Sure throwing a few ingredients in a blender to make a smoothie doesn’t take long, but on a busy weekday morning we all know…every minute counts! And after trying out this make ahead method of bagging (or bottling) up smoothie ingredients myself, I can attest that it really does make a difference.
3 Ways to Freeze Smoothie Ingredients
Even in the afternoons when the girls get home from school, I might not always be into the idea of getting out all the different ingredients to make a smoothie, but if the fruits and veggies were already packaged up in the exact right proportions? Sure, we can have a smoothie snack any day!
It’s amazing how sometimes a little advance preparation can go a long way.
- Canning Jars – No need to “can” or process jars in any way. Just put them directly into the freezer.
- Ziploc Bags – Yes, not the most eco-friendly, but handy and technically washable and reusable. :)
- Reusable Bags – For this application I love the pictured bag from “neat-os” because they are most like the Ziplocs I am used to (silky smooth on the inside and out).
If you enjoy smoothies but this sounds like it may require more time than you have, SmoothieBox may be just what you need! SmoothieBox delivers pre-packaged and ready-to-blend frozen smoothie (ingredients) directly to your door, helping you to save time and feel great.
They are pre-packaged and ready to go, and come in four different flavors, each with no added sweeteners. Use this link to get $15 off of your first box, and if you want to check out some more recipes, grab this free recipe ebook!
Make Ahead Smoothies (2 Ways)
Ingredients
Version 1
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup mango diced, and fresh or frozen
Version 2
- 1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen
- 3/4 cup peaches diced or sliced, fresh or frozen
Both Versions
- 2 cups spinach or other greens like kale or swiss chard – with tough stems discarded
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter or sunflower seed butter or almond butter
- 2 bananas the riper the sweeter. These do not get frozen with other ingredients
- 1 cup milk any kind, this also does not get frozen with other ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the berries and fruit from one of the version options along with the spinach and peanut butter in a freezer-proof bag, jar, or other container. Freeze for later.
- When ready to make the smoothie, break up the frozen ingredients with your hand or a utensil (or by banging the bag against the counter) and add them to your blender along with 2 fresh bananas and 1 cup of milk or water (or a combination).
- Blend, serve and enjoy.
Notes
* For a nut-free smoothie, sub sunflower seed butter for peanut butter.
What am I doing wrong? I purchased those kid tubes to freeze smoothies in for lunch. I love the way they work but no one wants to eat them after they have been frozen. The texture and the taste changes. I usually use a little oj, banana, frozen fruit, sometimes yogurt and a little honey as well. Any suggestions?
What if you let them thaw a bit before they eat them? So they aren’t completely frozen?
Hi
work 2jobs looking to change my eating habits and eat healthier .need more energy. …
This is a great idea. I was wondering how long they would last just in the fridge. I was thinking of alternating these with my overnight oatmeals. Do you think I could make them on Sunday and they would still be good for wednesday and friday? Thank you!
Hi Leslie. I wouldn’t store them in the fridge. They are best enjoyed freshly blended otherwise the texture can become unpleasant.
Hi! These look great! I was wondering if you could freeze some greek yogurt along with the fruit and veggies?
Hello. I’ve never tried freezing yogurt for a smoothie. You do need to have some wet/unfrozen ingredients to get a drinkable smoothie consistency. :)
One of the reasons I like using ziploc bags for freezing is that I can write on them what is inside, which comes in handy when items look similar. Any thoughts on ways to write on the reusable neat-os?
Hi Kathy. You can use a piece of scotch tape on the clear area. It can be removed each time you change what you are freezing.
You can also write on the canvas with washable markers :)
I’m curious, is there a nutritional reason you don’t freeze the bananas?
Hi Traci. Nope, you can freeze bananas without effecting their nutrients in any significant way. Frozen bananas really thicken a smoothie so it depends on the consistency you care after. ~Amy
Hi, can you blend the smoothies up ahead of time and freeze as is without losing nutritional value?
Hi Margie. Freezing will not harm the nutrient value significantly. ~Amy
ANY RECIPES FOR USING NUTELLA IN SMOOTHIES. KATHY
Not specifically, though I often use nut butters in my smoothies.
I’ve gotta say this article changed my life! I’ve been freezing my smoothie ingredients in bags ever since I read this and it has made my like so much easier! My husband and I drink smoothies every day so I package up 10-15 bags in the freezer, ready to go. Just add water. Thank you so much for the idea!!!!!!!!!
What a fantastic idea! Definitely perfect for a time poor sleep deprived mother such as myself!
I do a slight opposite at the moment that you may also like to try. Make extra smoothie and freeze leftovers as iceblocks. The kids love it (almost as much as I do…)
We buy frozen fruit, store brand, when it’s on sale and have an absurd selection for mix n match smoothies. We do 1 c yogurt (plain or vanilla), and about 0.5 c milk, then 1c frozen fruit and blend.
Any time it’s tart berries and plain yogurt, a half banana sweetens it right up.
Favorites: peach, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, banana.
Unfavorites: pineapple — reacts poorly with yogurt if stored
There are nights we only get the kids (3 & 1) to eat smoothie and fruit. Well… Not so bad…
I have a kid that just doesn’t eat many greens…so he gets those in his smoothie or even “ice-cream” which is frozen fruit, milk and a handful of spinach. He thinks he is getting some wonderful ice cream and only we know there are greens in there.
Cleaning reuse able straws: there’s something
Like a skinny bottle brush that does the trick for
Me. I use the Tervis cup that has a bigger, corrugated
Straw, and this skinny brush does the trick.
Try that!! :)
I buy larger straws and they wash up perfectly in the dishwasher!
I’ve been making my own smoothie packs with just various fruit combos and hen I blend with martinelli’s apple juice (my favorite!) but once I was in a hurry and bought one of those jamba juice fruit smoothie packs. It seemed to contain just fruit but was SO much better than mine. Anyone use these before? What’s the difference and what could I add to make mine like these? The front of the bag said fruit & yogurt smoothie? I read on pinterest you can freeze ice cubes of yogurt and add them to your smoothies. Anyone try this?
yes, I freeze my yogurt both plain and with the fruit blended in and then when its time to make the smoothie just blend those up I like to add some greens too and your choice of liquid.fruit (milk, kefir, homemade juice,banana)
I realize I’m late to comment on this, but here’s the ingredients in one of the Jamba Juice packs (taken from their website) – Mangos, strawberries, peaches, water, nonfat yogurt (cultured pasteurized fat free milk, fat free milk solids), passion fruit juice, sugar, contains less than 2% of: ascorbic acid, modified corn starch, natural flavor, skim milk, steviol glycosides, xanthan gum
Full of fruit, sure, but also sugar, juice (basically sugar), corn starch, natural flavor (google “castoreum” – ick!) steviol glycosides (what???). Definitely not real food ingredients.
Just make your own and add natural sweetener (honey, maple syrup, etc) if you need it. I also like to freeze the yogurt, the fruit, everything! I like my smoothies REALLY thick.
To commenter Rene above–that is totally not true! I’ve been drinking smoothies very similar to this one for breakfast for a while now. I used to think the same thing added protein powder to every single smoothie I drank. Once I tried drinking them without the powder, I haven’t looked back. I drink them on the way to work in the morning (6:30-7am), and am not hungry until lunchtime at 11. Don’t knock it until you try it!
I am wondering if you have ideas on how to acutally get the re-usable straws clean without any left overs stuck in the straw. I have tried several things. Any suggestions?
I buy a pack of pipe cleaners from the craft store, and fold them in half (for the fat straws), that way it’s sortof expanded and cleans both sides of the straw
You really need to add protein whey to smoothies. Otherwise, you will be starving in no time.
Peanut butter (etc) has protein in it. Fyi
Have you found any particular ‘to go’ cups that you like to use when you have these for a breakfast on the go?
Thank so much?
Hi Erin. Not sure what Lisa uses in that case but my family has found the insulated “starbucks-like” tall clear plastic cups with the lid and straw to be very useful. :) ~Amy
Why don’t you freeze the bananas along with the other ingredients?
Hi Katie. You can. I freeze my bananas all the time. Sometimes frozen bananas along with several other froze ingredients can make for a really thick smoothie and you would need to add more liquid in order to drink it. ~Amy
What a great idea. I knew there was a reason I was keeping all my glass jars.
Great smoothies ideas ! Thank you so much for sharing !
Such a great post on the smoothies! I love them. Being into nutrition they are such a good way to get kids to eat fruit and veggies. I even put in the veggies that my kids would otherwise not have touched. They have no idea they are there and get all the good nutrients. Everyone wins!
Thanks for sharing your smoothie ideas!
How many servings will these ingredients make?
Hi Shelby. It should make 2-3. ~Amy
I make Strawberry Kale smoothies on Sunday night (blended and all) and pour them into reusable Yummy Pouches/Little Green Pouch. The morning of school, I pack their lunch with a frozen Pouch so my 2 and 3 year old can take to preschool. My husband sometimes takes one for the road :)
I freeze bananas when they ripen and always peel them first and freeze (peeled) in baggies. I’m curious why several people posted that they feel it’s important to leave the skins on – even though it’s a pain to get the skins off. I have always removed them first and they seem fine. Am I missing something?
Hi Karen. I freeze my bananas for smoothies out of the peel. I’ve also frozen them in the peel and they were far harder to handle…not great for a quick smoothie. I’ve also researched a bit and have found no reason to do it differently. They may sweeten a little more with the skin on. :) ~Amy
Probably a stupid question but can other veggies be frozen? I don’t do many fruits in my smoothies, I do more veggies. like cucumbers and zucchini. Can those be frozen? I’ve thought about making a big batch and then freezing it. I usually make much more than i can eat in a day. I leave it in the fridge for 2 days sealed tightly in a canning jar. I guess i’ll try it and see how it freezes!
You might want to blanch the zucchini for a few seconds, and drop into an ice bath before freezing. The cucumber should be fine to freeze though!
Hi Tracy. Let us know how it goes! ~Amy
a ripe frozen banana
handful of spinach,
Handful of soaked nuts,
a couple of dates
soaked chia seeds and some berries or peach.
always soak almonds, cashews and dates overnight and use it for my smoothies. They make all the smoothies creamy, delish and healthy. I also soak chia seeds and keep them handy in the fridge. They go into my smoothie too!
Its so Yummy!!
I would like to try and make smoothies, freeze them and send in my children’s lunches. What would you suggest I freeze them in? I’ve done a little searching but have come up with nothing so far.
Hi Jill. Lisa uses a the freezie pop molds. Here is more information: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/. ~Amy
another way to add body, creaminess and fiber to a smoothie is to add oatmeal that is ground fine, cooked and refrigerated. I generally make enough for 3 days and store it in a container in the fridge. I scoop out the portion I need and add it to the other ingredients.
BTW, for those using greeens in your smoothies, the addition of citrus (vit. C) makes the iron in the greens much more bioavailable. Also be sure to rotate greens every week or two in order to reduce the levels of naturally occuring toxins that will build up over time.
Good flavors, Lisa! You can never go wrong with peanut butter (if there are no allergies!) or mango or peaches!…some of my favorite flavors :) You can easily pack in more nutrients to any smoothie by adding chia (just stir in your cup after blending, so they don’t add extra mess to your blender!). Here is my 3-ingredient Super Smoothie! http://fresh-you.blogspot.com/2012/01/3-ingredient-super-shake.html Smoothies are such a simple way to eat healthy foods :) Good night!
we don’t eat peanut butter, so I will use almond or other nut butters to provide protein in smoothies (we don’t eat soy either, so tofu doesn’t work for us). I have also been known to toss some egg in there – raw egg works well and is safe to eat as long as you are not pregnant/very young/very elderly/immuno-compromised. But you can also add hardboiled egg as well if you want to be cautious.
Avocado works well in place of banana as well… it makes it smooth, rich and creamy (if a little green – but green smoothies are delicious!) and it provides a bunch of healthy fats which helps keep you full for longer.
I use frozen bananas all the time….that’s what I do with any banana that starts to overripen. Sometimes I just need to add a little extra liquid.
Coconut water also makes a great base.
At the risk of stating the obvious, you can also make a blenderful of smoothie on Sunday night and just for a smoothie every morning into your glass.
I have always stayed away from freezing glass for fear of any expolsion. Is it okay so long as it is a gradual temp change? Or are the Ball jars tempered glass?
Hi Helen. The Ball jars are freezer safe. ~Amy
just be sure to use the style designed for the freezer. The wide-mouth ones (except the half-gallon size) don’t have ‘shoulders’, nor do the half-pint jelly jars generally. The problem arises when there is a neck in the jar.. as the contents freeze, and the water present in the food expands, it can catch on that narrowing area and push hard enough from the inside to crack the jar.
But, get the wide-mouth and watch your fill levels (ie leave room for expansion) and you’ll be fine. Oh, it helps, I find, too, to put the filled jars in the coldest part of the frig first, too, if they were room temp or heated when you started. Pre-cools so it freezes easier and reduces any potential thermal shock.
I freeze mason jars all the time and they work fine. Just be sure that you don’t fill them so full that there is no room for expansion. If the contents do not have room to expand as they freeze they will crack the glass. Not that it would be a problem with just fruit in there.
But if you are freezing a liquid like bone-broths you do need to leave expansion room. I also play it safe and leave the lid slightly loose until the contents are frozen solid and then tighten it up afterwards – that way you are not going to get a buildup of pressure as the liquid contents expand.
As long as you don’t fill past the shoulders, even the narrow neck jars are fine…
When you buy Ball jars they have a label on the sides where you can check and see which ones are freezer safe :)
I have recently found a wonderful product you may all enjoy for your smoothies. I recently purchased a NutriBullet (www.nutribullet.com) and it is absolutely awesome. It makes smoothies in seconds, great for early morning breakfasts. Be sure to check out the website for more information.
This is a genius idea! I freeze everything for smoothies, but never thought to portion them out together. So right now I have the banana bag, the berry bag, the ice-cube-tray yogurt bag, etc. I’m going to measure a bunch out tomorrow morning.
A note on the jars, though. Make sure you use a straight sided jar – if you don’t, all the fruit will freeze together into a big lump and you won’t be able to get it out of the jar unless you thaw it first. Kind of defeats the purpose…
What a great idea. We are going to try this.
Is there a reason you can’t add the banana (broken/cut into smaller chunks) in with the other frozen ingredients? Thanks!
I freeze bananas for smoothies all the time and it works, just make sure you don’t freeze them unpeeled or else good luck getting the frozen skins off:)
Thanks Amy! I think you mean “just make sure you don’t freeze them *peeled…” :)
I freeze bananas as well…. And I agree about leaving the skins on. I have one frozen banana in the freezer that one of my daughters put in there unpeeled…. it has been there for a good few months because no one wants to peel it. Going to throw it away I think!
defrost and use it with other overripe bananas for banana bread! All of my overripe bananas go in the freezer, skin on.
Microwave it for about 10-20 seconds. You can pop the somewhat liquified insides out and use in pancakes etc.
I even sort of did this for the 3 days of smoothies experiment I did … I didn’t freeze it but bagged up all the precut veggies in gallon sized ziplocs so that I could quickly make my “meals” for the day. Smoothies are such a delicious way to eat the rainbow!
I found that you can set them out on the table for a few minutes and then cut off the top with a knife. next cut a slit down the length of the banana and the peel will pop off. There are a lot of good how to videos on youtube :)
I had to look this up when my roommates put whole bananas in the freezer. This is also a good zerowaste option to use when the bananas are getting to the end of their life. I can use them in smoothies or to make banana bread. I am sure there are lots of other good uses for them.
I totally had to look that up the other day too! I tried the first on my own and it was a disaster. So I googled it and saw I had to cut them lengthwise … it was much easier.
Every Sunday, I chop up a bag of spinach, a bag of kale, 3 apples, 2 oranges, 2 bananas, some strawberries, some parsley and a lime. I add a scoop of protein powder, a t. of flax seed and freeze this in 6 plastic soup containers. In the morning, I take it out of the freezer, toss it in the blender with 1.5 cups of water and 2 T. grape juice concentrate. I have one good sized smoothie for breakfast and put the rest in a mason jar for lunch time. All it takes is a good shake at lunch time, and it goes perfectly with some cottage cheese!!
Great idea Heather!!
I’m allergic to bananas. What is a good substitute?
I’m so glad this was mentioned! I, too, am allergic and there are so many recipes using bananas!
Dates are a good substitute for bananas in a smoothie. I usually use one date per banana.
I love dates! Never thought of them as a replacement for banana, but definitely giving that a try! Thanks!
mangoes, pears or apples are fine substitutes!
You can use white beans or chick peas. I know it sounds disgusting, but you can’t taste the bean. It just adds the thickness and creaminess.
I don’t generally use bananas in my smoothies. Depending on # of desired servings, I use 8-16oz of frozen fruit puree or chunks (strawberry, peach, blueberry, raspberry, banana, any combination, etc), about equal proportion of plain yogurt, honey or maple syrup to taste, and 1/2-1.5 cups of ice cubes. I usually put the puree in the frig to thaw the night before so it’s easier to get out of the container. I add then dump it into the blender with the yogurt, honey/syrup and ice, and then blender. I add milk as needed to thin it out if it’s too thick, and often add 2-4 Tbsp (1/8-1/4c) of chia seed for extra protein, fiber & good fats. A splash of homemade vanilla extract (ie no added corn syrup like many store-bought types) at times is fun. Occasionally, a small scoop (like a hot cocoa scoop size) of plain cocoa to make chocolate-strawberry or similar. On days I feel the need for extra, extra protein, I’ll put in a raw egg (pastured hens!) compliments of my small backyard flock. (Don’t try this part with store-bought eggs… be sure of your source if you try raw egg)
I have been using a blender I got from Wally’s after mine died. It was about $90, and has three sets of blades instead of one, so it tears up the ice cubes and such easily, plus it’s a 72oz container–very handy for my large family.
Try avocado in place of the banana…. you can also make smoothies with no bananas at all – just the fruit pureed with milk, yoghurt or juice works as well.
Adding peaches, necturines, mangos, and avocado, and other fruits that are not water heavy (vs grapes, berries, etc) instead of bananas will help make the smoothie smooth and creamy – one of the functions of the banana (aside from sweetness). I like the date idea for when I am out of bananas to add a little more sweetness.
Personally I prefer ALL of my ingredients to be forzen then process in the food processor. Adding only a scant amount of milk or juice yields “ice cream”. Kids gobble it up. Can even be eaten out of a cone (similar method to https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/10/06/recipe-banana-ice-cream-and-another-announcement/)
I just discovered the wonder of freezing loose, uncooked spinach leaves! I get organic, local spinach (usually prewashed) and just toss the whole container into the freezer to add to smoothies or quiche or WHATEVER and it is AMAZING! Instead of wasting half of my spinach because it starts to get slimy, I can save it. It freezes fairly loosely so it isn’t hard to take out small servings. I love this make-ahead smoothie idea and will probably just toss some spinach in with the fruit to freeze it all together, thanks Lisa :)
I am SO glad this posted!! :) I just bought all kinds of produce yesterday so that I can get back into doing morning smoothies. Overslept and then was discouraged because I didn’t have time to make one. Strangely enough, the thought of freezing them ahead of time probably would have never crossed my mind. Thanks so much!
Instead of Nut butters you can try Silken Tofu as a protein source; just a tablespoon or 2.
My fav are frozen blueberries and strawberries with Kale. I have added a little avacado as well.
I use Almond milk as the liquid.
I think putting the ‘to be frozen’ mix in ice cube trays, then when frozen transfer to freezer bags. Saves having to break them up in a blender.
I recently added a Vitamix to my kitchen and I’m now obsessed with fruit/veggie drinks. I cold-brew some matcha-blend green tea and use it for the liquid when I can. Another healthy boost instead of just water.
I read somewhere recently that you can put a canning jar on a blender and it fits perfectly. Might be handy to freeze the fruit in the jar, blend it in the jar, then tip it over to drink straight from it as well. Of course, not suited for little hands, but I might experiment with this soon. :)
I was just going to point this out, too! Needs to be a regular (narrow) mouth, not a wide mouth, but it should work well. You screw the blender blade onto the jar and then invert the whole thing onto the blender motor.
what type of blenders do you use because the one I am using takes 20 minutes to break up the frozen fruit. Or is there something I am doing wrong?
I just got a Nutribullet and it works great! So much better than my blender. I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond with a 20% off coupon (+ they have an awesome return policy).
I sprang the $200 for the Ninja Mega Kitchen System and it’s the best kitchen purchase I’ve ever made. I make salsa, ice cream, and large batches of smoothies in the blender bowl, hummus, refried beans, and salad dressing in the food processor bowl, and my daily smoothie, oat flour, and coffee grinding in the single serve cups.
Great recipes – very similar to how I make mine. People are often surprised to learn about spinach mixed with fruit for a smoothie. Other good additions are flax seeds (1TBLS) and oats (2-3TBLS). The smoothie I make for breakfast easily gets me through the morning with no hunger.
Love this post! I do this every Sunday to give my daughter and I delicious smoothies for breakfast throughout the week. We totally kicked Naked Juice and Odwalla Smoothies out of our fridge forever! These are much healthier and more affordable when you make the smoothies out of produce that is in season or on sale. :D
I also freeze organic plain yogurt into ice cube trays and include them in my make-ahead bags. It’s so easy to just dump the bag in the blender and not have to get out a bunch of ingredients. Plus it makes the smoothies so creamy and eliminates the need for ice cubes!
I love this! Thank you! I will also have to try making a big batch at once and freezing. My favorite smoothie right now is 10 frozen strawberries, 1 c. diced frozen bananas, 1 whole peach, 2-3 Tbs. honey, a splash of vanilla, 3/4 c. milk and 1/4 c. water (instead of ice cubes, I hate the icy consistency). They’ve been nice and smooth so far but I’d like to start adding spinach. What happens with the taste if you don’t add the peanut butter?
Smoothies without peanut butter are fine! You might also try Sun Butter.
The timing of this post could not be more perfect! I literally just bought spinach yesterday with the intent of making smoothies for my toddler this week after work. I hadn’t thought to pre-prep batches to streamline everything. Thank you!
I learned this weekend that you can recycle Ziploc bags in the plastic bag recyclable containers at the grocery store. http://www.ziploc.com/Sustainability/pages/Recyclability-and-Earning-Rewards.aspx
You can freeze spinach??? I have wasted so much spinach!! It always goes bad before I use it all up! I am so excited! Didn’t know you could do that and that it would still work in the smoothie. I second the coconut water or even plain water if you use the frozen bananas! Both are yummy! Also, if you are not a fan of the green color in a green smoothie, use blueberries, it will turn out a deep purple instead!
I actually make large batches of smoothies on Sunday, pour into cups and store in the freezer. At 8pm every night, my cell phone goes off to remind me to pull one out and put it in the fridge for the next morning. When I get up at 5am and start to workout, the smoothie is thawed enough to pull through a straw. So, right now, there are enough smoothies to get me through Saturday.
Also, all the fruit substitution questions…make a smoothies with whatever you like. Banana, even if you like it, will overwhelm the flavor of a smoothie, so it really only takes a little bit to get the banana flavor.
So, the smoothie doesn’t “separate” as it thaws? I always just assumed it would and have never tried what you describe.
Yes – I was wondering if it separates as it thaws too? I send these with my kids – and I would love to know!
I keep my blender on the counter and use it everyday. Switching to a Blendtec was a good investment – so much less frustrating to get everything blended – makes you want to use it daily, and anything you use daily deserves a spot on the counter. Vitamix is also a good one. I actually keep my spinach in the freezer – mostly because I buy organic by the pound which makes is very affordable. But since I can’t go through it fast enough, I put about 1/2 in a ziplock bag in the freezer. To be honest, when I finish a bag in the freezer, I just store the bag in the freezer and resuse it without washing. I’m just going to put more clean spinach in there. Eventually, they get a little worn out and I toss them.
Just wondering about freezing the greens. It seems like those would turn black and ‘burn’.
I love the idea! My 8 year old thanks you!
I actually prefer to use the Amazing Grass brand Green Superfood powder in my smoothies in lieu of fresh greens. It’s technically raw & vegan, and ends up being less money than fresh (and I don’t have to worry about freezing it or using it before it goes bad). Cheapest place to find it is on Amazon thru their Subscribe & Save program.
Karen, I’ve not had any problems freezing spinah and kale.
Is there anything you could substitute the banana for? I like plain bananas but not much else with banana flavoring. Thanks!
In my smoothies (which are similar but not identical to Lisa’s recipes) I find that if I am going to a lot of berries or much green leafy stuff, I need to use either a banana, an apple, an orange, or a banana-sized-amount of stone fruit (peach/plum/apricot) to lend sweetness and a smoother texture. Somehow berries (not strawberries, but the others) and greens make the texture unpleasant to me, without some of one of the fruits I listed.
We have severe peanut (all nut) allergies in our house. How is it without the peanut butter?
We do, too! No peanut, tree nuts or coconuts. Sunflower seed butter is just yucky, but have you tried non-GMO soy butter? We use it every once in awhile to make PB and banana steel cut oats, in cookies, and we use it sometimes in smoothies. Tastes great! I’ve also used organic greek yogurt in the smoothie recipe above and it was great.
I rarely if ever use PB in mine.
btw, I’d be careful with the soy butter. (check out “The Unhealthy Truth” by Robyn O’Brien).. I guess there is a bit of similarity between the proteins in peanuts and those in soy and there can (and have been) sudden cross-allergic reactions. According to the book there were peanut-allergic children that had sudden soy reactions that took their lives. Just a thought.
Shandra – We make smoothies all the time at home without PB and they’re fabulous. If you find you need a little more thickness or substance, you can do a large spoonful (or 2) of plain yogurt.
Hi! I need some help. My nutritionist has advised that I not have dairy. What would you guys recommend using as liquid? Water sounds kind of boring considering I drink it the whole rest of the day:). Does anyone use coconut milk? Rice milk?
Megan – I think it still tastes really good with the water, but I agree that unsweetened coconut milk (or almond milk) or even coconut water would be a great substitute.
Unsweetened soy milk has the nutrition profile closest to dairy milk – for me, the protein helps me not sugar crash with all that fruit. Using OJ instead of milk tastes great, too, but for me is too much sugar.
Hi Megan-
Coconut water is great. We also use fresh squeezed apple or orange juice, too. If I don’t have time to juice, I keep organic apple juice in the fridge, and it makes smoothies taste great!
I have been using coconut milk or orange juice to blend our smoothies. Takes care of not having dairy and adds an extra layer of flavor.
Megan – I use 100% fruit juice (usually apple, though sometimes pineapple, grape, or orange, if I have it on hand) and I like the flavor a LOT better than when using milk (or a dairy substitute).
I use orange juice most of the time! It works great!
I always use unsweetened almond milk! Very healthy and low on calories, and it gives my smoothies a great consistency!
Some nondairy options I use are cranberry/blueberry/cherry/pomegranate juice (100%, not the kinds mixed with sugars or apple juice), water kefir (not hard to make, and a good source of probiotics), and kombucha (which I buy at the store instead of making at home; also full of healthy probiotics).
Megan, I use water, but put in a small amount of grape juice concentrate. It makes a huge difference!
how about some apple juice or similar?
I am not a coconut fan, and I like the idea of using whole foods to make my smoothies. One of the things I do to add liquids is to blend up a really juicy fruit first. Maybe a ripe peach or strawberries. This creates a good amount of liquid and I can add in my other fruit. It ends up being a whole fruit smoothie with no other added ingredients.
Sometimes if I am out of frozen fruit I will add in ice cubes. That works really well to get everything cold and bring it to a good consistency.
When we have produce that ripens more quickly than we can manage to eat it, (I HATE to waste produce because it is over 50% of our grocery budget) I chop it up and freeze it. Then I use them to make smoothies for my hubby & kids. And to “thin” out a smoothie that you added frozen banana to, you can use organic coconut water too!! I have a potassium deficiency, and this helps keep my levels up, because I hate taking those gigantic pills! :)
Have you tried anyway of blending them then freezing them? I can’t figure out how it would work, but my biggest hassle is busting out the blender every morning (small kitchen!).
Kate – Yes! This is how we do it: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/03/19/real-food-tips-4-hints-for-using-freezie-pop-molds/
I make a big batch of smoothies and then freeze them in half-pint canning jars. Make sure they’re straight-sided and leave some room (1/2″?) at the top for expansion. Keep in the freezer then move them to the fridge the night before you want them at breakfast. So, I make a big blender full and we have them for days afterwards, no fuss in the morning!
Kate – every Sunday night I make a week’s worth of smoothies for my husband to take for lunch. (He has a busy job and can grab sips here are there). I make them, pour them in labeled ziplock bags and freeze them flat. Each morning, he grabs one out of the freezer and brings it to work. It defrosts in the frig at work and is ready by lunch time. I do love the idea of Lisa’s freeze pops and I hate that we are creating trash by using a plastic bag everyday, but our system is working and helping my husband eat healthier at lunch. We are light years from where we started and we will keep taking baby steps in the right direction (maybe by next year we can eliminate our disposable items!) But they freeze great and are delicious. :-)
That’s so great Jessica! :)
Thank you everyone! I wasn’t sure how they would taste after being frozen – if they just ended up being juice! But it make sense to only give it a few hours to thaw. Thanks again!
I do this with any leftovers that I have… i pour them in small 3oz bathroom-type plastic cups, and put them in the freezer. The kids LOVE to grab one when they come in from a hot day of playing outside.
Thanks for all of the great food ideas. But I’m curious, why don’t you freeze your bananas? Just b/c I LOVE mine frozen, and whenever my bananas are past their prime and we’re not up for making bread I just cut them up and throw them in the freezer for smoothies–but am I missing something that I should know about, like am I killing off nutrition or something?
I actually do freeze bananas sometimes as well, but when they are blended (even after adding liquid) the consistency is more like ice cream not a something you could sip through a straw. I actually tested these smoothies a few different ways and felt I would have to water it down with way too much liquid if the bananas were frozen in advance as well. So I preferred adding them later instead. I hope that explains it!
try thinning with milk? or even plain yogurt–it brings the temp up a little so things can melt ever so slightly.
I am trying to eliminate disposable items from my kitchen. I like the look of that zipper bag trimmed in orange. Can you tell us about it?
Meg – I like them so far! They sent me 3 sizes to try and they are both dishwasher and washing machine safe, which is a huge bonus for me. Plus they are the feel of plastic on the inside and out so I am not worried about messing them up. Definitely my favorite reusable bag I’ve tried (thus far)! :)