beginning at about 2 years old.

RELATED: Maya Moore’s Small Diet Change That Produced Big Results

A deficiency of lactase can cause what is known as “lactose malabsorption,” where undigested lactose passes into the colon, where it is broken down by bacteria, creating fluid and gas. This leads to the symptoms commonly associated with lactose intolerance—abdominal bloating, diarrhea, gas and nausea. The amount of lactose someone with lactose intolerance can tolerate before experiencing symptoms varies greatly, depending on the individual and the type of dairy product they’re consuming.

“About 40 to 60 percent of all adults are unable to tolerate the lactose sugar in [cow] milk, often causing some not-so-fun gastrointestinal issues,” says St. Pierre.

In fact, lactose intolerance is so prevalent worldwide that it’s considered the normal state for most adults and not an actual disease condition. However, people with European ancestry have been found to have an abnormally high tolerance for lactose.

“Those from European countries have evolved to handle dairy better than those coming from countries in Africa and Asia,” says Ryan Andrews, also of Precision Nutrition. The ability to digest cow’s milk into adulthood is known as lactase persistence, and it likely traces back to a genetic mutation which appeared in European dairy farmers over 7,000 years ago.

A few tests can be used to determine whether an individual is lactose intolerant. The aptly named “lactose intolerance test” gauges the body’s reaction to a high-lactose liquid via blood testing two hours after consumption. If your levels of glucose don’t rise, that’s a sign your body isn’t properly digesting and absorbing lactose. There’s also the “hydrogen breath test,” which requires you to drink a high-lactose liquid, then have the amount of hydrogen in your breath monitored. If your body doesn’t digest lactose, it will ferment in your colon and release hydrogen and other gases. If larger than normal amounts of hydrogen appear in your breath when tested, that’s a sign you aren’t fully digesting lactose.

For an athlete with a genuine lactose intolerance, the benefits of avoiding dairy are obvious. With no nasty gastrointestinal issues to worry about, of course they’re going to feel better.

Why Might An Athlete Who Isn’t Lactose Intolerant Feel Better After Cutting Out Dairy?

Many athletes and people in general have reported feeling better after dropping dairy, despite the fact they don’t suffer from lactose intolerance. There are a few reasons why this might be the case.

First, although it’s highly unlikely, they could have a milk allergy. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, milk allergies occur in 2 to 3 percent of children younger than 3, but 80 percent of those affected outgrow it before they turn 16. Unlike lactose intolerance, people allergic to milk have an adverse immune reaction to one or more constituents of the milk of an animal outside of lactose.

Second, for those who don’t suffer from lactose intolerance or a milk allergy, dairy could be slowing them down due to the presence of A1 casein, a phosphoprotein found in much of the cow’s milk produced in the U.S. According to Kamal Patel, director of research for the health and nutrition website Examine.com, recent studies on mice suggest A1 casein could cause inflammation in the gut.

An inflamed gut can lead to something called “leaky gut syndrome.” When the gut wall gets irritated or inflamed, it loses its selective permeability. A healthy gut allows only specific beneficial things—like vitamins and amino acids—to escape through the gut wall and into the bloodstream. A leaky gut loses this ability, often letting harmful things like undigested food particles, toxins and microbes escape from the gut and enter the bloodstream. That can throw the immune system out of whack and lead to a host of issues.

RELATED: Why Your Gut Might Be The Most Important Part of Your Body

Third, an athlete might feel better after dropping dairy due to dietary displacement. When you eliminate dairy from your diet, you have to replace their calories and nutrients with other foods. If the foods you add are nutritionally superior to what you ate before, you will feel the benefits of a better diet.

“If someone starts eating a bit less cheese, yogurt and milk and replaces those with veggies, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds, they could be doing their body good by getting nutrients most dairy products don’t provide,” Andrews says.

Dietary displacement is why many people feel better on a gluten-free diet, even if they don’t have celiac disease or an actual gluten sensitivity. It’s not because their body is devoid of gluten; it’s because they’re now eating fewer highly-processed foods and more fruits and veggies.

I’m not lactose intolerant but I’d like to see how I feel without dairy. What should I do?

If you’re interested in seeing how you feel without dairy, Andrews suggests first cutting out dairy at certain times and seeing how you feel.

“If someone drinks a whey protein shake with whole milk for breakfast each day and gets congested, try a non-dairy breakfast instead and take note of how you respond,” Andrews says. This can be a good way of gauging dairy’s effects on you without cutting it out entirely.

If you do decide to go dairy-free, you can choose from several smart replacement foods to ensure you’re still getting the necessary nutrients.

“Dairy is highly advertised and promoted in North America, so a lot of people think it’s mandatory to consume. The idea of not consuming it can be a bit scary for some people at first, but it’s important to remember that not everyone across the world is consuming dairy every day, and it’s not an essential food to consume,” Andrews says. You can replace the nutrients lost by ditching dairy fairly easily. “Foods to include more of when cutting out dairy should include beans, greens, nuts and seeds to make up the missing protein and minerals.”

For those who want to consume dairy, Andrews suggests seeking out organic products made with milk from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals whenever possible. Check the Cornucopia Institute Scorecard to compare the various conditions under which different brands of cow milk are produced. The card scores each brand based on factors such as hormones and antibiotics used on the cows, health and longevity of the cows, and grazing and open land provided for the cows. All of those factors can impact the nutritional makeup of the milk the cows produce.

Of course, it’s also wise to opt for more nutritious (and less processed) dairy options like plain yogurt and kefir over ice cream and mozzarella sticks.

Without it, the sport would be unrecognizable.

This article (and accompanying videos) are intended to help coaches and parents of young soccer players develop basic passing skills in an appropriate and effective manner.

Even the world’s most prolific playmakers had to start by mastering the basics.

Basic Passing Technique

Basic passing technique is pretty straight-forward, as outlined in this video.

One foot will be used to strike the ball, while the other foot will be used to maintain connection with the ground. The latter is often referred to as the “plant foot.”

The plant foot should be placed right about even with the ball.

The kicking foot should swing through and contact the ball with a stiff ankle.

By “stiff ankle,” we mean that the foot should not be flimsy. Rather, it should remain relatively stable throughout contact and follow-through.

As for the contact point on the foot itself, the inside of the foot offers the most control for shorter passes.

For longer passes, the top portion of the foot (where the laces are usually located) can offer a good combination of power and accuracy.

As for where to hit on the ball, the lower you strike the ball, the more loft the ball will have.

The higher you strike on the ball, the lower the trajectory will typically be.

Players can set up anywhere from 5 to 15 yards away from one another to practice short passes.

Staying on their toes between passes can help players stay spry and engaged.

Players can start off with light-to-medium velocity and gradually work up to high-velocity passes.

A perfect pass has enough velocity to reach a player quickly, but not so much velocity that they’ll have difficulty controlling it.

To help create balanced players, they should practice an equal number of passes with both feet.

The receiving teammate should focus on “softening” the incoming pass to keep it close to their body.

Trap, Push, Pass Drill

This drill adds a bit of dynamic movement to the execution of basic passing and trapping while also adding in some light foot skills work.

Have two youth soccer players stand 10-15 yards away from one another.

Each player should have a cone a yard or two in front of them.

As player one passes to player two, player two should trap the ball, then use the outside of their foot to push it to the other side of the cone, then use that same foot to deliver a pass back to their partner.

As player two is trapping and pushing the ball, player one should “show” on the other side of the cone to receive the ball.

Repeat that same sequence with player one now trapping, pushing and passing back to player one.

Keep your ankle locked as you deliver the pass. Do not have a flimsy foot.

Once both players total 25 passes, stop and set-up so they’re now using their opposite foot to deliver the pass.

How to Loft The Ball

Sometimes, playing a ball close to the ground just doesn’t make sense.

Perhaps the intended receiver is quite a ways away, or there’s a defender (or multiple defenders in your way).

Perhaps you want to loft the ball into the box to give your teammate a chance for a header.

No matter what the reason, knowing how to loft the ball is a valuable skill for soccer players.

This video details how to play the lofted or “flighted” ball.

The technique is quite similar to a normal pass, but the contact point on the ball is very low (almost as if the foot is scooping beneath the ball) and the shoulders and chest are drawn back on contact.

Players should think of “leaning back” as they strike the ball to produce more loft.

Using the lower portion of your laces as the contact point generally allows for better leverage and loft.

Practice playing lofted balls of varying distances with both feet to become a more productive playmaker.

Controlling Balls in the Air

One thing many youth soccer players struggle with is controlling balls that arrive in the air.

Whether they’re looking to pass, shoot or settle that ball, many young players simply don’t have the timing and/or foot-eye coordination to pull it off.

The only way to improve in this area is practice.

This video details a simple “Aerial Touches” drill that can help young players get comfortable with playing balls that arrive in the air.

Begin with the two players standing 3-6 yards away from one another.

One teammate will toss an arcing ball to right around knee height.

The receiver will use the inside of their foot to make contact with the ball, keeping their ankle locked.

The goal is for the ball to direct right back at the thrower’s chest.

The thrower will catch the ball and then throw the ball towards the receiver’s opposite foot.

Once the receiver gets the hang of it, they can bounce on their toes between touches.

As the players get comfortable, the distance between them can increase.

Be sure to perform an even number of touches with both feet, with partners switching roles between sets.

A progression of this drill is to perform it 6-15 yards away from a goal and have the receiver volley the toss into the net.

READ MORE:

• 7 Effective Soccer Foot Skills Drills
• The Drills and Skills That Drive FC Barcelona’s Youth System
• What American Youth Soccer Can Learn From Youth Hockey

Sending a screamer past the keeper is one of the most satisfying feelings in sports.

It’s also essential to winning—your team can’t emerge from a match victorious if no one finds the net.

As such, teaching even the youngest level of soccer players basic shootings skills is essential.

This article (and accompanying videos) are intended to help coaches and parents of young soccer players develop basic shooting skills in an appropriate and effective manner.

Even the world’s deadliest goal-scorers had to start by mastering the basics.

Basic Shooting Technique

Youth soccer players often have a nasty habit of either shooting dribblers with very little power or sending the ball soaring well above the crossbar.

Strong, well-aimed shots are a bit of a rarity.

That’s because most youth soccer players haven’t mastered basic shooting techniques, which is outlined in this video.

It starts with placing your plant foot about even with the ball.

As you approach the ball, focus on keeping your shoulders and head down and overtop the ball to keep your shot on target. Leaning back on contact will cause the ball to fly.

Strike the ball with your toe down and ankle locked, making contact on the top-inside position of your foot (right about where the laces are located on most cleats).

By ankle locked, I mean your foot is firm and stable through contact as opposed to flimsy.

Allow your body to twist through the ball to generate additional torque and power.

Always aim for a target inside the net, be it real or imaginary.

Practice taking shots with both your left and right feet.

Once you’re confident with a stationary ball, you can have a partner roll you the ball with a short pass so you can work on striking a moving target.

Touch, Roll, Push and Hit

Once a player’s mastered stationary shooting, they need to simulate how they’ll execute the action during games.

Odds are, they won’t be striking a stationary ball.

The Touch, Roll, Push and Hit Drill, as shown in this video, integrates some basic foot skills and helps youth soccer players learn how to shoot on the move.

At the top of the box, set up three cones equidistant apart in a triangle formation. Start with the ball at your feet about 5 yards away from the first cone.

As you approach the first cone, use the outside of one foot to touch the ball either to the left or right.

Next, roll the ball with that same foot to split cones two and three.

Now, use the opposite foot to push the ball out in front of yourself.

Finally, use the same foot you just pushed the ball with to deliver a shot on goal.

Perform 10-14 total reps, taking an equal number of shots with both feet.

Scissors and Shoot Drill

Once a player has mastered shooting on the run, they can add a little flair and deception to the action.

The Scissors and Shoot Drill, as shown in this video, integrates foot skills with shooting on the move.

Set up a cone 10-20 yards in front of the goal.

Begin with the ball at your feet about 6 yards behind the cone, facing the goal.

Dribble toward the cone.

When you’re within a couple yards of the cone, perform a “scissor” or “step-over” move with your left leg. Stay low as you whirl your foot in front of and around the ball.

Once you complete your scissor, plant your left foot and push the ball to your right with the outside of your right foot.

Your next touch will be a right-footed shot on goal.

Perform 10 reps that end with a right-footed shot and 10 reps that end with a left-footed shot.

Start slow and gradually increase our speed as you gain confidence.

READ MORE:

• 7 Effective Soccer Foot Skills Drills
• The Drills and Skills That Drive FC Barcelona’s Youth System
• What American Youth Soccer Can Learn From Youth Hockey

One reason for the rapid rise in demand is the notion that Greek yogurt is significantly healthier than most other types of yogurt. But is this really true? Does Greek yogurt deserve its reputation as a superfood, or do the nutrition facts reveal that it’s little more than an exotic dessert? STACK investigates.

What is Greek Yogurt?

Traditional Greek yogurt is made by straining the whey out of regular yogurt. Whey is the liquid that remains after milk has curdled. The straining gives Greek yogurt a thicker, creamier texture than regular yogurt, but Greek yogurt also has less sugar and more protein.

However, the FDA doesn’t currently have regulations in place for what can and cannot be labeled “Greek yogurt.” This means that companies can use additional ingredients or alter the recipe while still marketing their product as “Greek yogurt.” Real Greek yogurt contains only two ingredients—milk, and “live and active” cultures. The more a brand adds to these two ingredients, the worse the yogurt’s nutritional value will typically be.

Protein and Probiotics

Traditional Greek yogurt is quite healthy.

According to the USDA, a six-ounce serving of nonfat Greek yogurt contains 100 calories, less than a gram of fat, 61 mg of sodium, 240 mg of potassium, 6 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of sugar and 17 grams of protein. It’s also high in calcium and vitamin B-12. Six grams of sugar is not an insignificant amount, but none of it qualifies as “added sugar,” because it all comes from lactose, the naturally-occurring sugar in milk.

Perhaps the best thing about Greek yogurt is its ridiculously high protein content. Greek yogurt typically contains twice the amount of protein found in regular yogurt.

One example of a high-protein greek yogurt is Fage Total Greek Yogurt. A seven-ounce serving contains 18 grams of protein. For comparison, an equivalent serving of Dannon All-Natural Plain Whole Milk Yogurt contains roughly 8 grams of protein. In this comparison, the Greek yogurt contains more than twice as much protein as the regular yogurt. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with every brand. A six-ounce serving of Zoi Vanilla Greek Yogurt, for example, contains just 8 grams of protein. The differences in protein content often come down to differing preparation methods or ingredients.

Generally speaking for athletes, the more protein, the better. Protein not only helps build muscle mass, it also plays an important role in satiety and weight management. A study published in Nutrition Journal found that a high-protein yogurt snack helped healthy women stay fuller for longer and consume fewer calories throughout the day better than a high-fat snack with an equal number of calories.

The type of protein found in Greek yogurt (casein) makes it especially attractive for those who want to pack on lean muscle, as it contains all nine essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be produced by the body—we must get them through food.

RELATED: Why You Should Care About Amino Acids 

Another big benefit of Greek yogurt is its high probiotic content. Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that live inside your gut. When you ingest probiotics, they enter what’s known as the “gut microbiome.” The gut microbiome consists of yeasts, fungi and roughly 3 to 4 pounds of bacteria. More than 5,000 species of bacteria live in the gut, and the bacteria balance inside the gut plays a huge role in overall health.

“Probiotics are live microorganisms that beneficially affect your gut,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, registered dietitian and wellness manager for the Cleveland Clinic. “The bacteria that reside in the gut are very diverse and are involved in actions such as supplying essential nutrients, synthesizing vital vitamins, digesting cellulose, promoting nerve function and destroying toxins.”

Generally speaking, the more diverse a person’s microbiome, the better. Lean, healthy people have more diverse bacteria in their gut than obese, unhealthy people; and the average American gut is less diverse than those of people in other countries with healthier populations. A diverse gut often equals a healthy gut, one that’s adept at keeping the body running optimally.

Projects like the National Institutes of Health’s Human Microbiome Project exist to better understand the relationship between the microbiome and human health. The condition of the gut microbiome has already been connected to autism, diabetes, obesity, cancer, IBS, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, allergies, inflammation, acne, depression and more. The fact that probiotics can reduce your risk of these conditions speaks volumes about their potential powers.

RELATED: Why Your Gut Might Be The Most Important Part of Your Body

Watch out for Sneaky Sugar Sources

High sugar totals can be a good way to tell which Greek yogurts you might want to avoid. The straining process used to create traditional Greek yogurt removes both whey and lactose, which brings the sugar count down. For example, Dannon Oikos Greek Nonfat Plain Yogurt contains six grams of sugar per 5.3-ounce serving. Compared to Dannon Lowfat Plain Yogurt, that’s 40 percent less sugar per 5.3-ounce serving. Plain Greek yogurt should also contain no added sugar, keeping the sugar total from spiraling out of control. However, flavors and other varieties can be an entirely different story.

Chobani “Flips” are a perfect example. This product line features flavored Greek yogurt packaged with accompanying toppings that are meant to be “flipped” and stirred into the yogurt. Many “Flips” are packed with sugar. For example, the Peanut Butter Dream “Flip”—which combines vanilla low-fat Greek yogurt with honey roasted peanuts, peanut butter clusters and milk chocolate—serves up 23 grams of sugar per serving, the same amount you’d find in eight Starburst Fruit Chews! Americans, on the whole, eat way too much sugar. Overconsumption of sugar has been liked to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease and even cancer. The average American eats 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day, nearly triple the recommended limit. A quick way to ruin Greek yogurt’s strong nutritional profile is by mixing in a bunch of added sugar.

What About Fat?

Greek yogurt can be found in full-fat, low-fat and fat-free varieties. Obviously, the full-fat varieties contain the most fat. A seven-ounce serving of Fage Total (their full-fat offering) contains 190 calories, 10 grams of fat and 7 grams of saturated fat, while a seven-ounce serving of Fage Total 0% (their fat-free offering) contains 100 calories and 0 grams of fat. Both varieties offer 18 grams of protein per serving. The only difference in their ingredients is that the full-fat variety uses whole milk and the fat-free variety uses skim milk.

It might seem that the fat-free offering is the obvious choice, but there are some other factors to consider. For one, the fat in milk is where many of its natural nutrients are concentrated. “The fat content of milk is where many of its nutrients are located, such as vitamin A, vitamin K2 and omega-3 fatty acids. When you remove the fat to create skim milk, you’re removing a lot of those nutrients, as well,” says Brian St. Pierre, RD and nutrition coach at Precision Nutrition.

In addition, the fat found in whole milk can keep you full for longer. Perhaps that’s why a 2013 review published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that “high-fat dairy consumption within typical dietary patterns is inversely associated with obesity risk.” The authors of the review concluded that the “observational evidence does not support the hypothesis that dairy fat or high-fat dairy foods contribute to obesity or cardiometabolic risk.”

If you can afford extra calories in your diet, there’s little issue in consuming full-fat varieties of Greek yogurt. Not only are they higher in nutrients and healthy fat, but they can also better keep you satiated throughout the day. Plus, they usually taste richer. If you think you’re already getting enough fat in other areas of your diet, you certainly can go with the low-fat or fat-free varieties. You know your own health goals, but fat-free, low-fat and full-fat varieties of Greek yogurt all have the potential to be a part of a healthy diet.

The Verdict

Is Greek yogurt healthy? Yes. If you purchase authentic Greek yogurt made with quality ingredients, you’re buying a very nutritious food. It’s not only typically lower in sugar than regular yogurt, it also usually contains roughly twice as much protein. Add the fact that it’s high in calcium (key for strong bones and optimal heart, nerve and muscle function) and vitamin B-12 (which helps create red blood cells, maintain healthy nerve cells and produce DNA and RNA), and it’s clear that Greek yogurt is a nutritional winner. Just steer clear of the varieties that are chock full of added sugar.

READ MORE:

• 5 Recipes to Boost Your Nutrition With Greek Yogurt
• The Eating Mistake That Nearly Brought Down J.J. Watt (And How to Avoid It)
• A Growing Number of Elite Athletes Are Cutting Dairy. Should You?

1. Almonds Aid in Appetite Control

One serving of almonds (about 23 kernels) packs a hefty 3.5 grams of dietary fiber, equivalent to 14 percent of your daily value. When it comes to beneficial nutrients, it’s hard to top the wonderful effects of fiber.

According to the Mayo Clinic, fiber can help normalize bowel movements, lower cholesterol levels, control blood sugar, maintain bowel health and aid in achieving a healthy weight. The Harvard School of Public Health states that fiber appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

One of the most interesting effects of fiber is that it slows down digestion, which helps you feel full longer after you eat. This can be a great benefit for people who want to cut calories and lose weight—or for anyone looking for an afternoon snack to hold them over until dinner. A 2013 study found eating almonds as a snack effectively reduced hunger throughout the day.

2. Almonds Prevent Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is the term used to describe what happens when the body is not properly equipped to fight off free radicals. High amounts of oxidative stress can have a wide range of ill effects on the human body, including increased cell damage and a higher risk of disease. One way to prevent oxidative stress? Consume foods highs in antioxidants.

Almonds (and particularly almond skins) are a great source of antioxidants and have been proven to combat oxidative stress. In a 2007 study, researchers discovered that consuming 84 grams (roughly 3 ounces) of almonds daily helped smokers “enhance antioxidant defenses and diminish biomarkers of oxidative stress.”

3. Almonds Fend Off Magnesium Deficiency

One serving of almonds contains 19 percent of your daily value of magnesium. Magnesium might be the most under-appreciated mineral. Every organ in the body needs it to function properly. However, the National Institute of Health reports that the average American consistently consumes less than the recommended amount.

Low levels of dietary magnesium have been associated with a huge range of unfavorable health outcomes, including asthma, depression, diabetes and heart failure. Magnesium also plays a crucial role in energy production, making it a critical mineral for athletes who want to perform their best.

RELATED: Why Magnesium Matters for Athletes 

4. Almonds Improve Skin and Hair Health

Almonds are absolutely bursting with biotin. A single serving contains over 50 percent of your daily value. Biotin (also known as vitamin H) helps a number of bodily processes, but perhaps its most prominent role is aiding in the formation of healthy skin and hair.

In addition to skin conditions such as dermatitis, a deficiency in biotin can lead to an unhealthy scalp and brittle, thinning hair. Since just a single serving of almonds contains over half your daily requirement, they’re a fantastic food for keeping your skin and hair strong, healthy and beautiful.

5. Almonds Melt Away Belly Fat

Many people find shedding excess belly fat incredibly difficult. It’s not just a matter of wanting a beach body, either—excess belly fat puts you at a higher risk for heart disease. If you’re looking for a food that can help you lose that stubborn belly jiggle, almonds are your answer.

A 2015 study discovered that consuming 1.5 ounces of almonds a day not only helped overweight participants improve their cholesterol profile, it also significantly reduced their “central adiposity”—a.k.a. belly fat. The result: participants slimmed their midsections and reduced their risk of heart disease.

6. Almonds Help Your Heart Thrive

Here’s a simple equation: eating more almonds equals a healthier heart. That sounds like a simple claim, but the research backs it up.

A 2009 article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition analyzed a number of studies on the topic and concluded that the average participant lowered their risk of death from heart disease by 8.3 percent with a weekly serving of nuts.

Why are almonds so great for your heart? It likely has a lot to do with their high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Also known as “good fats,” they have been shown to have a significant positive impact on cholesterol. A better cholesterol profile greatly reduces the risk of blocked arteries, the biggest culprit behind heart attacks and strokes.

 RELATED: The 7 Best Nuts for Your Health and Performance

If you clicked on this article, you probably can’t imagine going a day without it. Sipping a hot cup of coffee to start your morning is a relaxing ritual, but one that ultimately leaves you more energized. For millions of Americans, that’s an irresistible offer.

But just how nutritious is coffee? Is it a guilty pleasure that’s slowly leeching your health away? Or is it a bonafide superfood capable of benefiting your body from head to toe?

To be clear, this is a piece about coffee—meaning black coffee or something relatively close to it. A shot of cream or a dash of sugar won’t drastically alter the nutrition of your coffee, but some of the sugar-stuffed abominations Starbucks serves up barely qualify as coffee. Black coffee doesn’t have sugar or fat. It barely even contains calories. A 12-ounce Pumpkin Spice Latte, on the other hand, packs in 300 calories, 11 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates and 38 grams of sugar. That’s not healthy.

With that in mind, let’s investigate how healthy coffee really is.

As we’ve stated previously, coffee doesn’t have a whole lot going on in terms of basic nutrition facts. It contains very little calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, fiber, sugar and protein. There’s some potassium in there, but that’s about it. The reason for coffee’s barren nutrition facts is because it’s about 99 percent water.

WIRED explains that a cup of hot coffee is technically a “super solvent, leaching flavors and oils out of the coffee bean. A good cup of Joe is 98.75 percent water and 1.25 percent soluble plant matter.”

That soluble plant matter contains a bevy of powerful substances and compounds. In fact, coffee contains about 30 different organic acids. These include citric acid—which aids in giving coffee its bitter, acidic flavor—and chlorogenic acid, a potent antioxidant. But the one compound in coffee that receives the most attention is caffeine. Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug in the world. Caffeine is almost entirely responsible for that energizing jolt we get from a cup of coffee.

But is this “super solvent” of hot water and soluble plant matter actually good for us?

During the late ’70s and early ’80s, a number of studies came out linking coffee consumption to cancer, cardiovascular disease and other undesirable outcomes. This research was a big reason coffee consumption decreased during the era. A 1996 article by anthropologist William Roseberry notes that 74.7 percent of adult Americans identified as coffee drinkers in 1962. By 1988, that number had dropped to 50 percent.

But there was a problem with much of this research—it didn’t control for other high-risk behaviors that coffee drinkers may engage in. “Earlier studies didn’t always take into account that known high-risk behaviors, such as smoking and physical inactivity, tended to be more common among heavy coffee drinkers,” the Mayo Clinic writes on the topic.

There’s since been a major reversal regarding the research on coffee’s health effects. The case for drinking coffee today may be stronger than ever before.

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine is one of the most comprehensive to date regarding coffee consumption and its effects on mortality. The results? Coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of death due to heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, respiratory disease and kidney disease for African-Americans, Latinos, Japanese-Americans and whites. Participants who consumed one cup of coffee per day were 12 percent less likely to die compared to those who did not drink coffee, while those who drank two to three cups per day were 18 percent less likely to die.

“This study is the largest of its kind and includes minorities who have very different lifestyles,” Veronica W. Setiawan, the study’s lead author, told ScienceDaily. “Seeing a similar pattern across different populations gives stronger biological backing to the argument that coffee is good for you whether you are white, African-American, Latino or Asian.” Interestingly enough, these effects were seen in both drinkers of regular coffee and decaf coffee, indicating caffeine was not responsible for these effects.

However, caffeine offers plenty of other benefits. It’s an especially attractive substance for athletes. Research has found that moderate amounts of caffeine can help you delay exhaustion, burn more fat, reduce exercise-related pain and help better restore muscle glycogen levels.

RELATED: The Incredible Benefits Coffee Offers Athletes

“Caffeine, studied in its isolated form, has been found to be one of the most tried and true performance enhancing substances of all time. It can basically just help you get that extra push you need during an athletic performance,” Ryan Andrews, RD and nutrition coach at Precision Nutrition, told STACK. Two-hundred mg of caffeine—about what you’d find in a large coffee—has also been found to enhance “memory consolidation” (essentially the process of turning a short-term memory into a long-term memory).

What other health benefits can coffee offer? Regular coffee consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of depression. An analysis published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry found that for every cup of coffee participants drank per day, their risk of depression dropped by 8 percent. Researchers from the Harvard Chan School found that “increasing coffee consumption by more than a cup a day over a four-year period reduced type 2 diabetes risk by 11 percent.”

Many of the traditional fears regarding coffee consumption have since been debunked. It won’t stunt your growth. A morning cup of coffee is no longer considered dangerous for pregnant women. Coffee doesn’t dehydrate you—in fact, it seems to hydrate you nearly as well as plain water.

However, this doesn’t mean coffee is totally without risk.

There’s certainly a thing as too much coffee. A recent review published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology looked at 700 studies to determine what qualifies as “safe” caffeine consumption levels. Their findings indicated the following amounts of daily caffeine consumption to be safe as they’re not associated with “overt, adverse effects”:

• 400mg for healthy adults
• 300mg for pregnant women
• 2.5mg per kg for children and adolescents (so an 150-pound child/adolscent would have a limit of 170mg per day)

To put those numbers into context, an 8-ounce cup of black coffee contains 95mg of caffeine. When the researchers looked at consumption beyond these levels, they found links to things such as anxiety, hypertension and reproductive issues.

Does exceeding these limits instantly mean you’re endangering your health? No. “There’s a great deal of inter-individual variability in how people respond to caffeine. That’s one of the research gaps. We need to better identify differences and identify people who are more sensitive,” Esther Myers, an author on the review, told The Atlantic. So there are certainly individuals who can safely exceed those limits, but the limits are safe for the overwhelming majority of the population.

Coffee is healthy. Much of the old research that established coffee as dangerous was flawed and inaccurate. We now know that regular coffee consumption can significantly lower our risk of disease and increase our longevity. Regular coffee consumption can also improve our daily lives in a number of ways, from enhancing memory to fighting off fatigue. While it’s certainly possible to drink too much coffee, most people will find the recommended daily limits to be sensible. But remember—if you add significant amounts of sugar and fat to your coffee, you run the risk of turning this nutritious beverage into junk food.

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The name itself exudes healthiness. The product line has seen explosive growth in recent years, as Americans have become increasingly concerned with finding superior options to traditional snacks. But just how healthy are KIND bars, truly?

Let’s dive into their nutrition and find out if you’re really doing yourself a favor when you pick this popular snacking option.

*Note: this article focuses solely on standard KIND bars and does not include KIND kids bars, KIND protein bars, KIND healthy grains bars, etc.

What are the Nutrition Facts For KIND bars?

On the company’s official website, KIND describes their KIND bars as consisting of “whole ingredients like nuts, mixed with fruits and spices bound together with honey.”

Sounds solid, right? KIND bars certainly market themselves as a nutritious choice via their messaging and packaging. But you’re only as healthy as your nutrition facts. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect to find inside your average KIND bar.

Most varieties of KIND bar contain between:

• 170-200 calories
• 10-15 grams of fat
• 5-12 grams of total sugar
• 3-8 grams of added sugar
• 3-8 grams of protein
• 2-7 grams of fiber

As you can see, the exact amount of nutrients found within the bars can vary widely depending on the variety. We’ll get more into that later, but let’s first take a look at what type of fiber and protein content you can expect from KIND bars.

When it comes to nutrition bars, a high fiber and protein content is incredibly advantageous.

If sugar is the thing many Americans eat too much of, fiber could be the main thing they eat too little of. According to the National Institutes of Health, teens and adults should eat between 20 and 38 grams of fiber each day, and men need more fiber than women. But the average American eats only 10 to 15 grams of fiber daily.

Fiber helps break down foods for easier digestion, maintains good bowel health, lowers cholesterol levels and helps you feel fuller longer. High-fiber diets have been linked to positive outcomes such as a reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease. In the short term, snacking on a bar high in fiber keeps you fuller for longer and helps you avoid crashing. In the long term, it reduces your risk of many major diseases and supports good bowel health. If you’re looking for a snack that can keep you fuller for longer, you’d be wise to opt for one of the KIND bar varieties high in fiber.

Protein is a critical nutrient for humans and athletes, in particular. High-quality protein provides the amino acids muscles need to repair and rebuild, allowing you to recover from exercise and get stronger over time. The body can also use protein as a source of energy. The protein found in KIND bars largely comes from the significant amount of nuts included in each recipe. As is the case with fiber, the amount of protein found in KIND bars varies significantly depending on variety. The more protein the variety you choose contains, the more protein-related benefits you’ll reap.

Speaking of nuts, those same nuts are largely responsible for the significant amount of fat found in each bar. Almonds are frequently used as a main ingredient in KIND bars, while peanuts, cashews and pecans are other popular additions. These nuts are particularly high in monounsaturated fats, which qualify as a “healthy fat.” Monounsaturated fats help reduce blood pressure and protect against heart disease. They can also help the body better absorb vitamins and more efficiently use protein. While too much monounsaturated fat can still bring about issues, consuming reasonable amounts—particularly in place of saturated fats—is associated with better health. The fact that much of the fat found in KIND bars is of the “healthy” variety is a definite plus.

One potential red flag evident in the nutrition of KIND bars is the added sugar content. We’ve previously outlined why added sugar is the most dangerous type of sugar.

“Added sugars contribute additional calories and zero nutrients to food,” the American Heart Association states. “Over the past 30 years, Americans have steadily consumed more and more added sugars in their diets, which has contributed to the obesity epidemic.” Diets high in added sugar have been linked to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay and even cancer. Foods high in added sugar are typically low in overall nutrients, making them little more than empty calories. Despite the fact the AHA recommends a limit of 24 grams per day for women and 36 grams per day for men, the average American consumes a staggering 88 grams of added sugar per day. While certain KIND bar varieties contain almost no added sugar, other varieties can contain as much as 8 grams. That’s one-third the daily AHA limit for women and nearly a quarter the daily AHA limit for men, so it is certainly not a insignificant amount.

What are the Ingredients in KIND bars?

KIND has trademarked the phrase “Ingredients You Can See and Pronounce,” and it adorns the wrapper of every bar. Generally speaking, the recipe for KIND bars adheres to this statement. The recipes largely consist of foods like nuts, dried fruit, honey, sea salt, rice flour and chia seeds.

However, many also contain things like chicory root fiber, soy lecithin, carob powder, glucose syrup, ascorbic acid and citric acid. I’m not so sure everyone is quite as familiar with those ingredients. While their inclusion might seem to run counter to the aforementioned trademark, research has found them to be generally safe and they’re quite common in many pre-packaged foods. Carob powder is a common natural sweetener, for example, while ascorbic acid is a common additive used to preserve the color and flavor of food. Overall, the ingredients lists for KIND bars are shorter and more recognizable than your average nutrition bar.

Are KIND Bars Actually Healthy?

KIND bars are certainly healthier than traditional junk food options like chips, candy bars, cookies, etc. However, the exact extent of their nutrition largely depends upon which variety you choose.

For example, the Almond & Coconut KIND bar is a far cry from the nutrition of the Madagascar Vanilla Almond KIND bar. The former contains just 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein, yet 8 grams of added sugar. It’s certainly better than a candy bar, but it’s hard to say it’s a great choice when so many people already struggle to control their added sugar intake. Meanwhile, the Madagascar Vanilla Almond KIND bar contains a similar number of calories yet 6 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein and just 2 grams of added sugar. That’s a strong snack choice anyway you slice it.

Both are undoubtedly a better choice than a handful of Oreos, but the latter is in a class of its own when it comes to its overall nutrition. One great feature that can help you find the perfect KIND bar for your needs is the “filter” function on the company’s website. From there, you can mix and match benefits to find the right variety for you. For example, if you check the “good source of fiber” and “5g sugar or less” boxes, you’ll be able to see 10 different varieties of KIND bar which fit those parameters. A little research goes a long way when it comes to optimizing your nutrition.

KIND bars can absolutely have a place in a healthy diet. But just how healthy of a choice you want them to ultimately depend on the variety you choose to snack on.

Photo Credit: ermingut/iStock, KIND official Facebook page, Amanda Cases/Getty Images

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If your lunch period ends at 11:30 a.m., classes are over at 3:00 p.m., and practice runs until 6:00, you can be stranded seven to eight hours between meals. In many cases, snack options are limited to junk food from a vending machine.

Since those choices aren’t very healthy, many young athletes decide to eat nothing at all. The rationale is a desire to be better—“I don’t want to eat junk, so I won’t eat anything.” But although this thought process might be positive, the effects are far from it. For young athletes, eating “something” is almost always better than eating “nothing” over a long stretch of time—especially before activity.

Calories are the Top Priority

Let’s make one thing clear: Fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, lean meats and whole grains are the pillars of a proper diet. In a perfect world, you’d never touch highly processed foods. But at the end of the day, the most important thing for an athlete is his or her caloric intake.

Calories are the measure of the energy we get from the food we eat. Without calories, our bodies cannot function. Generally speaking, the more active you are, the more calories you need—so young athletes, with their jam-packed training schedules, need quite a few calories.

RELATED: J. J. Watt Shows You Why Should Eat More Fat

Furthermore, the activity level of young athletes is not the only thing that ups their caloric requirements. Calories also fuel their natural growth and development. They don’t eat just to allow their bodies to function normally and perform well during activity; they also eat to fuel their bodies’ natural growth in terms of bone, tissue, etc.

Roberta Anding, Director of Sports Nutrition at the Houston Children’s Hospital, says, “Young athletes struggle with getting enough calories. Since they’ve also got growth and development, their calorie requirements are much higher.”

When you combine the extra calories needed to support activity with the additional calories needed to support natural growth, the average teenage athlete needs a boatload of calories. According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, male high school athletes need between 3,000 and 6,000 calories a day, and female high school athletes need between 2,200 and 4,000 calories a day.

If you go seven or eight hours without eating on a regular basis (aside from sleeping), odds are you are coming up short on your requirements.

What happens when you do this?

In the short term, you feel fatigued, you have trouble focusing, and your metabolism slows down. In the long term, you will experience growth issues, muscle loss, decreased bone density and other nasty symptoms.

Going a long time without eating also deprives your body of carbohydrates, leaving you with no fuel to power through your afternoon practice, workout or game.

Carbs are Your Fuel

If you eat a snack prior to activity, you want it to be high in carbs. “Carbs are the fuel of exercising muscle,” says Anding. If your body doesn’t get enough carbs, it starts using other things for fuel—like fat and even protein. If you want to stay energized and maintain muscle mass, that’s not a good thing. If you’re stuck in a situation where you haven’t eaten for several hours and you have an activity coming up, choosing a carb-heavy food (even if it isn’t very nutritious) beats eating nothing. Think of it like fueling a car. Sure, you’d prefer to use high-quality fuel, but any type of fuel beats an empty tank.

“Sometimes it is better to have something like a Snickers if your other option is to just not eat for eight hours, especially if you need the calories to support performance or maintain your weight. If the majority of the rest of your intake is made up of mostly lean protein, quality carbs, healthy fats, and lots of fruits and veggies, an occasional candy bar is not a big concern. It’s the total intake that matters,” says Brian St. Pierre, nutrition coach at Precision Nutrition.

6 Better-Than-Nothing Choices

The “something is better than nothing” dilemma can be avoided by packing a snack, but the reality is, most young athletes often find themselves without one in those situations. And while their brains might tell them to skip junk food options (especially before activity), many of those options are better than eating nothing.

RELATED: 9 Easy and Portable Pre-Game Snacks for Athletes

Are the following choices what you should be eating all the time? Of course not. Many are high in sugar and added fat and lack valuable micronutrients. But their high-calorie and carb count will fuel your body better than nothing. Just make sure that the rest of your diet consists of the right foods and you’ll be good to go.

Note: for best results, eat these foods 30 to 90 minutes before activity. 

1. Gummy Candy

Fruit snacks or gummy candies are high in carbs and usually easy to digest. “The carbs in these are close to—but not exactly like—the carbs found in popular gels and goos,” says Anding. Gummy bears are actually a favorite halftime snack of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.

RELATED: Fuel Up Like the U. S. Women’s National Team

2. Chips

This one depends on how well your stomach handles fatty foods. If chips don’t upset your stomach, they’re a pretty good source of carbohydrates and sodium. In terms of varieties, plain options like pretzels beat out heavily-seasoned choices like Doritos and Cheetos.

3. Fruit Juice

Fruit juice is typically derided for its high sugar content, but being high in sugar means it’s high in carbs. Anding recommends drinking a 12-ounce bottle of juice followed by 12 ounces of water, which mimics the amount of carbs and fluid in an average sports drink.

4. Animal Crackers

Animal crackers are another good source of carbs and are typically easy on the stomach. You don’t want to munch them mindlessly while watching TV, but a serving before activity will give you some much-needed energy.

5. Fruit-Filled Cookies

Although fruit-filled cookies like Fig Newtons are not as good as eating real fruit, they’re high in carbs and fiber and low in fat. “Don’t get fooled by the name. Most of these cookies aren’t actually a source of fruit—but they are a source of valuable carbs,” Anding says.

6. Snickers Bar

Candy bars certainly should not be a big part of your diet, but Snickers are actually a decent pre-activity option. They’re high in carbs and have a decent amount of protein to keep you going strong. Just don’t make them a daily habit.