Tricolore Soup Recipe, Spotlight on Kidney Beans, Colanders and Strainers, Benefits of Monk Fruit, and Workouts Burn More Calories than Previously Thought

I love a hearty soup that delivers nourishing warmth with great taste. My combination of beans, barley, and broccoli is a flavorful hit! If you’re a fan of monk fruit as a sweetener, you’ll be wowed by the nutritional bounty of this gourd. I’m also sharing the latest research on calories burned during exercise—motivation to get moving.

Tricolore Soup

• Tricolore Soup

  “Tricolore” refers to the three colors of the Italian flag, but this recipe has surprising choices for the red, white, and green—kidney beans, barley, and broccoli! Notes: Choose hull-less rather than pearl barley for better taste and more fiber. Always save and freeze Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds as they add great flavor to soups and stews.

  Ingredients

  • 1 cup hull-less barley, uncooked
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
  • 6 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • Optional: rind from a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • One 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • Fine sea salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  Directions

  Step 1

  In a medium saucepan, bring the barley and 4 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, an hour or more. When the barley is done, all the water should have evaporated. Check it regularly in case the water evaporates before the barley is cooked through.

  Step 2

  Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the 3 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic. Sauté until the garlic softens. Add the broccoli, broth, and, if using, the cheese rind. Bring to a simmer and cook until the broccoli is tender, about 12 minutes. Add in the cooked barley and beans and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  Step 3

  Serve with large shavings of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. 

  Yields 6 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Red Kidney Beans

Named for their red color and their shape, kidney beans are a type of legume that come in light- and dark-red shades. Because they’re very firm, they retain their texture well in recipes. Kidney beans are a great source of fiber and protein, delivering 7 grams of each in a half-cup. You’ll also get folate and vitamin B1 along with minerals including iron, manganese, and phosphorus. What’s more, eating beans helps control cholesterol and blood sugar and may boost heart and colon health.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Colanders and Strainers

Though many recipes call for straining or draining foods, they rarely specify what tool to use. Depending on the specific task at hand, you’ll need either a colander or a strainer. What’s the difference? The overall size and the size of the openings. Simply put, a colander is a footed bowl with two handles and large holes for draining foods like just-boiled potatoes and pasta and rinsing raw fruits, vegetables, and even canned beans. A strainer is a handheld gadget with a scoop-like surface made of mesh for jobs like straining cocoa to remove lumps or sifting confectioners’ sugar over baked goods. It’s also handy when you want to strain out very small ingredients, like seeds. Some strainers have a finer mesh than others. In general, it’s very helpful to have at least two sizes of each tool, typically made from stainless steel for durability.

For Your Best Health 

Benefits of Monk Fruit

Scientists are taking a closer look at monk fruit and discovering it’s more than just a zero-calorie natural sweetener. Luo han guo (Siraitia grosvenorii), more commonly known as monk fruit, is a long-living vine that belongs to the gourd family, the same plant group as cucumbers and squash. It’s native to southern China, where it has been used for centuries in traditional foods and remedies. In recent years, monk fruit has drawn scientific attention because it contains high levels of antioxidants, which help protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules—free radicals which have been linked to aging and many chronic diseases. New findings published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture looked at the specific chemical compounds of monk fruit and how they may support health.

One of the most important features of monk fruit is its abundance of what’s called secondary metabolites. These are natural plant chemicals that are not required for basic human growth but often play a role in health. In this case, researchers concentrated on three major groups: terpenoids, flavonoids, and amino acids. They examined both the peel and the pulp of four different monk fruit varieties and were able to identify where these compounds are concentrated and how they behave biologically. The study further explored how they interact with antioxidant receptors and other biological targets. (Receptors are structures in cells that receive chemical signals and trigger responses in the body.) These interactions influence various biological pathways, which are step-by-step processes that help regulate functions such as inflammation, metabolism, and cellular protection. Understanding these pathways helps explain why monk fruit may have health promoting properties beyond its use as a natural sweetener.

The researchers emphasized that not all monk fruit is chemically identical. Different varieties can contain different levels and combinations of active compounds. As the authors explained, “[I]t is crucial to conduct an in-depth investigation on the high-resolution metabolic profiles of different luo han guo varieties, providing valuable insights into the nutritional and health characteristics as well as the manufacturing suitability of the various resources available from this plant.” This type of detailed chemical mapping helps scientists determine which varieties may be best suited for food products, supplements, or other uses. 

Fitness Flash

Workouts Burn More Calories than Previously Thought

For years, researchers have debated whether the body treats energy like a fixed paycheck or a flexible bonus system. One idea suggests that when people move more, the body shifts energy away from other tasks to pay for that activity. The other model proposes that energy use can expand, allowing total daily expenditure to rise as activity increases. Researchers, led by scientists at Virginia Tech working with colleagues from the University of Aberdeen and Shenzhen University, set out to learn which of these ideas best reflect what actually happens across different activity levels.

To do so, the team measured total energy expenditure, meaning the total number of calories burned in a day, among 75 participants between the ages of 19 and 63, with widely varying activity levels that ranged from largely inactive to ultra-endurance running. “Our study found that more physical activity is associated with higher calorie burn, regardless of body composition, and that this increase is not balanced out by the body reducing energy spent elsewhere,” said Kevin Davy, PhD, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech and the principal investigator of the study. Physical activity continues to affect the body even after the movement itself has ended. More movement leads to more calories burned. 

To measure calories burned, the researchers had the participants drink special forms of oxygen and hydrogen and provide urine samples over a two-week period. Oxygen leaves the body as both water and carbon dioxide, while hydrogen exits only as water. By comparing how much of each isotope was lost, researchers could estimate how much carbon dioxide participants produced and, in turn, how much energy they used. Physical activity was tracked using a small waist-worn sensor that recorded movement in multiple directions.

The results showed that as people moved more, their total energy use increased accordingly. The body did not appear to compensate by dialing down energy use elsewhere. Essential functions such as breathing, blood circulation, and temperature regulation continued to require the same amount of energy, even as physical activity rose. This means the body does not clearly offset or cancel out the extra calories burned through movement.

The researchers also observed a strong connection between higher activity levels and reduced time spent sitting. Simply put, people who move more tend to spend less time being inactive overall. 

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Pistachio Layer Cake Recipe, Spotlight on Buttermilk, How to Sift Dry Ingredients, Volunteering to Keep your Brain Younger, plus Tea, Coffee, and Women’s Bone Health 

This romantic pistachio and white chocolate layer cake is delicious any time of the year, but it’s especially fitting for Valentine’s Day. This is also an excellent time to think about helping others, and a new study of volunteering made a link between selfless acts of service and helping brain health. I’m also sharing research on the effects of tea and coffee on women’s bone health—the results will surprise you.

Pistachio Layer Cake

• Pistachio Layer Cake

  
  Pistachio-based cake layers are filled and iced with a whipped white chocolate ganache. The thin layer of raspberry preserves is a great counterpoint to the sweetness of the chocolate. Use a coffee bean or nut grinder to turn raw (unroasted and unsalted) pistachios into a ground powder. Note: If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, see the Healthy Ingredient Spotlight in our weekly newsletter for alternatives. 

  Ingredients

  For the frosting:

  • 12 ounces white chocolate
  • 1-1/2 cups heavy cream

  For the cake layers:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, well softened
  • 1/2 cup olive oil 
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup finely ground pistachios from about 4 ounces of raw nuts
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  To assemble:

  • 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
  • 2 ounces pistachios, coarsely chopped

  Directions

  Step 1

  Start by making the frosting. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl. Heat the cream just to a simmer and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth (if the heat of the cream wasn’t enough to melt all the chocolate, you can microwave the bowl for 30 seconds, then stir). Chill in the fridge for 4 hours to firm up. 

  Step 2

  Meanwhile, make the cake layers. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper; set aside.

  Step 3

  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

  Step 4

  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the butter, olive oil, and sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the buttermilk, ground pistachios, and vanilla. Whisk in the dry ingredients, then use a spatula to be sure all the flour is well incorporated.

  Step 5

  Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes or until the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean (rotate the pans halfway through for even baking). Let cool to room temperature.

  Step 6

  Ater the frosting has chilled, whip it on high speed until it thickens to frosting consistency, about 1 minute. Spread about 1/3 over one of the cake layers. Spread the raspberry preserves on the underside of the other layer, then stack it on top of the bottom layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the chopped pistachios.

  Yields 12 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Buttermilk

True buttermilk is the fermented liquid that separates from the fat mass when churning butter. The buttermilk sold in supermarkets is milk that has fermented thanks to the addition of live cultures. Though rich and creamy, buttermilk is low in fat with a high acidity level. It makes baked goods very fluffy—that’s why buttermilk biscuits and buttermilk pancakes are so popular. In a pinch, you can create a cup of buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for a few minutes until it curdles.

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Sifting Dry Ingredients

Whether with a dedicated sifter or a fine mesh strainer with a spoon acting as a pusher, sifting dry ingredients is a great way to better mix them as well as get rid of any possible lumps, especially with cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar. Some pre-ground nut flours, like almond meal, can also develop clumps, but you may need a tool with a wider mesh to sift them. Keep in mind that when sifting numerous ingredients together, you’ll still need to whisk them to fully distribute them. 

For Your Best Health 

Volunteering to Keep your Brain Younger

Strong social ties are often linked to better health, and new research adds a brain benefit to that list. Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Massachusetts Boston report that regularly helping people outside your household can noticeably slow cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults, even if it’s just a few hours a week. 

The researchers followed more than 30,000 adults in the US for two decades and found the decline was reduced by about 15% to 20% among those who either volunteered formally or helped in informal ways, such as supporting neighbors, family, or friends. Both formal volunteering and informal acts were linked to noticeably slower cognitive decline over time. The benefits added up year after year and didn’t require a huge time commitment. Even modest everyday helping packed a powerful mental payoff. 

“Everyday acts of support—whether organized or personal—can have lasting cognitive impact,” said Sae Hwang Han, PhD, Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences at UT who led the study. “What stood out to me was that the cognitive benefits of helping others weren’t just short-term boosts but cumulative over time with sustained engagement, and these benefits were evident for both formal volunteering and informal helping. And in addition to that, moderate engagement of just two to four hours was consistently linked to robust benefits.”

These results strengthen the case for thinking about volunteering, helping, and neighborhood connection as public health issues. This may be especially important later in life, when conditions tied to cognitive decline and impairment, including Alzheimer’s, are more likely to develop.

Related work led by Dr. Han found that volunteering helped counter the harmful effects of chronic stress on systemic inflammation, a known biological pathway linked to cognitive decline and dementia. The benefit was strongest among people with higher levels of inflammation. Taken together, these findings suggest helping others may support brain health in more than one way. It may reduce the physical strain linked to stress, and it may strengthen social bonds that provide psychological, emotional, and cognitive support. As societies age and concerns about loneliness and isolation grow, the results also support continued efforts to keep people involved in ways that let them contribute, even after cognitive decline has begun.

“Many older adults in suboptimal health often continue to make valuable contributions to those around them,” Dr. Han said, “and they also may be the ones to especially benefit from being provided with opportunities to help.”

Fitness Flash

Tea, Coffee, and Women’s Bone Health 

An investigation from Flinders University in South Australia sheds new light on how two widely consumed drinks, coffee and tea, could play a role in bone health for women later in life. The study, published in the journal Nutrients, monitored nearly 10,000 women aged 65 and older for 10 years to examine whether regularly drinking coffee or tea was connected to changes in bone mineral density (BMD). 

BMD is a central marker used to assess osteoporosis risk. Osteoporosis affects one in three women over 50 and leads to millions of fractures every year, making bone health an important global issue. Because coffee and tea are part of daily routines for billions of people, researchers noted that understanding their long-term effects on bones is essential. Previous findings have often been inconsistent, and few studies have followed such a large group across an entire decade.

The researchers used information from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, drawing on repeated measures of beverage intake and BMD at the hip and femoral neck. These areas are closely tied to fracture risk. Throughout the 10-year period, participants regularly reported how much coffee and tea they consumed. At the same time, bone density was assessed using advanced imaging tools.

Results showed that women who drank tea had slightly higher total hip BMD than those who did not. Although the improvement was small, it was statistically significant and may matter when considering the health of a large population.

“Even small improvements in bone density can translate into fewer fractures across large groups,” said Adjunct Associate Professor Enwu Liu, PhD, from the College of Medicine and Public Health.

Findings for coffee were more varied. Moderate intake, roughly two to three cups a day, was not associated with harm. However, consuming more than five cups per day was linked to lower BMD, indicating that very high levels of coffee could negatively affect bone strength. Women with higher lifetime alcohol intake appeared particularly vulnerable to coffee’s negative effects, whereas tea showed stronger benefits in women with obesity.

Ryan Liu, co-author of the study, explains that tea is rich in catechins, compounds that may encourage bone formation and help slow bone loss. “Coffee’s caffeine content, by contrast, has been shown in laboratory studies to interfere with calcium absorption and bone metabolism, though these effects are small and can be offset by adding milk,” he said.

Dr. Enwu Liu noted that the research suggests drinking tea daily may be an easy way to support bone health as people grow older. “While moderate coffee drinking appears safe, very high consumption may not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol,” he said.

The researchers emphasized that while the results are statistically meaningful, the differences are not dramatic enough to require sweeping lifestyle changes. “Our results don’t mean you need to give up coffee or start drinking tea by the gallon,” said Dr. Liu. “But they do suggest that moderate tea consumption could be one simple way to support bone health and that very high coffee intake might not be ideal, especially for women who drink alcohol. While calcium and vitamin D remain cornerstones of bone health, what’s in your cup could play a role too. For older women, enjoying a daily cup of tea may be more than a comforting ritual; it could be a small step toward stronger bones.”

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