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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
Equipment
- freezer
- measuring cups
- quart sized jars or bags
- permanent marker
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.Â
- 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.Â
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.Â
- 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.Â
What size mason jars do you recommend?
Hi Michelle,
I like to reach for the 32oz wide mouth jars. We also suggest ensuring that your mason jars are freezer safe!
Went to Barnes & Noble’s. Browse through a lot of smoothies books and choose yours . So I am doing the 10 day Smoothies. So far so good, want to do the Book first ! On the 3rd day , ty!
Hi Patricia,
YAY!! Thank you so much for your support! Make sure + check back in with us at the end of your 10-Day Kickstart!
I need too have some kind sweet in my smoothie.but need fiber.Dr told me. I need fiber. Diverticulosis.do any one knows .what is the best.?
Hi Patsy,
Need fiber + something sweet? Look no further than our green smoothies!! The leafy greens are a great source of fiber + the fruit in our recipes make them extra sweet + delicious.
Need a little extra sweet?
Check out our favorite natural sweeteners here…
Do you ever blend your smoothie ahead of time and freeze? If so does it taste and thaw ok?
Hi Mari,
You definitely can! Simply thaw your smoothie in the refrigerator the night before you’re ready to enjoy. Notice some separation? No worries. Our smoothies are free of any yucky additives or stabilizers, so give your smoothie a quick shake before enjoying.
Sorry, I just answered my own question. Love this thread!!
How do you get the frozen fruit and greens out of the jar when it is all frozen together to save time?
I take my jars out and run them under warm water and then leave them out while i’m getting ready for work. When I get ready to make my smoothie it usually pours right out, if not I just take a spoon and pry it out.
Hi. do you ever put the whole fruit including the peel in your smoothies such as orange lemons or watermelon. id so is there any whole fruit you would not use.
Hi Ellen,
We do! Fruit peels are super nutritious + add great fiber and flavor to your green smoothie. Learn more about the peels we add, and how to add them here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/tutorials/ingredients
Quick question. If I use wide mouth freezer jars for this, would I be able to take them from the freezer, and add liquid to it, and then blend with a stick blender? I have a pretty high powered stick blender. Just curious if anyone had tried it.
Hi Dana,
This could be a great option. I’d suggest checking with the stick blender manufacturer to ensure blending is glass is an ok and safe option.
Can we put Mason jars in freezer?
Yes you can put them in the freezer. Just leave a little room. I use them all the time for smoothies and bone broth.
Hi Linda,
You can! Just make sure that your mason jars are freezer safe. I’ve found the wide-mouth jars are often freezer safe, and perfect for prepping green smoothies!
Hey peeps! I’m attempting smoothie prep for the first time and am excited about the idea of my morning smoothie taking less time but I am also reluctant. Maybe this has been asked before, but could having all of the ingredients frozen, especially the leafy greens, affect the nutritional value of the smoothie? I can’t help but want to keep my fresh ingredients fresh, and my frozen frozen.
Hi Xenia,
Thanks for reaching out! We’re so excited to have you join us. Worried about losing your nutritional value? Don’t be, freezing your leafy greens, veggies + fruits is like hitting the pause button, storing all of those yummy nutrients!
Started 10 day smoothie cleanse Nov 1/16 and lost 8 lbs. Switched to modified cleanse until Christmas and total loss was 12 lbs…2.5 ” from my waist!!!!
I celebrated Christmas “carefully” with the intention of continuing with the smoothies. The big thing I notice is how much better I feel and how much more energy I have when drinking these smoothies and I plan to continue to drinking them indefinitely along with one “clean” meal a day.
Hi Anne,
YAY! Cheers to health, happiness + leafy greens! We’re so excited to have you blendin’ with us! Want to take it up a notch? Check out our meal plans here!
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/shop
I blend entire recipe ( greens & fruit & nuts) with enough of preferred liquid to blend; then I pour into ice cube trays, freeze, then bag correct amount for one green smoothie into quart freezer bag. I take out of freezer & store in refrig overnight to thaw. Blend for green smoothie in the morning. Is this procedure good for maintaining the nutrients?
Hi Ruth,
This is a great option! We love hearing about new ways to prep your green smoothie, and freezing is a great way to preserve all of their green goodness!
Better to batch freeze like fruits/veg, then sort into individual smoothies. It won’t be a brick that has to thaw first:
1. Coat a baking sheet with coconut, hemp, etc. oil
2. Place cut ripe fruits/veg as one layer on sheet (one sheet of ripe bananas, one sheet of fresh blackberries, etc.) Freeze!
3. When frozen, store together (temporarily)
4. Repeat until all fresh fruits/veg are frozen
5. Sort into bags for individual smoothies.
Hi Sara,
Thanks for sharing! I usually batch freeze my ingredients before bagging them into my smoothie packs. Like you said, it helps prevent them from freezing together + makes blending super easy!
Love this amazing idea…how did I not twig to it sooner. One of the reasons I stopped with the morning green juice was the nuisance of cleaning, cutting, prepping the various ingredients and then washing the Magic Bullet parts! Now things will change….any advice on using cranberries?!
Hi Vivi,
We love blendin’ with cranberries! Hello, antioxidants!! We simply add the cranberries, liquid base, + leafy greens to our blender first. Once blended to a juice consistency, add your remaining ingredients!
Thanks for the tips for smoothie prep. I really needed this. Lately I have been on holiday mode lacking energy and no motivation. This will definitely help me get through to the New Year with more positivity.
Hi Cindy,
YAY! We hope our prep tips help blending green smoothies a habit you’ll keep all-year long!
Yay! Glad to get started back up. Did about a year with you gals of a smoothie a day. But slacked off after the cold weather hit.So Im glad to start again.Thanks from Texas
Hi Dixie,
YAY! We’re so excited to have you back + blendin’ with us! Worried the cold weather may deter you from rawking out with us, again? Check out our favorite warm smoothie recipes, perfect for any chilly Texas days.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/?s=warm+smoothie