Silky Green Smoothie, Zinc-rich: One for the Men?

img_4148There is less fruit in this smoothie than normal, but don’t let that put you off. It still has a sweet flavour and smooth, creamy consistency. It is also chock full of nutrients: magnesium, potassium, protein (did you know Romaine lettuce is a good source of protein?), B vitamins, zinc, vitamin E, lots of other vitamins and minerals as well as healthy fats.

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of zinc and therefore often recommended for men to maintain a healthy prostate. We love them as a snack or on stirfries, lightly toasted with some Tamari whch gives them a salty soy sauce flavour.

Walnuts, too, are a good source of zinc, Vitamin E, B vitamins and healthy fats – swap for sunflower or other seeds if you have a nut allergy.

Zinc is also necessary for a healthy immune system, wound healing and to help breakdown carbohydrates. It is involved in our senses of taste and smell, in healthy cell division, fighting colds and cancer, so is a pretty important mineral.

Tahini is made from sesame seeds and a good source of calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron.

Potassium (from the banana too) is good for the heart while magnesium is needed to prevent muscle cramps, aid mental and physical relaxation (necessary for good sleep), good digestion and gut health.

Wheatgrass powder is full of useful nutrients including Vitamins A, C, E, and K, B Vitamins, Protein, Zinc and other minerals as well as dietary fibre.

All ingredients are organic (except the coconut water), vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 Small Banana, chilled

2 Tbsp Oats

1 Generous Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

Small Handful Walnuts

1 Generous Tbsp Tahini

3 Romaine Leaves, washed and chopped

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder

Medium Glass Unsweetened Coconut Water

Blend in a high speed blender, add ice if you like it chilled or use frozen banana.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

14 thoughts on “Silky Green Smoothie, Zinc-rich: One for the Men?”

    1. Thank you 😊 It’s often difficult to convey how tasty something is when people aren’t used to the idea and sometimes I forget what it’s like to try something for the first time and that you might need to work up to a particular quantity or combination 😊

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  2. Jumped over from the Senior Salon
    ~~~~~~~~~~~
    I really do need to join the smoothie revolution – your recipes are quite enticing. Cleaning the blender, etc. seems to be my primary stopper, which seems silly when I read how many nutrients I could drink in – and so deliciously too. Thanks for sharing.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMORE dot com)
    ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

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    1. Cleaning the blender takes a few seconds if you do it straightaway and if you’re using a blender and a glass then you’re not using saucepans, utensils, dishes etc. You can usually get far more nutrients this way that are more easily absorbed by the body than you could eat at one time.
      I agree about recipes appearing like aliens wrote them! Whenever I read an American recipe it’s like reading a foreign language, I have to ask for a translation! My recipes are just guides, templates. You can always substitute like for like: if you don’t have one type of seeds or berries, you can use what’s available. The flavour will be slightly different but then you will have invented your own smoothie 😊 Most of us need to adjust recipes to our own tastes and available ingredients, mine are no different. The only rules you need to observe are getting the right balance, not too much fruit for example.
      Thanks for your comments, I appreciate that you engage so often. 😊

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      1. For me, blogging is ABOUT engagement – so you are most welcome.

        Intellectually, I am aware of the ease of blender cleaning – it’s those tiered tasks that are always the stopper (EFD-related). My pots hang right above my head, so it always seems – and is – “easier” than dragging out the blender parts and putting them together, then putting them all away again. Storage and counter space in my current kitchen is abysmal!
        xx,
        mgh

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      2. One of the first rules of blending/juicing is always to keep the machine on the counter or it won’t get used 😊 We have a tiny kitchen too and for years didn’t use the food processor because we thought there wasn’t space, or it would look untidy etc. but eventually I put my foot down. People find space for waffle makers, toasters, microwaves etc. We now have 2 juicers, 2 blenders and a food processor on our counter which are used every day, sometimes several times. They would never be used if they were in a cupboard.

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      3. lol – I get what you are saying, and thanks for the suggestion, but it doesn’t apply in my case. Other than my hoosier with its slide in and out surface (which lives *in front of* the radiator), I have exactly 24″ of counter space in a narrow rental kitchen. When I really need it, I pull out a small cart and squeeze around it. Otherwise, it lives in a pantry with fixed shelves, no height to speak of.

        If *anything* is out on the so-called counter, I can’t cook without clearing prep space first – and if *anything* is on the roll-out, it won’t fit in its “home.”

        Given what I’m working with, it’s amazing I cook all my meals at home!

        And now, with dawn approaching, I’m off to bed. G’nite.
        xx,
        mgh

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      4. I understand, we once had a rented flat with a kitchen no bigger than a cubicle! Healthy cooking really is a challenge, I’m glad you manage to cook real food. I hope you get some rest. 🙂

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      5. Thanks. I use my slow cookers a lot, but “equipment” cooking is a struggle otherwise. If I couldn’t figure out how to hang it on a wall, it’s tucked away somewhere. I have only ONE small cabinet (under the “counter space”) which means only two kitchen drawers too, and I think I miss those most of all.

        Even tho’ my hoosier crowds my small kitchen, I couldn’t make it work without the added storage space it provides and the pull out prep surface. No room for a dishwasher tho’ because the pipes under the large sink were not designed to allow for space usage ::groan:: so keeping up with the dish washing seems an eternal chore.

        This too shall pass, I pray! I’ve been spoiled in the past. I’m hoping to move away from this city, so I’m staying put here until I can make that happen – trying to be grateful I can still cook at all, and that it’s otherwise a large enough space to include a dedicated home office.

        Meanwhile, I visit cooking sites like yours and dream. 🙂
        xx,
        mgh

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