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If you love green smoothies AND want to maximize your time and money while making them, then this smoothie prep tutorial is for you! I love buying fresh, in-season produce, yet I don’t want it to go bad before I use it all in my daily smoothie. Meal prep smoothies get me through busy seasons with ease.
Meal prep smoothies are my jam! I love doing smoothie prep in batches so I make one mess at a time and get a week (or month) of ready-to-blend smoothies for my efforts. Today, I’m sharing all my tips and tricks to make smoothies for the week as well as giving you a sample menu and shopping list to get started!
Table of Contents
How to Meal Prep Smoothies for a Week
First, gather the following items: measuring cups, quart bags or canning jars (I like wide-mouth jars best!), a permanent marker, your favorite fruit and leafy greens and either my blog or the Daily Blends Smoothie App. These items will make meal prepping smoothies a breeze. Next:
- Decide which recipes you’ll make for the week and have them on hand. Feel free to use my free 10-Day Smoothie Challenge recipes.
- Slice or cut fruit into chunks. You can also cut fruit into smaller pieces and freeze ahead of time on lined baking sheets or use packaged frozen fruit. This helps keep the fruit and leafy greens from freezing together in a large clump, plus the smoothies blend more easily.
- Label bag or jar lids with recipe name and date. Be specific. You might also want to include how much of which liquid gets blended with each smoothie pack (to have when you’re ready to blend).
- Measure out the ingredients and pack into jars or bags.
- Remove as much air as possible from bags and jars when sealing closed. Pack fruit and leafy greens tightly into the jars and screw on the lids.
- Place in freezer. Don’t pack your bags/containers too tightly together. There should be some air circulation to help the contents to freeze quickly.
When you’re ready to use your meal prepped smoothies, remove smoothie pack from freezer. Add liquid base to container or bag (which helps defrost the fruit slightly). You can also thaw for a few minutes on the counter or in warm water. This helps the fruit and greens come out of the container more easily. Pour into blender and blend until smooth.
Prep smoothies for the week, month, or quarter, whichever length of time fits your time and lifestyle (and space!) best. I took the 7-day Smoothie Challenge inside Daily Blends Smoothie App for recipes and prepped for an entire month!
Tips for Make Ahead Smoothies
- Pick recipes with similar ingredients and buy in bulk. This saves money and cuts down on the number of ingredients needed.
- Buy seasonally! Choosing ingredients that are in season (or better yet, local!) also cuts down on cost. Food has the highest nutrition when harvested during its rightful season. Plus, it just tastes better.
- Help your future self by labeling! Know what that prepped jar needs for the liquid base so that when you are ready to blend, you are prepared.
- Set aside time to prep. Whether it’s on the weekend, Monday morning or Thursday evening, make time for prep. This helps you set yourself up for success.
- If you don’t like to or have time to chop up fresh ingredients then buy frozen! I love getting frozen pineapple and mango from Costco to save myself time. Frozen ingredients are picked at height freshness then flash frozen to preserve as many nutrients as possible.
Have any more tips for meal prepping smoothies? Drop a comment below and let us all know!
Smoothie Prep Menu
If you’re looking for some make-ahead smoothie recipes to get started, try out this plan:
- Beginner’s Luck Smoothie
- Clear Skin Smoothie
- Mango Spinach Smoothie
- Vegan Tropical Smoothie
- Spinach Banana Smoothie
- Island Green Smoothie
- Chia Seed Smoothie
For this round of meal prep smoothies, I stuck with tropical smoothies that have similar ingredients so that I can buy in bulk. Here’s the shopping list to prep the above seven smoothies:
| 7.5 cups Spinach | 3 Bananas |
| 1.5 cups Mango | 1 Avocado |
| 1 Lemon | 2 tbsp Chia Seeds |
| 4 Oranges | 2.75 cups Coconut Water |
| 3 cups Pineapple | 2 cups Water |
If you want to simplify your shopping list further, swap coconut water for regular water (which you don’t need to purchase), and you can meal prep smoothies for a whole week with eight ingredients.
For this list, I would pick up my supplies at Trader Joe’s and opt for frozen mango and pineapple, while choosing fresh for the remaining ingredients. Since avocado is only needed in one recipe, I’d just add it into a few other smoothies for a healthy fat boost.
Common Questions Around Smoothie Prep
Yes! While smoothies start to lose some nutrients about 15 minutes after blending, you can definitely blend one the night before. Just give it a good shake before you start to drink.
Yes! Simply add your fruit and veggies and leafy greens to a mason jar or freezer-safe container and freeze! When you’re ready to make a smoothie, thaw slightly on the counter then dump into your blender along with the liquid of your choice and any superfood boosts you want and blend. This is a great way to make sure your ingredients don’t go bad.
Yes! The key to a meal replacement smoothie is adding in protein and healthy fat. These two components will help you get full and keep you full longer.
Make Ahead Smoothies
Did you know that you can even freeze already blended smoothies? For real! Make sure you use freezer-safe containers and leave space when filling them, as liquid expands when frozen. Put in the fridge the night before you want to drink, carefully defrost in warm water or just toss it into a cooler if you’re taking it with you.
I love smoothie prepping blended smoothies for road trips. They act as ice packs for snacks and are perfectly chilled but defrosted when I’m ready to enjoy them.
Meal Prep Smoothies
Ingredients
- 5 cups spinach
- 2 cups kale
- 3 bananas
- 5 oranges
- 3 mango
- 1 pineapple
- 2 cups strawberries
Instructions
- Decide which recipes you'll make for the week and have the recipe on hand. Feel free to use my free 10-day smoothie challenge recipes. For this sample guide I'm using my original Simple 7 Smoothie Guide.
- Slice or cut fruit into chunks. You can also 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.
- Label bag and jar lids with recipe name and date. Be specific. You might also want to include how much of which liquid gets blended with each smoothie pack (to have when you're ready to blend).
- Measure out the ingredients and pack into jars or bags.
- Remove as much air as possible from bags and jars when sealing closed. Pack fruit and greens tightly into the jars and screw on the lids.
- Place in freezer. Don't pack too tightly together. There should be some air circulation to help the contents to freeze quickly.
When ready to use
- Remove smoothie pack from freezer. Add liquid base to container or bag (which helps defrost the fruit slightly). You can also thaw for a few minutes on the counter or in warm water. The fruit and greens will come out of the jar/bag easier too.
- Pour into blender and blend until smooth.
Equipment
- freezer
- measuring cups
- quart sized jars or bags
- permanent marker
Video
Notes
- Smoothie packs will keep for several months in the freezer but are the very best quality when used within 2-4 weeks.
- This sample prep guide uses naturally sweeter fruits. To lower the natural sugar in a smoothie, swap 1 banana with 1/2 an avocado.
- If hoar frost forms on the fruit and greens, it is still perfectly safe to consume. It can be rinsed off with lukewarm water.
- Store smoothie packs away from foods with strong odors. Glass jars offer the best protection against odors.
- Pick smoothie recipes with similar ingredients for bulk purchasing and to save money.
Hello, hope everybody is as eager for the challenge as I am. Since I have a severe aversion to bananas, what would be a good substitute? Thanks in advance.
Hi Matt!
Thanks for reaching out. I personally like to swap out banana for avocado (for a similar creamy texture), but feel free to swap out the banana for any fruit that you love :). Mango, peaches, and nectarines are also great banana subs!
Can’t wait to start wasn’t aware that I could freeze my smoothies in such a way. I have had a problem with wanting to eat anything until 4 pm in the afternoon and I know that is not healthy so smoothies may be the way for me!
Hi Tania!
We love prepping our smoothies in advance :). It makes blendin’ on a daily basis THAT much easier!
Thanks so much for joining us for the challenge!
Hello ladies!!! I am very excited to do my first challenge this coming April and can’t wait to see what a difference these wonderful green drinks will do for me
Hi Marissa!
Thanks so much for reaching out. We’re so happy to have you join us for the challenge! We can’t wait to hear what your favorite recipes are throughout the 30 days :).
Thanks so much for blendin’ with us!
I can wait for the new challenge.I am so glad I found this green smoothie challenge. It has help me so much. Thank you.
Hi Ingrid! YAY! Thanks so much for joining us for the next 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge!
Hi so excited to do the 30 day challenge just wondering is there a meal plan for the 30 days…or how many of these smoothies can we have in a day….excited to start feeling good…
Hi Beverly! Thanks so much for reaching out to us and commenting on our website! We are so lucky to have you a part of our community! Just by drinking one green smoothie you are heading in the right direction! Here is a link to our meal plans that compliment the free 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge well! https://simplegreensmoothies.com/shop
Hi, I recently bought your book and love it! I am a HUGE smoothie fan and love trying all the recipes – I am currently trying to “drink” my way through your book. Can you tell me are the recipes in the 30 day challenge all in your book?
Hi Alex,
Thanks for reaching out + all of your support! While several of our recipes in our April 30-Day Challenge can be found in our book, you’ll also enjoy some different + new recipes!
Cheers 🙂
Hi my concern is that with smoothies if not organic veges and fruit how much pesticides are we consuming can you let us know what fruits and vegs have the least pesticide etc. I like my smoothies but I have a concern for pesticides and how detrimental to our well being are they. I will purchase organic where and when possible but we can’t have it all. Really enjoy your 21 day cleanse thank you for sharing with the world.
Hi Anthony,
Great question! Check out EWG’s Produce Buying Guide for guidance on what ingredients to buy organic!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dirty-dozen-list
Can I do a 10 day Juice fast and then switch to smoothies without gaining any weight back?
Hi Monique,
Thank you so much for reaching out. Everyone’s body is different and therefore we can’t tell you how your body will adjust after completing your 10-day fast. What we can tell you is you will be fueling your body with healthy options!
I was wondering, after you make the smoothies how long are they good to keep refrigerated and if so how long?
Hi Stacy,
Great question! Our recipes will keep in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days. Adding a small amount of lemon juice will help preserve all of their green goodness!
I am trying to lose weight after so many years of fails. Now that I am 41 I feel so tired and look it as well. So having to prep was just another chore; but this idea is so much better. Prep ahead of time, and just refrigerate! Grab an go! Perfect. At work we have a blender, now all I have to do is just pour. Thanks for the tips.
Hi Madeline,
YAY! We’re so happy to hear our prep tips are helping you reach your personal health + wellness goals!
Cheers 🙂
hey girls, my hair strand tests from last year came back with high intolerances to Cruciferous vegetables – I think it must have been that alkaloid intolerance you talked about. I used to eat spinach 2-3x a day! I’m wanting to try getting back into them (being on low greens the last six months at Drs recommendation has made me feel lousy!) but am a bit nervous. Also need to keep to LOW-GI options. I’ve signed up to the smoothie challenge but are there some modifications I can make that will lower the fruit content and keep to the right sort of greens etc. Can I do 1 cup of fruit and 2 cups of veggies? Just fiddle with ratios till I find a taste/nutrient balance? What ideas do you have?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for reaching out! We’re green smoothie lovin’ rawkstars all right, but we’re not doctors or nutritionists. We suggest you talk with your doctor about any health concerns— I’m sure they can help you decide what adjustments to our recipes are best for you and your body. Cheers to health + happiness!
Hi – I wanted to purchase the cards, but the link doesn’t work! Can you use frozen fruit? I’m on a budget and have found that I’m skipping meals too much.
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for reaching out! We’ve switched out our printable recipe cards for mobile cards. Check them out here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/shop
You can definitely reach for frozen fruit! We actually suggest using at least frozen fruit to ensure your smoothie is creamy + chilled to perfection!
Cheers!
Hi, I am pregnant and due next week! Can I start the challenge anyway? Do any of the recipes affect breastfeeding? Can I use them for meal replacements for losing weight?
Hi Laurie,
Congratulations! Breastfeeding and green smoothies is totally beneficial. Just avoid the starchy veggies because that could cause gas for you and your little one (carrots, sweet potato, broccoli), etc. Also try not to eat anything 30 minutes before or after your green smoothie to allow the fruits to digest in your body quickly.
Thinking about using our recipes as a meal replacement? Our #1 concern is to ensure you’re fueling your + baby’s body! You can use your green smoothie as a meal replacement by adding protein + healthy fats, here are our favorite meal replacement booster combos…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/meal-replacement-smoothie
Just make sure + listen to your body!
Hello,
I’m a diabetic. Too many fruits in one smoothie raises my blood sugar. What can I substitute for the bananas? Thanks
Can you make your smoothies the night before and leave them in the fridge to consume first thing in the morning?
Hi Gina,
Of course! Our recipes will keep in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days. We suggest adding a small amount of lemon juice to help preserve all of their green goodness. And just a quick FYI: separation is completely natural, as our recipes don’t have any yucky additives or preservatives, so give your smoothie a quick shake before enjoying!
Cheers 🙂
Hi again had a question any smoothie you know of for sleep etc having to do with hormonal issues thanks.
Hi Gloria,
Looking for help improving your sleep? Try blending with beet greens! They include a wide variety of nutrients, but make their claim to fame with tryptophan. Tryptophan is the culprit of all those Thanksgiving Day naps, but more importantly helps with better sleep cycles.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/anti-inflammatory-smoothie-recipe
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/cherry-beet-smoothie
This is for Ruth, and other diabetics like me. Yes, in theory, dumping a high fruit content smoothie into your system isn’t good. What I have discovered is that you need to use a low sugar protein powder, and definitely an oil (think ketogenics). As stated in other parts of this site, 1/4 of an avocado in place of a cup of fruit will help lower the fruit, raise the time it is released in the blood stream. Nut butters or full fat plain greek yogurt added will also up the protein and fats, slowing the glycemic spike. Using low glycemic fruits and fruits with skin with also help. Good luck!