Brie and Sweet Potato Bites Recipe, Spotlight on Thyme, Baking Brie, and The Simple Key to Resistance Training
Looking for an easy and elegant finger food for your next get-together? This recipe checks all the boxes, plus it’s packed with antioxidants. Plus, when it comes to lifestyle changes is the new position stand from the American College of Sports Medicine on resistance training. It could provide the motivation to get started on a program.
Brie and Sweet Potato Bites
Brie and Sweet Potato BitesThese bites make an elegant appetizer. For the sweet potatoes, choose long rather than rounded ones to get the most slices from each. Keeping the brie refrigerated until needed makes it easier to cut.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sweet potatoes, about 7 to 8 inches long and 2 pounds in total
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 8 ounces brie, cut into 16 pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Directions
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and generously drizzle the paper with olive oil. Rinse the potatoes and pat dry. Trim off the pointy ends and slice each potato into 8 rounds about 1/2-inch thick.
Step 2
Arrange the rounds on the sheet pan, drizzle each with olive oil, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until a knife tip slides easily through them.
Step 3
Carefully take the sheet pan out of the oven and top each round with a few dried cranberries and a piece of brie. Return to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Step 4
Once out of the oven, sprinkle with the thyme and drizzle with more olive oil. Let cool slightly before serving.
Yields 16 bites
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Thyme
This herb deserves a spot in your windowsill garden and your spice cabinet. Fresh or dried, it delivers deep flavor—earthy, slightly peppery, and with hints of mint (it’s a distant relative of mint). Thyme also offers an abundance of antioxidants including vitamin C, vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Thanks to a wide variety of natural compounds, it may possibly boost mood, support brain cell function and memory, and improve gut health.
Quick Kitchen Nugget
Baking Brie
A hot oven quickly turns this French cheese into gooey deliciousness that often makes it taste milder and even more buttery. There’s no need to trim off the rind—it actually helps the cheese keep some shape in the oven.
Fitness Flash
The Simple Key to Resistance Training
The first major update to resistance training recommendations in 17 years delivered a straightforward message: Even simple routines with small amounts of resistance training can improve strength, increase muscle size, enhance power, and support overall physical function. The key is not perfection but consistency.
The updated guidance, released by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as a Position Stand and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, is built on 137 systematic reviews covering more than 30,000 participants. This makes it the most extensive and evidence-based set of resistance training recommendations to date.
“The best resistance training program is the one you’ll actually stick with,” said Stuart Phillips, PhD, distinguished professor in the department of kinesiology and an author on the Position Stand. “Training all major muscle groups at least twice a week matters far more than chasing the idea of a ‘perfect’ or complex training plan. Whether it’s barbells, bands, or bodyweight, consistency and effort drive results … The new document reflects that surge in evidence and expands its recommendations to include more people and more types of training than ever before.”
A key takeaway is that the biggest benefits often come from a simple starting point. Transitioning from no resistance training to any regular activity can lead to meaningful improvements. While factors such as load, volume, and frequency can be adjusted, experts say the main priority for most adults should be building a routine they can follow consistently.
Another important shift in the recommendations is the recognition that effective resistance training does not require access to a gym. Exercises using elastic bands, bodyweight movements, or simple at-home routines can still produce measurable gains in strength, muscle size, and daily function.
According to Dr. Phillips, strict rules about the “ideal” training plan are no longer supported by current evidence. Instead, personal preferences, enjoyment, and the ability to maintain a routine over time are what matter most. This approach is especially important for adults who want to stay strong, healthy, and capable as they age.
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