Hi there! – this post originally appeared 2+ years ago on my old site and has been a huge hit with my family ever since. I’ve since switched from storing the make ahead green smoothie packs in quart-sized Ziploc bags rather than mason jars because they freeze fast and take up less space.
I hope you find these as handy as we do!
Prep Your Smoothies Ahead of Time
The other day while browsing the internet, I received an ad for pre-made smoothie mixes that are shipped to your door. At this moment, a few things crossed my mind:
- Wow, they know me well! Ads sure are effective (and creepy these days)
- That’s a great idea! But why wouldn’t I just do that at home
- Hey! I’m going to just do that at home!
So thank you random smoothie company for paying for those ads and inspiring me to level up my prep ahead game.
If I haven’t sold you on this concept yet, here’s the cool thing about having these make ahead green smoothie packs on hand:
- There are less barriers to making a healthy choice in the moment: If there are healthy things ready to go in your fridge, it becomes a lot harder to make the “worse” choice in the moment. For me, it also discourages me from eating junk out of convenience when I’d rather save my indulgences for things that are super tasty and totally “worth it”.
- These smoothies taste delicious: Because it’s much harder to stick to eating healthy if the food you’re eating doesn’t taste great!
- Smoothies like these are jam packed with nutrition: Smoothies are not necessary, but they sure are an easy way to make sure that your breakfasts or snacks have a giant dose of the nutrients your body needs to function optimally. Just in this little smoothie pack (or jar) you’ll find things like:
- Omega 3s and other healthy fats from the chia
- Iron and calcium from the spinach or kale
- Antioxidants from the fruit
- Potassium from the bananas
How to Customize Your Make Ahead Green Smoothie Packs
You and your kids probably don’t want to eat the same thing day after day, right? For that reason, I’ve outlined the magical “smoothie pack formula so that you can take this technique and make it your own. Here’s what it comes down to:
- Build your jar:
- Start with a wide-mouth pint size mason jar or quart-sized Ziploc bag
- About 1/2 cup “creamy” element: Fool proof options here are bananas. Avocados (or half bananas and half avocados) work well too. In a pinch, I’ve also used pumpkin puree, which is a good option if avocados or bananas are off limit but not nearly as creamy.
- 1 cup “flavoring” fruits: These are the things that really give your smoothie character. For this purpose I like using pre-frozen fruits because they stay separated in the frozen pack. Think: pineapple, mango, strawberries, blueberries.
- 1/2 cup frozen greens: Whole Foods Market sells this awesome frozen curly blue kale that I use, but frozen spinach is a great option too. I’ve also found the frozen broccoli and cauliflower incorporate pretty seamlessly into smoothies if you prefer that.
- Sprinkle on some seeds: Did you know chia and flax seeds are actually best stored in the freezer anyways? So why not add them to your smoothie jar ahead of time and keep them super fresh? I use a tablespoon of whole chia seeds, but a tablespoon of ground flax would be equally good!
When ready to make your smoothie:
- Pour contents of bag or jar into blender
- Grab your favorite milk option and add 1 cup to the blender
- Blend
- Add more milk as needed (mine took about 1 1/4 cup plus pushing it down in the Vitamix)
- Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 bananas
- 4 cups frozen fruit
- 2 cups frozen kale or fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup chia seeds or ground flax seeds
- For later: about 1 cup milk or alternative of choice for each smoothie pack
Instructions
- Lay out 4 quart-sized bags or Mason jars. In each one, add: 1/2 cup banana, 1 cup frozen fruit, 1/2 cup frozen kale or fresh spinach, and 1 Tbsp seeds.
- Remove air, seal, and lay flat to freeze.
- When ready to serve, add contents of smoothie pack to blender with 1 cup of milk or alternative. Blend until smooth, adding a little more liquid as needed to make it smooth.
Notes
See the formula above for more options to change up this recipe!
Need some visual encouragement?
Want more ideas? Here are some great smoothie recipes:
- “The Best Green Smoothie Recipe Ever“
- 1 Week of Green Smoothie Prep Packs
- Green Smoothie Freezer Packs
