I’ve got another quickie for you tonight. It’s more of an idea than a recipe. I’m sure a lot of you Budget Byters already stock your freezers with these handy smoothie packs, but I wanted to share the tip for those who may be new to the kitchen. Not only does this make smoothies faster and easier to make, but they’re a fraction, a small fraction, of what you’ll pay at your local smoothie counter.
So, the formula is easy. Three one pound bags of frozen fruit of your choice, and four bananas. Divide the frozen fruit up into 8 bags, and place half of a peeled banana in each bag as well. Seal them up tight and toss them into the freezer. When you’re ready to make your delicious smoothie, place the frozen fruit in the blender, add milk (or soy or almond milk), and whatever else you want and press go! No more hauling ten ingredients out of the freezer every time you want to make one smoothie. Just grab one bag and add a liquid. Sure, I also add spinach, cinnamon, and ground flax seed, but it’s still way easier to have the fruit divided up. And it only takes about 5 minutes to make all 8 packs.
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This is my favorite smoothie – peaches, strawberries, raspberries, banana, spinach, light vanilla soy milk, ground flax seed, and cinnamon. It works, trust me! If you like things sweet, add a touch of honey and it’ll blow you away.
Smoothie Packs
Servings 8Ingredients
- 16 oz. frozen strawberries ($2.69)
- 16 oz. frozen raspberries ($4.15)
- 16 oz. frozen peaches ($2.69)
- 4 medium bananas ($0.86)
Instructions
- Divide the ingredients equally between 8 quart-sized freezer bags (1/2 banana per bag).
- Freeze the smoothie packs until ready to use or up to three months.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!- 1 frozen smoothie pack $1.30
- 1 cup light vanilla soy milk $0.41
- 1 handful baby spinach $0.53
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seed $0.03
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon $0.03
- Empty one smoothie pack into a blender and add the soy milk, spinach, flax, and cinnamon.
- Blend until smooth, adding more liquid if needed.
Step By Step Photos
This is what goes into the frozen smoothie packs. I switch up the fruit a lot (I like blueberries too), but I always try to have at least three. Adding frozen bananas to a smoothie gives it a nice ice cream-like texture. If you’ve never used a frozen banana in your smoothie, then you haven’t lived. Okay, maybe that’s a bit extreme, but you’ve got to try it.
Divide the fruit between 8 freezer bags. One of my bananas turned out to be completely rotten inside so I could only make six this time around. I always tend to over estimate how much fruit is needed per smoothie and then I can’t fit it all in the blender. So, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of each of the frozen fruits per bag. Then just pop them in the freezer until you’re ready to make a smoothie. They’ll stay good in the freezer for a couple of months. The bananas will slowly turn brown, but they’re still good eats for a while.
When you’re ready to make a smoothie, just put the frozen fruit in a blender with some liquid (and whatever else you want) and you’re ready to blend. I add spinach for the nutrients, not the flavor… you can’t taste it with all of the fruit. It blends easier if the spinach is at the bottom.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE milk… but in my smoothies I like light vanilla soy milk. It just has more creaminess than milk and the vanilla goes great with the fruit. In the old days, before Silk was everywhere, I used milk and added vanilla extract. So, that’s an option too.
I like to add some flax for fiber and omega-3s, and cinnamon just because I like it :) If I’m craving something sweet, I’ll add a tablespoon of honey or so, but usually the fruit and silk are sweet enough for me.
Blend that sucker up ’till it’s nice and smooth! Sometimes I have to add a touch of water or more silk just to get it going. That’s what will happen if you have too much frozen fruit in your pack. It’ll be waaaaaay too thick to blend properly.
Oh yums. It’s good. And good for you. And spinach? What spinach?
I loved the suggestion to put avocados in smoothies (thanks, Brent!) and I can’t wait to experiment with that. So, for all of you smoothie lovers out there…
I love this idea! I used to do meal prep smoothies by making 4 servings at once. It worked great, though sometimes the bananas would make them turn a peculiar color. :)
Ok, I commented without noticing my question had been previously asked. Sorry!
Why not add the flax seed, spinach, and cinnamon at the freezing stage?
How many servings of fruit it this each? 1.5? 2?
Hi Susan- You can add flax seed, spinach, and cinnamon at the freezing stage if you prefer. However, make sure that you toss everything in the spices, so the spices don’t clump, and are evenly distributed. We prefer to do it just before blending because it eliminates the need to toss the spices with the fruit, and it’s one less dirty bowl. Each serving has 8 ounces of fruit. xoxo -Monti
I like this recipe:
6-10 frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
3/4 – 1 C oat milk
3 T cocoa powder
1 T cinnamon
1 T ground flax seed
2 T hemp hearts
A handful of spinach
It tastes just like my favorite Beach Bum with dark chocolate smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, except I don’t end up regretting the cost or the portion size!
Jula.. Thanks so much. I will try this. I want to maintain as i am newly chronic diagnosed. I love this
I love the recipe. It is so cool. Thank you for the post.
Can you do more breakfast smoothie recipes? And maybe add yogurt to thicken? Thanks!
Yogurt is EXCELLENT in smoothies! :) I’ll brainstorm some breakfast smoothie ideas.
Hi, I’ve been doing smoothies for several years so I have a few tips. And why are you dragging out 10 ingredients from your freezer when your only adding 2? How much time are you really saving? Anyway, I use old yogurt containers (the big ones) to make a week’s worth instead of ziplocs. 2nd, did you know you can freeze your baby spinach/kale/greens just like anything else and add it in with the fruit? Ginger is also a good add in and yep, you can add it to your frozen stuff as well. Add your seeds, spices whatever too, it’ll freeze. Yogurt is good too although I’ve never tried freezing it. Dates are healthy and add extra sweetness. I add chia seeds and goji berries too..yep I put them in the frozen stuff too. Good luck
The “10 ingredients”, which was a hyperbole, is if I hadn’t pre-packed everything into the smoothie packs. I’d be pulling out each individual bag of frozen fruit, spinach, flax, etc. If I already have them packed together, then yes, it’s only about two. :)
I found this today on Pinterest as I was searching for cheap smoothie recipes. I made one when I got home and loved it! Already pre-made all of the bags, excited to use them tomorrow morning.
Hi Beth!
Just curious, is there a reason you don’t go ahead and include the spinach and flax seeds to the smoothie packs?
Since posting this so many years ago I have started including the spinach in the freezer bags, which has definitely been a game changer. :) I still do the flax for each smoothie since I feel like those little pieces would stick to the plastic bag.
Yet another winning recipe! My family and I have loved everything that we have made from your website. Made one of these smoothies tonight and it was super yummy. Thank you so much for such a tasty yet nutritious treat! My only suggestion would be to cut the banana up into smaller chunks as it may make it easier to blend.
I need to know about more green smoothie
I’m a virgin smoothie maker but I have chronic pancreatitis and I never know day to day if I’m gonna be able to eat. But alot of times I can’t tolerate above a full liquid diet I absolutely loath those canned drinks available only in chocolate mud, strawberry mud and vanilla mud lol but so true and even though I need it packed with as much nutrition and high in protein that because I had gastric bypass procedure 10 yrs ago I had done gastric bypass procedure and a supposed reversal because found out my jejunum is still connected to my stomach and by taking that much calories at once I get what the call dumping syndrom it incompacitates me with pain and sickness for about an hour. If I cant find a really good protein powder that’s not gritty I need to add also I need all the extra goodies to turn my malnutrition around, I need to gain weight because if I loose 4 more pounds I have to have a feeding tube placed again. I had a catheter in my heart for over year to which they kept it in so long it became infected and almost killed mm email & I was in the hospital for over two months followed by 7 years of being said with the tube for 12 hours a day stuck to a mechanical machine. I was able to maintain my weight which varies up and down but I’ve been to free for 2 years and I need help and hoping maybe a dietician and with your help maybe I can come up with something that is better for me will help me have a better nutrition value and taste really good LOL and I can avoid taking 10 to 12 pills a day because I take enough already. Will the protein powder freeze OK ? My nutrition is in the hole. Everything is out of whack especially my iron and b12 deficiency and duodenum/jejunal ulcers as well. And sometimes only getting in 200-250 calories input a day leaves me weak and no energy at all my I’m hoping you have some advice. I’m so very tired of taking pills and some things the doc just doesn’t take enough action on because I love you my lab work and I have been a registered nurse for 24 years but I’m not a dietitian. I thought about going the natural route or even juicing may be a better route. I’m really hoping you have some advice or if someone reads this reply and they have more knowledge please teach me what I need to do to have a better quality of life. They don’t know what to do for me and they have put me on hospice twice for a total of 3 years but I just wouldn’t die… LOL but it wasn’t my time and still isn’t. If someone will reply to me I will give you a way to contact me so I may have more confidentiality with my medical conditions as I have multiple major complications that further contribute to my condition but TMI or less privacy keeps me from posting all my conditions & keeps it in a more private manner but any advice I would really appreciate hope to hear from you soon thank you so much
Hi Sheryl, Unfortunately I don’t have any experience using or cooking with protein powder, so I can’t help there. I’m also not licensed to give nutrition related medical advice, but I’m sure your doctor can refer to you a registered dietitian who would be able to help you with all of those things. :)
There’s a place in Louisville, KY that makes the BEST avocado smoothies! I’d say they’re relatively healthy – I kept experimenting until I felt I had the right blend of ingredients! I love all the recipes I’ve tried of yours, so if you’re interested intruing this one, I found my replica to be a blend of the following: 1 avocado, peeled and pitted, about 1 cup of water, as much ice as desired (consistency becomes less easy to blend/make smooth the more ice you add, but I tend to add at least 1 cup of ice cubes and test it) and add 1-2 Tb. Sweetened condensed milk. Enjoy! I usually get about 2 smoothies this way. 😊
food ideas! Thank you…
how do you get the seeds out of the fruit??
I leave the strawberry and raspberry seeds in (they don’t bother me) and the peaches are already presliced with the pit removed. :)
a better blender ;)
I’ve just started making smoothie packs. I have several different combos that I try and so I always have a few in the freezer so each day I can pick what I’m in the mood for. Some of my favorites are chocolate peanut butter (cocoa powder + peanut butter), strawberry banana, chocolate mint, green island (pineapple + coconut + spinach), chocolate raspberry…
Are the smoothies high in sugar as I’m a diabetic
It depends on what you put in it. If you include a lot of fruit, it will have a lot of natural sugar.
Not sure how different they are, but I had Gestational Diabetes With my last pregnancy, and my dietitian had advised against smoothies at all, because they usually do have a lot of sugar. Even worse, it’s in liquid form, so it hits your system faster, making your blood sugar levels spike pretty badly. I would talk to your doctor or dietitian before trying this.
I am a Type 1 Diabetic and have a smoothie for breakfast every morning. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, chocolate protein powder, ground flax seeds, chia seeds and frozen strawberries. I don’t have a problem with it spiking my sugar but as you know each diabetic is different. I personally don’t eat many bananas (even though I like them) because they are so high in carbs.
Love it! Just need it to be a lot sweeter :) I have a sweet tooth, any suggestions?
I like to add a little honey or brown sugar when I want it a bit sweeter. :)
Add frozen mangoes. They are sweet and creamy.
Thanks for a great post. I use water and raw vegan protein powder in the morning with half a frozen banana; tastes like heaven but am looking to do a lunch smoothie and this has great ideas. All the best intentions in the world won’t get you a healthy meal if you ‘run our of time’ to make one, so I’m going out there now to chop and bag :)
Any suggestion for an alternative to the banana in these smoothie packs? I can’t eat banana :(
You can pretty much do any frozen fruit you like, but banana is the only one that gives that creamy texture.
Avocado works well.
I but the spinach you can microwave in the bag, microwave it, open the bag and put in the freezer, when frozen I break it up in pieces for my smoothies. (raw spinach is bad for my hyperthyroidism). I also use whole flax seed and let the blender grind it. Ground flaxseed loses it’s nutritional value and goes rancid after a couple of weeks (so I read). I also add chia seeds.
Right now I keep all my ingredients in the freezer and pull them all out to make a smoothie. Will start making individual smoothie freezer bags and will try the banana!
Thanks!
That is a great tip particularly to those fresh to the
blogosphere. Short but very precise info… Appreciate your
sharing this one. A must read post!
I added a quarter of an avocado and about 3/4 of a cup of skim milk. It came out ridiculously delicious!
Does anyone know how many calories and grams of protein are in these smoothies?
Maggie,
I ran the recipe through WolframApha: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1c+vanilla+soy+milk%2C+1.5+c+baby+spinach%2C+1.5+T+ground+flax+seed%2C+2oz+raspberries%2C+2+oz+peaches%2C+2+oz+strawberries%2C+.5+banana
It comes up with the following:
total calories 295 | fat calories 70
total fat 9 g | 14%
saturated fat 1 g | 5%
trans fat 0 g |
cholesterol 0 g | 0%
sodium 162 mg | 7%
total carbohydrates 45 g | 15%
dietary fiber 11 g | 43%
sugar 28 g |
protein 12 g | 24%
vitamin A 5% | vitamin C 125%
calcium 42% | iron 25%
vitamin E 6% | thiamin 16%
riboflavin 32% | niacin 9%
vitamin B6 17% | vitamin B12 1.5×10^7%
folate 12% | phosphorus 12%
magnesium 21% | zinc 6%
Note: WA used regular, instead of “light” vanilla soy milk, so you can subtract 30 calories (including 10 from fat), 1.5g fat (incl. all the saturated), 5g of sugar, and increase the calcium by 15% if following the recipe above!
That is incredible! I’ve found a new way to waste time online now. Thanks Brandon.
I have also learned you can buy the large bags of spinach (or other greens) and blend them up — add a little water and pour them into ice cube trays. Freeze over night then pop out and add to the bags. My kids call them power pellets and don’t even question me adding something “green” to their smoothies. :)
What a great idea!! And makes the morning even faster because it is pre-made and frozen.
Do you think you could add skim milk instead of water?
Yes, you can :)
You can find flax seed at the grocery store, walmart or target-just about anywhere. I use hemp seeds instead of flax seeds, its suppose to be a little bit better for you. I ordered mine online on amazon and had it in two days because I have amazon prime. Hope that helps.
Where do you find “Ground Flax Seed”? I was doing some shopping today, and Smoothies are one of those things I make almost daily for breakfast. I went to my local ‘health food’ market (actually several of them), found “Flax Seed Meal”, but that didn’t look right.
Yep, ground flaxseed and flaxseed meal are the same thing. :) The size of the grind might vary from brand to brand, but it’s the same thing.
I love the idea of separating and freezing the ingredients into packs. Thank you!
My favorite smoothie is a PB2 & Banana. It allows me to get in a ton of protein along with my fruit at breakfast or as an in between meals snack. (I eat 5 times a day.) I also like it because there’s no added sugars (natural or other) and no dairy either.
3/4 cup ice
1 banana, frozen
2 Tablespoons of PB2
2 scoops of Isopure Banana Cream Protein Powder (or vanilla flavored)
3/4 cups water
This makes one 16 ounce smoothie.
Regarding the Isopure protein powder… this is a whey protein which is made from dairy. There is vegetable protein available if you prefer to avoid dairy but it doesn’t taste as good :-).
On the other hand, whey protein generally doesn’t bother people with lactose intolerance so if that’s why you avoid dairy then the whey protein probably won’t be an issue. However if you avoid dairy for other reasons, then definitely think twice about using whey-based protein powders.
I went to a public restaurant supply store today like one of your comments suggested. I got a HUGE bag of fresh spinach (2.5lbs!) for 5 freaking dollars, and a 5lb bag of mixed frozen fruit for $10.
Holy. Mother.
The entire first half of 2014 is gonna be smoothies.
My smoothie is similar to yours. I use strawberries, blueberries, sometimes if I have them I’ll also add raspberries and blackberries. I also do the half of a banana and half an apple. I also add chia seeds or ground flax seeds, cinnamon, raw honey and kale or spinach. I add 1/4C. Of The Ultimate Meal for the extra protein and water. I don’t do dairy or soy.
What I’d like to know is what kind of blender do you use? Mine is about ready to die and I need a heavy duty one.
I actually use a really cheap (about $13) single serve blender… I think it’s made by Hamilton Beach.
Please note, if your blender isn’t strong enough, use your food processor! It chops right through the frozen solids.
Thank you for this. I have issues with food, especially breakfast. I’m not sure what it is about breakfast, but I have to force myself to eat. I’m getting better at eating regular meals, but even on my best days I only get lunch and dinner, usually at obscure times, but im getting there. i bought a blender on a whim the other day and decided to give these a try. I made them up last night and I just had my first one for breakfast: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, banana, some spinach, flackseed, cinnamon, some oats and coconut milk. I’m still drinking it, but it tastes good and I can definitely see myself having these most days. I’m even thinking about making some smaller ones to have before my ballet classes.
I’m allergic to forms of animal dairy And tried some oat milk breakfast drinks Recently but couldnt finish one. i guess i have an aversion to dairy type drinks even though oat milk is safe for me. Tomorrow I will leave out the oats and coconut milk and sub in my breakfast drinks and see how that goes.
Thank you so much for this. It’s such a simple, common sense idea but I think it’s really going to help me get on top of my eating and get healthier.
This is a wonderful idea for me to get in more fruit to my diet! I was wondering, though, can I substitute the milk for nonfat yogurt and how much??
You can use anywhere from a half cup to a cup, but you might need to add some water or other liquid to help it blend. Yogurt only may make it too thick.
I put spinach straight in the freezer without blending it into cubes or anything and it turns out exactly the same in a smoothie. Great way to use bulk spinach without it going bad. I would think it would work great in the smoothie packs. Thanks for the great idea!
Great idea! I am passing this on to my brother who is starting to drink healthy smoothies! Thanks!! :)
Just some FYI, Soy is very bad for people with thyroid conditions and actually simulates estrogen in the body. It’s not recommend to give to children and can promote precocious puberty in children. Thought I would throw this in there for those who don’t know.
so is raw spinach and kale, found out the hard way :(
Best smoothie ever:
1 frozen banana
1 chopped apple
giant scoop of crunchy peanut butter
add some water as needed usually about 2 cups
Pure goodness!
Delicious! I made mine with my favorite blend of berries, 1/2 a banana, a handful of spinach and coconut milk. This was my first homemade smoothie, thanks for the drink “base”. I’ll be adding the flax seed later. I thought getting me to have spinach was enough of a health kick to start ;o) Thanks for the great easy drink.
I put frozen blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, mango, peaches, pineapple, then a fresh banana, apple and kiwi. Also add a squirt of honey, 3 TBSP wheat germ and sometimes raw oats. 3 TBSP coconut oil. Instead of milks I add 1/2 cup of POM juice and 1/2 cup of acia berry juice and 1/2 cup of coconut water and sqeeze a whole lemon into it. This gives me 3-16oz smoothies for my gang every morning. Been known to sneak in spinach, carrots, carrot juice in place of one of the liquids. Like to mix it up for us. Frozen grapes are good too. A couple of cherry tomatoes too. It’s all about what you like and if you want to hide the good stuff from the kids ha.
its great to add a handful of rolled oats to each smoothie. Oats have a very low GI level so are slow release energy food for throughout the day! Forgot about avocados that’ll be in tomorrows breakfast smoothie! :)
I forgot to mention i also sometimes use orange juice frozen in icecube trays or cut up oranges.
I like using strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, milk & yogurt frozen in ice cube trays to make it thicker. Sometimes i add a scoop of icecream. Haven’t tried bananas yet. Will have to try, sounds good. I wish where i live i could buy bags of only frozen peaches. Everything else i can.
nasty nasty i made 2 just to make sure i didnt mess the first one up i about thre up really
You can freeze the milk in an ice cube tray and pop the frozen milk cubes into the bag with the other frozen fruit and save yourself from having to measure out the milk. You might have to let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes to allow the milk to thaw enough to keep the blender going.
I want to travel to US and give you a hug. thank you a thousand times. I spend months wanting to have more green smoothies in the morning, but I just couldn’t find the time, and I’ll lose my fruits. This way, it’s easier, quicker, perfect.
Michelle – I usually use about one cup, but it’s slightly different every time. I just use enough for it to blend smoothly. Sometimes you need to add a little more to get it going.
I’m not sure if I missed it somewhere, but how much milk do you add?
I’m not sure if I missed it somewhere, but how much milk do you add?
My favorite is spinach, pineapple (i use the small cans and throw the juice in as well/I tried it with fresh but did not like as well), mango, shredded coconut, coconut milk,frozen banana. Since I use all fresh fruit (don’t freeze ahead/except banana) I add a cup of ice to make it colder and a little thicker.
Thanks for the tip to put all ingredients together. I’ve been making smoothies for awhile now. I drag everything out, and then it takes forever to get it all ready and to put away. I do slice my bananas before I freeze them; it makes it easier on the blender to chop them up frozen.
Only suggestion I have, since I’m doing them right now, is let the frozen bags defrost a bit. My blender is pretty much brand new but it can’t chop/blend this frozen fruit! So, now I have to sit and wait til it defrosts…
All the combos are wonderful! Instead of attaching the blender pitcher, I use a quart mason jar. Fits perfect and you can drink right out of it! Super easy cleanup!
What is the calorie and carb count?
I just made mine.. Taste so good. My children also love it! Thank you.. You’re amazing..
Lynn – I’ve heard (although I don’t know if it’s true) that we can’t digest whole flax seed… so that’s the only reason I use ground :) I wonder if they would grind up a bit while blending anyway?
Grind the flax seeds in your coffee bean grinder.
I am just starting to use smoothies in the am and the possibilities are awesome. I use frozen fruit, flax seed or I prefer hemp seed, and sunflower or pumkin seeds with Silk almond milk.
I couldn’t think of the right way to spell- pestle.
Mortar and pestle
The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone. The pestle is
a heavy club-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding …
costs about 10.00 and can be found at places that sale coffee accessories.
I second the comment about the Food Ninja. I got one as a wedding present and love that thing. It blew my old blender out of the water.
Would it be bad if I used whole flaxseeds vs ground?
I add a tablespoon of two of wheat germ too.
WOW, your soy milk is so white!
I didn’t read through all the comments so sorry if this has already been added. We love to use keifer as our liquid but it also makes it thicker for those who don’t like bananas (like me). I also use chia seeds for my omega3 and lots of other nutrients!
Just made the smoothie packs and I’m having my first smoothie now. Tastes incredible, and satisfies my craving for something sweet while being healthy. Once again, you’re amazing!
No one has said how they feel or are you losing weight.had my first smoothie yesterday. Your ideas sound great..
I never thought to separate the smoothies in baggies! Love the idea! I’m going to be doing this from now on!
Somebody pointed out above that if you are adding greens to your smoothie you should be sure to switch them up. Don’t use the same green over and over again. Buy a couple of different kinds and change it up daily. I use spinach, kale, swiss chard, lettuce greens, beet greens, etc.
WOW – Thanks, Liz!!
Just wanted to let you know that I pinned this to my pinterest and it’s had over 700 repins! The idea of making the smoothie packs is very smart. Here’s my pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/80079699594267132/
I love almond milk but would rather not buy it – it’s still a processed food! So I add water to my smoothie with all the ingredients you suggest and a tablespoon of raw almond butter. Delicious!
I add about 1/3 cup of raw oatmeal, about 1/2 of a carrot, kale, banana, about half of an apple, scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, chia seeds, raw almonds, frozen berries, Greek non fat plain yogart and some non fat milk or juice. Have a Vitamix so it blends up everything very well! Oh I forgot also the kitchen sink!
divide everything evenly into mason jars and refrigerate. The Mason jar can screw right onto the blender for a single shake.
Peach, pineapple and of all things cilantro are a great flavorful combo with your liquid of choice (i usually just use water) adding in a banana or avocado would give creaminess if needed. Cilantro sounds weird but it’s quite refreshing and it’s a great at internal cleansing. PLUS, it’s a nice departure from standard issue greens like spinach or romaine to help with the rotation of greens. Cheers for the great pre packaged smoothie idea : )
how about freezing the milk(whichever type you like) in ice cube tray then putting it in the bag too?
Anon – It’s this blender from Hamilton Beach. I’ve had it for years and it still works great!
just wondering what kind of blender you used?
I love this idea. I went with a pineapple, mango, blueberry, banana combo because that is what I had on hand. This will be great on those days I just don’t feel like eating breakfast.
Thank you so much I did this last night and it did make everything easier! This was my first time making smoothies for the family this morning. I used a whole banana (very ripe) and blue berries, black berries, and raspberries, put the spinach on top in the freezer bag. This morning all I had to do was put the flaxseed and vanilla almond milk. Thank you again, can’t wait to read the rest of your ideas.
Any idea what the nutrition facts are for one smoothie?
This is my go-to recipe. 1/2 C. Frozen Berries/Fruit. 1/2 C. Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt. 1/2 C. Fruit Juice (Apple or Orange)
1/2 Half a Frozen Banana. 2 Tablespoons of ground flax seed. Never thought to add spinach, but I might just give that a whirl.
And I buy the frozen berry mix at Costco, for I believe $11.99. Lasts a few months around here. Nice quality fruit in there.
I freeze my kale, you don’t want to wilt it I just cut the thick stems off wash and dry in salad spinner and pack into freezer bags quart size usually. I use a half of the quart bag it crumbles easily and is even easier to blend when frozen. I usually blend the kale with coconut water then add the frozen fuit and a whole prefrozen banana which I cut in quarters before freezing. Adding blueberries and a dab of food coloring will turn it purple and kids love purple monsters.
I use half of Yoplait Smootie each and every day. Expensive – and I add more fruit to each ‘half’ so it’ll make a larger serving. What a great idea to make my own. I’ve uses yogurt with fruit and milk, but got nothing I liked. Thanks.
I also have a Magic Bullet. It makes just enough for myself (sometimes too much). I have read a lot of good ideas here and I am going to try them. Never thought of the idea of making up packs, or adding some of the other ingredients. Thanks everyone.
Great article and comments…I will be doing this from now on.
However, when I make way too much to drink I use my popsicle molds and freeze them to enjoy as a cold treat later! Yummy! My kids love them either way.
my husband and I have a magic bullet, and thats great for making single servings of smoothies… but now that hes starting to drink them and im hoping to get my 9 & 10 yr olds to start drinking them we bought the ninja blender, full size and the shorter one… but not the pulse blender by ninja (too similar to the magic bullet I couldn’t validate it.. but the to-go cups with the ninja pulse are bigger than the magic bullets… I wish the ninja was out before i bought the magic bullet!!!
I just came accross you blog today, via Pinterest. I have seen this tip a few times and it really helps me to know that you have the same single serve blender that I just got two weeks ago! I have have been worried about what kinds of veggies and fruits that I can put in it because of the low wattage.
I am bookmarking your blog to my computer at home! :)
I put a couple of pieces of Kale in my smoothies the kids never know! It has cancer fighting elements when it is pureed, lots of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidents!!
Amy O
Leah – I’m going to say about 3 cups… maybe slightly less. Between 20-24 ounces.
Hey Beth, how much smoothie did you end up with? If you had an idea cup or oz wise?
Oops: back=bad.
Great idea! I sometimes buy over-ripe or bruised fruit at the store for a fraction of the price, but am always pressed for time to use it up before it goes back (generally just a couple of days). This is a perfect solution for my dilemma!
Favourite smoothie, which we drink in the morning during the summer: Espresso coffee (or leftover very dark coffee), very ripe banana, almond milk, a drop of almond extract, dash of cinnamon. To make it a “meal”, add a scoop of plain protein powder.
Great stuff!
everyday i have a yogurt smoothie,a bowl of your oatmeal raisin muesli with milk and a cup of coffee w/milk…but this a.m. i only had a ltiny bit of milk and used it up in my java…so i added my usual 1/3 cup oats to my smoothie made w/plain no fat yog, 1/2 an orange, 1/2 a banana and 1/4 cup frozen bluberries…whipped up in my blender it tasted great! next up pb and why not spinach? a quick nutryious meal in a glass!
Great idea! Thank you for sharing :-)
This is such a great idea that will save some time on rushed mornings. Thanks for sharing, Beth! I just made some with strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. :)
These are a great idea! Just made up a batch today, used strawberries, peaches, and pineapple. I had one for lunch, it was way more filling than I thought it was going to be. I think I’m going to get the fixin’s to make some chocolate peanut butter banana smooths too. Yummo!
Cari – I’ve bought it both at my local grocery store and at Walmart. At my local grocery store it was with the other natural foods by all of the Bob’s Redmill brand bagged flours and grains (the flax was in a bag too – and quite inexpensive). At Walmart it was actually in the baking aisle, in a box, by the flour. I think Walmart also had some in the cereal aisle near the oat bran. So, hopefully, if you check all of those aisles you’ll find some! ;)
Where do you buy ground flax seed at? I looked at my local grocery store, but I’m not even sure with in the store where it might be?
I guess I have never put the spinach in the freezer because I assumed that it would change the texture or make it stringy… although I’ve never tried it!
I love adding avocado to smoothies – they taste so creamy that I substitute coconut water for milk/soy milk.
Is there any reason you couldn’t throw the spinach leaves into the frozen mix?
Can you also freeze the avocado?
You know, I’ve never tried to freeze fresh avocado. I think it might work, especially if it’s going to end up being blended into the smoothie anyway.
I love this idea but it was too big of a serving for me. I will tweak it next time.
I highly recommend the Ninja Pulse Blender!! I recently bought my first blender and went with a cheap Hamilton Beach model. It could NOT get through the frozen fruit and I returned it. I got the Ninja Pulse for Christmas and LOVE IT!!! It comes with a 40oz pitcher and also 2 individual serving cups (I believe 16oz) and with those you go straight from the blender to the car (or where ever). I drink mine on the way to work every morning. You just take off the blender lid and add a drinking lid. Saves on dishes too…gotta love that!! :)
This is one of those “duh, why didn’t I think of that!” blog reads. I did this last night. In 15 minutes I made 15 smoothie packets. I added 1 TB ground flaxseed to all my packets and spinach to several (mixed berry with spinach and chocolate spinach …).
My favorite smoothie is flaxseed, banana, 1 T natural peanut or almond butter, 1 c. dark chocolate almond milk and ice. Mmmmm. It’s a great dessert!
My favorite smoothie tip: add in silken tofu to boost protein.
Love all the smoothie ideas here! Gotta write ’em down..
At home I always make mixed berry (strawberry, raspberry, blueberry), banana, 2tbsp vanilla yogurt and orange juice. It can be a little tart for some tongues so I add honey when making it for guests :)
This is such a great idea, I have been thinking to do it earlier, maybe this is just the kick in the butt that I need to start! :-)
This is the blender that I have: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101B-Personal-Blender/dp/B0017XHSAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319059007&sr=8-1&tag=vglnk-c278-20 It’s a single serving blender that doubles as a cup with lid. It was less than $15 at Walmart and I’ve had it for at least 5 years with no issues!
This looks SO good! What kind of blender would you recommend getting? I don’t want to spend too much on one but I don’t want to end up getting a bad cheap one that doesn’t work well or breaks easily.
Tanya,
I see u put kale in your smoothie. Do you have to wilt it first or just throw it in. It seems so “hardy”. I see Beth usually cooks it a little before using it in her recipes. I have some in my freezer after buying some for Beth’s kale sausage soup which was sooo good by the way. This post sure got a lot of activity!
2 frozen bananas
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp ground coffee (reg, I just put some aside when I make my morning coffee)
Silk
The coffee enhances the chocolate flavour. It’s the best chocolate banana smoothie ever! Sometimes I also add 1 tsp of almond butter to give it more staying power.
Seconding what another commenter said about the light soymilk. So many nutrients are fat soluable! :)
I love this idea. I went with a pineapple, mango, blueberry, banana combo because that is what I had on hand. This will be great on those days I just don’t feel like eating breakfast.
Just a word about using light soymilk–almost all of the important nutrients other than protein and calcium, ie the flavinoids and vitamins, in soy milk are fat soluable. The calorie advantage between regular and light soymilk is minimal, and the nutririent loss is significant. Full fat soymilk is comparable to 1.5% milk–not an aggregious amount of fat, and unsaturated at that. You’ll only add about 20-30 calories (depending on brand) to your smoothie by using the regular soymilk.
fresh pears and slivered almonds (along with banana, soy milk, etc) make a delightful combination; plus the almonds add protein. Yum!
I love to throw a handful of cashews in if I have them (otherwise pb works too) and we get local honey in bulk so that always goes in. I love the freezer bag idea!!!
@emily, i freeze all kinds of greens later for smoothies. i have more freezer than fridge space, lets me stock up if i catch a clearance (like i did last week on organic baby spinach salads) and once they’re liquified what difference does it make?
I haven’t seen anyone mention that it’s important to rotate your greens – spinach and some others are high in oxalic acid, which in large amounts can cause kidney stones. I had a (thankfully) small one, several months after i’d started having a green smoothie every morning, so now i make sure to include a variety of greens from different families. One of my favorites is actually a weed that grows here in the summer called purslane – i’ve frozen it too, tee-hee! Red cabbage is particularly good in smoothies – sweet, great color – but too much gives a funny texture. Parsley too, and it’s EASY to grow, and celery is surprisingly good.
What an awesome idea. I will definitely be trying this out soon1
As much as I love smoothies, why the heck didn’t I think of this!
I’m doing this next week when I go grocery shopping!
Smoothies are my breakfast of choice in warm months. I’d never though to do smoothie packs.
My favorite combination is strawberry, banana, chocolate soy milk and peanut butter.
I also really enjoy peach, banana and Greek yogurt.
Love it. Do you ever freeze the spinach in the bags, too? I just bought a huge thing of spinach but I can’t eat it fast enough, I’ve been thinking of freezing it to preserve it for smoothies.
I slice up the bananas and flash freeze them before I put them in baggies, because it helps it blend more smoothly. I also occasionally do the yogurt frozen in ice cube trays…it makes the smoothie nice and creamy, and I can add fruit juice instead of milk.
Our favorite is kale, strawberries, OJ or an orange/tangerine, banana and blackberry.
Anon – it’s probably different in every market so you might have to just shop around a bit. In general, national chain stores tend to be a bit lower in price than local stores, but that’s not a hard rule. Also, check weekly circulars for sales, since they will stay good in your freezer for a few months at a time. Check warehouse grocers (Sam’s, Costco, etc.) or if you have any restaurant supply stores that are open to the public (they usually sell large volume packages that cost less per unit).
Just wondering, where is the cheapest place to buy frozen fruit? Great post!
and a frozen banana too. duh!
yum! i buy a 5 lb bag of strawberries at sam’s for smoothies. it’s about $7-8 i think. they also have a mixed fruit bag, blueberries, and mangoes, but our little freezer doesn’t have room for a variety. sad day! but i like 1 cup vanilla yogurt, several handfuls of spinach, milk, and 1/2-1 cup strawberries. oh, and i add chia seeds too!
I bet this would become even more cost effective if you use seasonal fruit and buy on sale.
Amazing idea. Thanks for posting :)
Yum great idea! I go in and out of smoothie moods all the time, this is perfect. I like to add some peanut butter into mine too!
Mestina – I have to agree with the other suggestions. Avocado or yogurt. I saw someone once who froze yogurt in an ice cube tray and added a few cubes to each smoothie pack!
I like fresh mango, banana, and Greek yogurt smoothies with a little bit of Splenda and if I have it, I toss in a handful of spinach for the vitamins! Keeps me full for a good six hours thanks to all the extra protein in the Greek yogurt!
Love, love love this idea. Makes me wonder why I didn’t think of this before!
It’s so funny how you see something once and then it’s everywhere you look. Earlier this week I saw a similar idea on Pinterest and have been planning to make my own freezer bags. Thanks for breaking it down for us!
Mestina: I agree about the avocado. I throw that into my kids’ smoothies as they are underweight so it really bumps up the calories.
Yum! We make protein shakes a few times a week with vanilla protein powder, pulpy OJ, a banana, and whatever other fruit we have lying around.
Mestina: Try avocados! You get that creaminess and some lovely other nutrients. Greek yogurt (or even regular yogurt) would be a great addition, too.
What would you suggest in place of bananas? My other half is allergic to them but loves smoothies. Any thoughts?
Instead of bananas you can use avocados. Both of them are there for the creaminess and the avocados are very good for you!
Love this. I hate taking all of the bags out every single time, I can’t believe I never thought of this before.. so Thank You. I don’t really like Soy or Regular Milk in Smoothies, I always use Coconut Milk.
Thanks for your blog! I make smoothies every morning but for some reason i never portion them out! Some times you just need some one to tell you to do things :)I am for sure going to portion them out now! i do frozen mango, peaches, spinich, banana, blueberries and water….best smoothie ever!
This is a great idea! My freezer always has at least one frozen banana in it (for emergencies ;) My favorite go-to smoothie is 1 frozen banana + 1 cup almond milk + 1 tbsp flax + 1 tbsp peanut butter + 2 handfuls of spinach :) My mom thinks the spinach makes it gross, but you honestly cannot taste it and it helps gets those greens in too!
I really love doing, 1 medium avocado, 1 medium banana, about 6 ounces of unflavored yogurt. It makes several smoothies but it’s very yummy.
Anon- You probably could, I just never think of it ;D That’s why I love it when everyone shares their ideas! I like to add the spinach fresh too, though.
why can’t you add the cinnamon, flaxseed, etc. to the frozen ingredients? leaving only the milk to add later ?? just curious :)
(p.s. – thanks for the tip!)
Great tip! Can’t wait to try this :)
Awesome idea!
My favorite is pineapple, coconut milk, banana and rum extract. Add a couple of ice cubes. Taste just like a piña colada. Add spinach and flaxseed and it still has the same flavor.
That sounds delicious! I’ll have to try this one.