Possibly you have wished to strive inexperienced smoothies, however you have not recognized the place to begin. Or maybe you have been too busy to search for recipes or deal with the day by day prep concerned. That is the place make-ahead frozen inexperienced smoothies come into play. You may surprise what you ever did with out them. Do not waste cash shopping for ready smoothie packs; we’ll present you ways you are able to do it for much less cash at residence!
Over the previous few years, I’ve began having inexperienced smoothies for breakfast every day. It began out as a straightforward breakfast I might sip as a busy work-from-home mother, after which I grew to become totally and fully addicted. I really like my day by day smoothie!
Making wholesome inexperienced smoothies at residence may be straightforward—comply with this frozen smoothie system and you will be a smoothie professional very quickly. With a couple of important components you combine and match flavors to your liking. So easy! (P.S. You may hardly style the greens.)
Soar to:
Inexperienced Smoothie Elements
Let’s begin with the essential make-up of a inexperienced smoothie. A superb inexperienced smoothie is constructed on a number of issues—leafy greens, fruit (typically veggies too), liquid, and different dietary add-ins.
Sometimes, a inexperienced smoothie is 40% greens and 60% fruit, liquid, and different add-ins. You’ll be able to play with that ratio till it feels proper on your style buds.
- Leafy greens: chard, spinach, kale, collards, bok choy, romaine, and different candy lettuces, mint, parsley, cilantro
- Fruit: berries, pineapple, mango, citrus, avocado, pears, apples, bananas, melon, dates (may be recent or frozen)
- Veggies: cucumber, celery, fennel, tomatoes, carrots, beets, pumpkin or butternut puree
- Liquids: water, coconut water, milk, non-dairy milks (coconut, hemp, soy, oat, nuts), juice, tea, fermented and cultured drinks (kefir, kombucha, buttermilk, whey, yogurt )
- Candy naturals: dates, agave, honey, date syrup, maple syrup, flavored stevia drops
- Dietary add-ins: chia seeds, flax seeds, acai powder, inexperienced or different superfood powders (beetroot, cacao, maca, spirulina, wheatgrass), protein powder, spices, hemp seeds, entire nuts, oats
How To Make a Frozen Inexperienced Smoothie System
If you happen to’ve been overwhelmed by the day by day prep concerned in making morning smoothies, these make-ahead smoothie packs are a godsend. Collect your provides and make it a once-a-month or every-other-week activity.
Frozen inexperienced smoothie packs will final for a number of months so in the event you’re feeling significantly formidable and wish to make a ton, go for it. You’ll be able to knock out a month of inexperienced smoothies very quickly flat!
1. Get the best baggage
Reusable quart-size resealable freezer baggage are nice as a result of you possibly can rinse and reuse them time and again. Mark each with the date you made the pack, and cross it out as soon as you have made the smoothie.
2. Add 1 ½ – 2 cups greens
Leafy greens freeze very well. You’ll be able to puree them and make ice cubes forward of time, or simply toss the leaves into the bag.
Finest frozen greens for smoothies: I add about 2 packed cups of child spinach however be happy to make use of any mixture of those:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Parsley
- Chard
- Collards
- Bok choy
- Romaine and different candy lettuces
- Mint, parsley, cilantro
Make it work on your blender: If you do not have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, Blendtec, Ninja, and the like, then you definitely would possibly wish to strive making leafy inexperienced ice cubes for higher mixing. Another choice is to solely make freezer packs with the fruit after which use recent leafy greens.
3. Add ½ to 1 cup recent or frozen fruit
Subsequent add the frozen and/or recent fruit. Some concepts:
- For a vitamin Okay and potassium increase: stone fruits like peaches, plums, cherries apricots or nectarines (pitted, in fact)
- For additional fiber: raspberries, avocado, pears, apples, bananas
- For an immunity and antioxidant increase: peeled recent orange or grapefruit, blueberries, strawberries
- For additional omega-3s (and to preserve it low-carb): raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, avocado, guava
Purchase in bulk: I nearly all the time purchase recent and frozen meals in bulk at low cost grocery shops.
Reduce and/or peel fruit: Keep in mind that chopping fruit into smaller items makes it simpler in your blender. Bananas, if they’re actually ripe, normally do okay halved, however you possibly can slice them up earlier than you set them into the luggage.
It’s possible you’ll want extra liquid when mixing: Frozen fruit (particularly banana) will add an incredible creamy texture and make your smoothie extra “shake-like”—simply observe that you could be find yourself needing extra liquid in the event you go that route.
Goal for selection: For these packs, I used child spinach, recent pineapple (acquired a killer deal on them!), bananas, blueberries, and blackberries. With these 4 fruits, you can also make a number of frozen inexperienced smoothie combine & match recipes (see beneath for concepts) to create a barely completely different smoothie for every day.
You’ll be able to skip bananas: I do know bananas are a staple in smoothie making, however some of us choose their smoothies with out them for a lighter consistency and fewer sugar. Strive these no banana smoothie recipes.
4. Take away air as you shut the luggage
Squeeze out as a lot air as you possibly can, and seal the bag. Eradicating the air helps stop frost from forming.
5. Retailer baggage flat in freezer
For simpler stacking within the freezer, you possibly can flatten them out a bit extra simply earlier than sealing. The baggage will freeze extra shortly if positioned in a single layer within the freezer.
You possibly can additionally freeze the fruit on cookie sheets after which switch them to the luggage. Completely as much as you on that.
6. When able to mix, add frozen smoothie + liquid to blender
Whenever you’re able to mix, add 1 cup of liquid then the smoothie pack contents. The greens will break up slightly simpler after having been frozen, however you’ll most likely want slightly extra liquid than regular on your blender to puree them correctly.
Select from:
- Coconut, almond or one other non-dairy milk (discover ways to make your individual nut milk) or kefir
- Cooled natural tea
- Water or coconut water
- Contemporary-squeezed juice (keep on with veggies if attainable—assume carrot, or a celery-apple combo)
7. Add nutrition-boosting extras
I discover that chia or flax seeds keep on with the freezer baggage so I add them after the liquid and frozen bag contents. (Plus, typically I prefer to soak my chia seeds earlier than mixing.)
Listed below are a couple of different concepts for smoothie boosters. These aren’t mandatory, however generally is a good contact:
- For added protein: 1 tablespoon bee pollen, nut butter, uncooked almonds (ideally soaked), or pumpkin seeds
- For detoxing and a metabolism increase: 1 teaspoon floor turmeric, cinnamon or grated recent ginger, or recent herbs like mint or basil
- For additional fiber: 2 tablespoons chia seeds or chopped dates
- For omega-3s: 2 tablespoons uncooked walnuts or flax oil/seeds
8. Sweeten if desired
That is non-obligatory however you too can add a sweetener, if you would like:
- Liquid stevia (SweetLeaf is our favourite as a result of it is available in so many flavors)
- 1 teaspoon uncooked honey (strive infused)
- Additional banana (the riper the higher) or dates to style
- ½ teaspoon agave nectar
Fast Frozen Smoothie Recipes
To get you began, listed below are a couple of of our go-to frozen inexperienced smoothie recipes. It is actually enjoyable to combine it up with different styles of fruit and greens. Above (left to proper):
- Banana-blueberry: 1 giant banana, 2 cups blueberries, 2 cups spinach
- Pineapple-blueberry: ½ banana, 1-½ cups pineapple, ½–¾ cup blueberries, 2 cups spinach
- Kiwi-watermelon: 1 sliced kiwi, 1 cup diced watermelon, 1 cup grapes, 2 cups spinach
- Banana-berry: 2–3 cups combined berries, ½ giant banana, 2 cups spinach
- Melon-berry: 1 cup melon, 1-½ cups combined berries, 2 cups spinach
- Pineapple-banana: 1 giant sliced banana, 2 heaping cups pineapple, 2 cups spinach
Extra Inexperienced Smoothie Recipes:
Strive these 10 3-ingredient smoothie pack combos or certainly one of these recipe concepts:
- Spinach Mango Smoothie: Freeze 1 cup frozen mango and a pair of cups recent spinach. Mix with 1 cup almond milk and 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- Coconut Orange Smoothie: Freeze 1 cup spinach, ½ cup parsley, 1 orange (peel eliminated), and ½ banana. Mix with 1 ½ cups coconut water or coconut water kefir, 5 mint leaves and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (non-obligatory)
- Pineapple Kale Smoothie: Freeze 1 cup frozen pineapple and a pair of cups recent kale. Mix with 1 cup oat milk and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- Inexperienced Banana Smoothie: Mix 1 frozen banana and 1 cup frozen spinach cubes and mix with 1 cup almond milk, 1 tablespoon flax seeds, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
This detox smoothie recipe is one other favourite. Or do this wrinkle-reducing berry and kale smoothie.
P.S. Prepared to begin juicing? Strive our 3 Juicing 101 recipes!
This text was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified doctor with greater than 20 years of follow expertise. Be taught extra about Good day Glow’s medical reviewers right here. As all the time, this isn’t private medical recommendation, and we advocate that you simply speak together with your physician.
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