The 1 Smoothie Trick I Can’t Live Without (Plus Smoothie Recipes)

Learn what I do to make smoothie making a breeze, especially during the busiest days.

 

Can you make your smoothie the night before?

Having a smoothie after your workout or for breakfast is a super-healthy rockstar move. I tell my clients to drink a green smoothie at least 5 times a week or even daily if they can swing it.

But many worry about not having time to make them in the morning.  This can get people stuck.

So today I’m sharing my number 1 smoothie trick that saves me loads of time and allows me to easily make smoothies for a whole month!

That trick is smoothie prepping!

 

Here’s what you will need:

  • freezer safe Ziploc bags (gallon size) or mason jars (32 oz.); both work well to keep everything fresh.
  • dark leafy green of your choice (or mix it up)
  • fruit (seasonal is best if possible)
  • a good base such as a banana

 

Now for the prepping magic:

  1. Chop and measure smoothie ingredients according to your recipe. If using a mason jar, start with fruits and then add leafy greens last so they are towards the lid. Oh and don’t add the liquid or protein powder yet. Wait until you are ready to blend.

 

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  1. Place all ingredients in the mason jar or Ziploc bag.
  2. Label with the name of recipe (or ingredients) and date. Also add notes about any additional ingredients you’ll need to add when you’re ready to blend it up.
  3. Store in freezer for up to 6 months.

 

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When you’re ready to make a smoothie…

  1. Remove bag or jar from freezer and pour ingredients into blender along with the liquid and powder (if you are adding). I prefer almond or coconut milk for the liquids and Vega powder for protein. If possible, layer your smoothie in the blender with liquid first (I prefer almond or coconut milk, but you can also use filtered water or coconut water), then add the greens, then the fruit (you can also use veggies), and lastly the protein powder, nut butter, flaxseeds, chia…and ice.Blend and drink up. Or pour into your smoothie jar and save for later! You can make your smoothies ahead of time and store them in a tightly sealed container up to 3 days in the fridge.  I like to stick with glass jars or use the Blender Bottle.

 

For more juicy fruit flavor, you can take your smoothie creation out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost a bit.  If you choose to do this, I recommend freezing the dark leafy greens separately from the fruits so they don’t get soggy while defrosting.

And YES! You can freeze avocado. Either puree or cut  into chunks before freezing.

 

What to do if your smoothie is too think?

One thing you can do is to add small amounts of water, nut milk, or juice. Work your machine back up to its highest speed, and process for 10-20 seconds.

Tip for next time: Make sure to follow the formula above to make sure your smoothie is silky smooth, not a goopy mess.

See what you come up with…remember, try all you can to get the smoothie goodness into your body.  Even if you made your smoothie a few days ago, it’s waaaay better than a drive-by Dunkin’ Donut coffee or some fast-food  breakfast burrito.

 

Looking for some yummy smoothie recipes? Check these out (plus they curb cravings!).

 

Do you have a super-cool smoothie trick of your own? Share away in the comments!

If you need another prepping trick, check out How to Make a Salad Jar.

 

22 Comments on “The 1 Smoothie Trick I Can’t Live Without (Plus Smoothie Recipes)”

  1. if you premake them can you freeze the already blended smoothly as well and defrost in fridge overnight for next mornings use?
    I know I’m not going to want my oatmeal everyone morning soon, but as you noted I’d wake up my kids if I made them fresh each morning…thanks for the tip.

    1. Hi there, sweet DeDi! You can try to refreeze, but I typically don’t do that. I keep in refrigerator instead so they don’t get that freezer burn taste. You can try and report back. It might work great for you!

    1. Suzanne, so this creation is handful of peach slices (frozen), sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, handful of kale…then I’ll add 2 cups of coconut milk and probably a scoop of cashew butter. Yum! Hope you make your smoothie jars!

  2. Great idea about the mason jar and freezing it. I’ve put the fruit, flax, almond butter and greens in a bag in the frigdge the night before and just pop it in the blender with the liquid in the morning but freezing it, especially now in warmer weather- awesome!

  3. I make our smoothies the night before… I fill the Vitamix with my concoction, then blend up a whole slew of them… around 3, 4 sometimes more and store them in our mason jars and we each have one till the next round… 🙂 don’t typically have time in the mornings, but that way we have something healthy and super quick to grab and go!

    1. Some, but not much if you keep the smoothie in a Mason jar with a tight lid and keep it closed. Opening, sipping, then closing the lid can effect the nutrients. You can also keep the smoothie in Blender Bottles. Great q, Blanca! Blend away!

  4. Pingback: Energy Tip #5: Get your GS on! | Nicholette von Reiche

    1. All are good to freeze, Erika. Great to get your note and excited you will try the trick!

  5. I can’t make my smoothies daily b/c I leave early in the morning and have a roommate (and it’s simply not a good use of my scant time to do it over and over every day). It’s been frustrating to find info on preparing and freezing smoothies for use during the week, so I’ve had to go by trial & error.

    In general, I’m using fruit, yogurt, cottage cheese and protein powder in my smoothies. Strawberries and bananas work wonderfully as frozen smoothies. I make a big batch and pour them into 8 oz freezer safe Mason jars and freeze. Then by the time I’m ready for morning break at work, they’re thawed and ready to drink.

    Blueberries, however, do NOT work well in a frozen smoothie. It changes the consistency and the ingredients do not blend together well nor retain the cold/moisture.

    I haven’t been able to find any info on how peach smoothies do frozen but I’m about to experiment and find out for myself. I love my Ninja, and I love having the option of smoothies for snacks (as long as I don’t overdo on accumulated sugars). Eating healthy is a very tedious, time consuming endeavor.

    I haven’t been brave enough yet to try a green smoothie but I’m going to after summer semester is over.

  6. If you’re preparing your smoothies ahead of time and storing in the fridge, is it OK to add the protein powder? To be more specific, do you complete the smoothie in the blender and pull it out of the fridge a day later and it’s ready to drink? I use VEGA protein powder as I cannot have any dairy. Thanks!

    1. I highly recommend Vega…it’s my go to plant-based protein powder. I add the powder when making my smoothies. I make them ahead of time and then pull out when I’m ready. Great q’s! Happy blending, Jen! 🙂

  7. Cut fruit into smaller pieces and freeze ahead of time on lined baking sheets or use packaged frozen fruit. This will help keep the fruit and leafy greens from freezing together in a large clump and the smoothies will blend more easily.

  8. Hello I noticed that whenever i make smoothies it went bad. I have a lot to do thru the day and i feel lilke they go bad and nasty to drink. Any suggestions?

  9. I like to add yogurt to my smoothies. After, blending, how long can I store the smoothie in the refrigerator? What should I store the smoothie in?

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