For the last five weeks, I’ve been smoothie disabled. Each morning, I went straight from the gym to class, and so portable chia seed puddings were my reliable mainstay. On weekends, I was running hither and yon, and rarely able to enjoy breakfast at home. The upshot was that my smoothies—an early morning staple for me—were put on hold for over a month. Today, as I woke up and settled into the peculiar sensation of having time on my hands, I decided to celebrate with a creamy, nutrient dense morning beverage: my strawberry and pumpkin seed smoothie.
My friend Brendan is very candid about the fact that—in spite of what his success with Vega would suggest—his first shot at veganism was a bust. He was tired, weak, and missing key micro and macronutrients. Among these were iron and essential fatty acids, and one of the small changes he made to remedy his oversights was to add pumpkin seeds, which are good sources of both, to his morning smoothies. I often do the same: pumpkin seeds inexpensive, tasty, and add creaminess to smoothies in a totally whole food form. They’re a nice break from nuts and nut butters, and they’re quite a bit easier to make work in a student budget. Combined with summer strawberries and this:
…which is one of my favorite new vegan proteins, it made for a delicious, vanilla flavored treat.
Strawberry Pumpkin Seed Smoothie (raw, vegan, gluten and soy free)
Serves 1
1 frozen banana 1 cup frozen strawberries 3/4 cup almond milk 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 scoop vegan protein powder of choice 1 handful greens (I used baby spinach) 1 tsp cinnamon
Blend all ingredients on high till rich and creamy. You may need to add a bit more milk if you don’t have a high speed blender! Top with fresh strawberries, and serve.
My smoothies are most definitely meal-sized, and always go in a breakfast bowl:
Heaven.