Are you ready to RAWK your green smoothie world a little more? The next step to adopt on your road to leafy green health and happiness is making your daily smoothies ahead of time. Prepping your smoothies shaves off precious extra minutes in your morning routine, plus it puts the kibosh on any other excuses that stand in the way of you sipping on some healthy green goodness.
Make ahead smoothie prep really does help me save time in the morning. I love not having to think about cutting up fruit or accidentally running out of smoothie ingredients. I love pulling out my recipe cards and getting to work prepping smoothies for the week (or month!) and the best part is that it only takes a few minutes to do.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Have your ingredients and supplies ready.
Here’s what you’ll need:
-our Daily Blends, green smoothie recipe app!Â
-measuring cups
-quart bags or canning jars (regular or wide-mouth)
-marker
-fruit and leafy greens
Make sure the leafy greens are washed, spun or patted dry, and ready to go.
Step 2: Slice or cut fruit into chunks.
Step 3: Label bag and jar lids with name and date.
Be specific. You might also want to include how much of which liquid gets blended with each smoothie pack. (I keep my recipe cards handy for this purpose also.)
Step 4: Measure out the ingredients and pack into jars or bags.
Remove as much air as possible from bags when sealing closed. Pack fruit and greens tightly into the jars and screw on the lids.
Step 5: Place in freezer.
Don’t pack too tightly together. There should be some air circulation. That will help the contents to freeze quickly.
More Green Smoothie Prep tips:
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Store greens and fruit separately, if desired. Pack washed and dried greens tightly into freezer bags or jars. Due to the nature of the freezing process, you will need to measure out slightly less frozen greens than fresh.
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- Smoothie packs will keep for several months in the freezer, but are the very best quality when used within 2-4 weeks.
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- If hoar frost forms on the fruit and greens, it is still perfectly safe to consume. It can be rinsed off with lukewarm water.
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- Store smoothie packs away from foods with strong odors. Glass jars offer the best protection against odors.
- Smoothies can be blended and then frozen until ready to use. Just defrost them in the fridge the night before you are ready to use. Some separation might occur, but the smoothies will still be fine to consume.
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721 comments
Are you freezing the liquid base with the veggies/fruit or adding the liquid to the frozen stuff once you are ready to blend? Looks like you might add it in and not freeze it.. just wanting to clarify! Thanks!
Hi Danica,
Good question! We add our liquid base right when we’re ready to blend, and just freeze the fruits + leafy greens.
hi, I froze my green leafy vegetables once (straight from supermarket to freezer) and all gone bad (mushy and brown) the next day. Does it make a difference when it is lock in zipper bag or mason jar?
Hi Suzie,
I’m so sorry to hear your leafy greens didn’t freeze well! When using ziploc bags make sure to remove as much air as possible from the bags when sealing closed. When using mason jars pack fruit and greens tightly into the jars and screw on the lids. Also, make sure there is plenty of air circulation around the bags or mason jars to ensure your leafy greens freeze as quickly as possible!
Were your greens mushy in the freezer, or had you thawed them? If you thawed them, share how you thawed your leafy greens! We’d love to get to the bottom of this, and help you out!
If I were to add flax seed oil and whey protein, how much would you recommend using for a two serving smoothie?
Hi Angelee,
We haven’t used flax seed oil, so I would follow the serving size suggestion from the specific product you’re using. We suggest just one tablespoon of ground flaxseed or whole seeds to your smoothie for a subtle, nutty flavor with more than subtle nutrition. And 4 tbs of protein powder!
Cheers 🙂
With greens like kale or collard greens with thick “spines” do you remove and just use leaves, or leave in and blend bones stems/spines ?
Hi Casey,
Great question! Thick spines and stems can be tough on the blender, so we like to remove them before blendin’!
I blend my spinach with half a cup of liquid and freeze it. I defrost it over night and just add fresh fruit and another half cup of liquid. Makes life a lot easier however, I wonder if the spinach looses any nutritional by doing that.
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for sharing your routine! Freezing is a great way to preserve leafy greens + their nutritional benefits!
What ‘liquid’ are you using? Water? Just curious, because it seems most people say liquid and I want to know specifically. Thanks in advance!
Hi Reneigh,
We use a wide variety of liquid bases. Here are some of our favorites…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/liquid-base
I made a week’s worth in around 30 min and put them all in freezer bags. I did freeze my spinach because over a weeks time it starts to go bad and loose more of the nutrients. So to not have to spend more on smaller packs or throw out any, I just put them in the bag as well; I also add kale. I do find though that they do take longer to blend when I do this (although the spinach goes in first and blends with no problem it’s that all the fruit is frozen so it takes longer), so I may just stick to pulling out what I would like for the day when I need it. I do enjoy smoothies, and found it’s helping cut down on sugar cravings, and my Acid reflex (since I add Pineapple)! That is a huge plus for me, and my skin color is improving. Thanks!
Hi Esther,
Sounds like you’re rawking the green smoothie lifestyle!
i didnt know you could frreeze in the jars, dont they break?
Hi Amber,
We like to use the 32oz freezer safe mason jars, just to be safe!
Cheers 🙂
I can’t find 32oz freezer safe jars anywhere. Where do you get them?
Do you use the 32 oz jars per recipe or per serving? If per serving,would the 16 oz jars be okay?
Hi Wendy,
Yes, we use the 32oz jars to prep an entire recipe (2 servings), so the 16oz jars should be a great option if you’re only wanting to prepare 1 serving!
Cheers 🙂
Hi Chris,
Kerr makes great 32oz freezer safe wide-mouthed jars! I love picking mine up from Sam’s Club.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/kerr-quart-wide-mouth-mason-jars-32oz-12-ct/prod3360481.ip
My favorite size of mason jars is the 24 oz wide mouth. The sides are completely straight, so the contents slide out even when frozen. And the size works, for me, as a single serving.
Thanks for sharing, Laurel!
I find that if you move the freezer bag out of the freezer and into the fridge the night before, The fruit is a perfect consistency for blending. Also, I do not freeze the greens….how much time does it really take to grab the couple of handfuls from the container!?!
Prepping is the best way to go for anyone on a tight morning schedule (OH, that is pretty much EVERYONE!!!)
Hi Liz,
Thanks for sharing your prepping tips! Cheers to peace, love + leafy greens! 🙂
But you use almond milk in the Meal on the Go Green Smoothie. Do you no longer include almond milk in any of your recipes?
Hi SR,
We love almond milk! We’ve made the personal decision to avoid cow’s milk, but you need to find what works for you!
Cheers 🙂
I started drinking smoothies last summer and was doing great w/ them…then school started and i slacked off. i have a blender that i use and it does fine, but it was taking me too long to make them in the morning. i haven’t looked at your recipe cards and have a base that i always use (almond milk, spinach/kale, greek yogurt, oats, chia/flax seeds, 1/2 a banana) and to that i add about 2 c of various fruits. i was wondering about blending the spinach & milk together and keep it in the fridge?
Hi Amy,
We’ve made the personal decision to not include dairy in our recipes, we’ve talked with a lot of nutritionists and milk isn’t all that it’s been hyped up to be. Therefore, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure how using milk products will effect storing your smoothies!
What size are the canning jars?
Nevermind, I read it again, lol
Hi Meech,
Just in case, we love using the 20oz wide mouth freezer safe mason jars, as they are perfect for prepping! But any freezer safe jar or freezer bag will work!
Cheers!
If you buy frozen fruits from the store, do you need to wash them before use?
Hi Lindsay,
Frozen fruit from the grocery store should have already been washed prior to packaging by the company, so you’re all set to just go ahead and blend!
I am joining today. Instead of a blender can I use my nutribullet?
Hi Regina,
Yes! We love the Nutribullet blender, especially when we travel!
Can the jars that spaghetti sauce comes in be used instead of the mason jars?
Hi Mike,
Of course! That’s one of our favorite tips and money savers!
Hi there tried the Orange Julius so far I was brave and doubled recipe to save a little time with blending. Not sure if it’s the Almond milk I will need to develope a taste for but im looking forward to trying different smoothies. I was adding 3-4 different fruits with spinach kale and arugulal
Hi Kathy,
Our recipes are here to inspire you, so don’t feel like you need to follow them to a T. If you’re not a fan of almond milk, swap it out for another liquid base. Here are some of our favorites:
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/liquid-base
Do I need to pick the stems off the spinach?
Hi Kathryn,
We love to blend ALL of the spinach, stems + all!
Hey! I’m stoked to be starting this challenge, just packing up some smoothies for the week in freezer bags now. I don’t know what to do with the oranges though, should I treat them as a liquid and add them when I blend? Or peel them and freeze them in the bag in individual wedges? Thanks!
Aleia,
Thank you so much for joining the challenge and reaching out! I think the answer to your question depends on the type of blender you have. If you have a really powerful blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, I would freeze the oranges with your other ingredients. If you have an older model like me, my blender sometimes has trouble with all of the pulp and seeds that come with oranges, so I like to blend my oranges with my liquid base prior to adding any remaining ingredients to ensure I’m left with a smooth delicious smoothie!
Hope that helps!
Hi! I started using green smoothies as my breakfast about 3 weeks ago after a friend turned me on to your Facebook page. I am joining in the 30 day challenge this month too – I really have noticed a difference in how much energy I have during the day!
I travel for business and would like to freeze smoothies ahead of time and take with me on my trips. Can I freeze them in mason jars without the jars breaking?
Hi Kathy,
Smoothies can be blended and then frozen until ready to use. Just defrost them in the fridge the night before you are ready to use. Some separation might occur, but after a good shake, the smoothies will still be fine to consume. I would suggest using freezer safe mason jars to ensure there’s no chance of breaking, we love using the 20oz wide mouth freezer safe jars!
Cheers 🙂
Hi all,
So happy to be a part of this challenge. Thanks to Jadeh & Jen and all the Rawkstar folks who help with the questions. Starting this challenge with a dear friend and coworker of mine and couldn’t be more excited!!!
But we do have a Sceptic in our office who told us that blending fruits and veggies takes away alot of the nutrients, well honestly that makes NO sense to me but I just felt I need to ask? (sorry if it sounds stupid but….. Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Joyful,
We love blendin’ with our friends and co-workers and are so excited that you will be joining us for the April 30-day challenge! Blending is a great way to give your body incredible nutrients.
I believe that Dr. Mercola says that people shouldn’t blend because all the nutrients are lost within 15 seconds, or something like that. We do believe that nutrients begin to “go away” and oxalate, but we don’t believe this happens in 15 seconds. Our stance is that green smoothies stay good for you for up to two days, as long as they are in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Sorry don’t know if I overlooked the answer but what size mason jar do you recommend? Thank you
Hi Candace,
The 20oz wide mouth freezer safe mason jars are perfect for prepping! Cheers 🙂