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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.
Hi,
I want to try the green tea smoothie. I want to know if I make the tea first and and it as the liquid, or do I use the tea grains.
Thanks.
Carol
Hey Carol.
Great question. We make the tea first. Let it cool. Then add it to your green smoothie. 🙂
Hi, looking forward to the October challenge, what ingredients do I need to get in to be ready to follow your recipes?
Lin. X
Hey Lin.
Thanks for joining us. Once you have signed up here: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge you will be on our email list. We will send out shopping list and recipes later this week, so you will be ready for the October 1st start date. 🙂
I have seen coconut oil mentioned several times. I have the solid form. Do i add it like that or melt it? Can it be frozen also?
Hey Shefyl.
Yes you can use it in the solid form or freeze it with your prep ahead items. I wouldn’t melt it, it might make you smoothie warm. 🙂
I used to make smoothies for breakfast, I froze the preparations in quart in slider-lock bags and put them in the freezer flatways. That way I could lay the frozen flat bag on a plate to soften while showering. Then I moved the slider slightly, inserted a straw and headed for the bus stop. The bags are easily disposed into trash bins,
If I had a extra large mixture, the remainder was brought along in my lunch tote for morning break or lunch which helped me to order sensibly at the corp’s lunch counter. Just another option. I am looking forward to your recipes because I burned out on my single recipe.
Thanks for the tips, Murfee! We are glad you found us, enjoy our recipes and don’t forget to sign up for the October 30-Day Challenge: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/challenge
ooh thats a good idea for crazy mornings
🙂 Glad you enjoy this post! 🙂
what a shame to be so wasteful with plastic. i prefer more sustainable packaging. i’m looking after myself, and the planet too!
Hey BT. We love our reusable Ball Mason Jars and reusing and Ziplock baggies for green smoothies. 🙂
How do you take the ingredients out of the jar if they are frozen?
Does it take a while?
Thanks!
I’ve never used Romaine lettuce in smoothies but heard it can be an option. Do you know if Romaine freezes nicely?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Khurshid!
Yes you can freeze Romaine, we like it fresh better. If freezing it works better for you, go for it. 🙂
If I freeze an individual smoothie recipe in a ziploc bag, do the contents freeze as one big glob? In other words, how will I fit the frozen contents into the jar of my blender? I use the nutri ninja,so it is not a big blender pitcher that is wide enough to hold frozen contents in the shape of a ziploc bag.
Yes, it will freeze in one piece, sometimes. Before blending, 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.
Hope that helps.
When I am prepping to freeze ahead of time, can I put everything I need for the smoothie (other than liquid) in the jar? For example, can I add carrots, hemp seeds, maca powder, etc … do they all freeze okay?
Thank you very much for this site … I am hooked after 2 days of green smoothies! I used to think they looked disgusting and now I am amazed by how good they taste. I think my kids will be hooked too once they try them.
Hey Toni!
Yes, you can freeze it all. We like to say “Fresh is best, but Frozen is a close second” So go for it, and ENJOY! 🙂
What kind of product do you wash the greens and fruit with?
Hey Glendar,
Here is an article that should help with your question:
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dirty-dozen-list
What kind of products do you use to wash the produce (greens, fruits and veggies.
Hey Glendar! Check out this link for all this washing your fruits and veggies! 🙂 https://simplegreensmoothies.com/dirty-dozen-list
can I make a gallon and freeze portions ahead for those times when I’m traveling or can’t make?
Sure! Go for it!
Has anyone ever froze cucumber and celery like this. Thanks
I have frozen cucumbers for awhile now. Works great!
Glad to hear!
Thanks for the reply.
I have used the green smoothies for a week now. For the first few days my stomach was upset and I just did not feel right. I read where I should drink a lot of water before and after the smoothie. So I did that and it seemed to help. Also read where the feeling could be from my body detoxifying. Please explain to me how blending spinach and fruit makes my body detoxify? If I ate those foods – whole, would I have the same effect? Thanks, Kathy Durling
Hey Kathy!
Our bodies are in a constant battle of fighting processed foods that contain harmful toxins. We have systems set in place inside of us that filter out these toxins so we can stay clean and healthy. Though it is tough to avoid harmful toxins altogether, it is important not to ingest high amounts that can cause build-up and stress to the organs that work to keep us in good health. So, how can we help out our filtering friends? Detox with herbs— which is your challenge for the week.
Detoxifying herbs clean our bodies’ filters, and they are healthy foods with lots of nutrients. This also means we aren’t putting harmful toxins and gunk into our bodies in the first place. When we help our bodies’ filters and eliminate our harmful toxin input we set ourselves up for a clean and healthy life. To help you detox we have made a list of our favorite herbs, what each of them does for your body, and how you can use them in a simple green smoothie.
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/fresh-herbs
This is my first day and all the pre preparing ideas are awesome!
Valerie
Awesome Valerie! 😉
My question is on how to freeze spinach and kale, I thought green stuff turned black when frozen. Very new to this, but hubby and I are loving it. Thanks.
I just toss my bag into the freezer when my greens are looking like they’re going to go bad.
But you can measure them out and put in a zip bag and toss in the freezer.
Either way works. 🙂
I would like to know if the smoothie (1/2 of your recipes) as a meal replacement is all that you have. I find that I am hungry wanting to eat something else. I am taking the challenge on the 1st, so how can I be successful if I am hungry?
I am a Flight Attendant. I am sometimes flying 4 days in a row. How do I keep the smoothie thing going when I’m not home to blend daily?
Cindie — Can you blend ahead of time and keep them in the freezer or fridge? You can drink them up to 2-3 days and just be sure to give them a good shake.
Hope that helps!! 🙂
Thank you! I will put it in 4 different disposable containers. One for each day! Looking forward to healthy flying.
Safe travels!
Can anyone help me with an answer?
I rarely use the smoothie as a meal replacement except occasionally on weekends when I would normally skip breakfast completely.
Instead I do a smoothie right after getting home from work to hold me until I can make a decent dinner or as a snack in the evening to avoid other snacking that is much less healthy for me.
Hope that helps.
Thanks Karen for the advice. I appreciate it…
For meal replacement you may want to add some protein powder, chia seeds, oatmeal, or avocado they all help you stay fuller longer.
Thanks Laurie. I will try that…
Hi Glates,
We recommend drinking 16 ounces if you’re using as a meal replacement. But, if you find you’re hungry, definitely add in some nuts, almond butter, coconut oil, avocado to keep you full longer. 🙂
Thank you Shauna. Will give it a try!!!