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    Home » Breakfast

    How To Meal Prep Freezer Smoothie Packs

    February 13, 2020 by Bailey Sissom 23 Comments

    Simple tips and tricks on how to batch prep grab n' go smoothies quickly. Make them in advance, and enjoy them for the week, or even the whole month!

    Simple tips and tricks to teach you how to Meal Prep Freezer Smoothie Packs. Make them in advance, and enjoy them for the week, or even the whole month!

    Pin How to Meal Prep Freezer Smoothie Packs for later!

    Meal Prep Freezer Smoothie Packs assembled in plastic cups.

    This post is a part of Smoothie Week. To get ALL the recipes + tricks and tips for how to meal prep freezer smoothie packs.. download the guide HERE.

    Once upon a time, I paid exorbitant amounts of money for smoothies that were delivered to my house on dry ice and in disposable cups. The idea.. dump the contents of the cup into the blender, add liquid base, blend, pour back into cup.  The smoothies contained all kinds of exotic ingredients and boasted HUGE health benefits. The cost of said smoothies, well... let's just say that once Joe got the monthly credit card statement, this fairy tale ended rather abruptly. Until today that is...

    I honestly don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. I recreated them. Yep, made my very own fancy smoothies. They are every bit as delicious, exotic and convenient as my subscription smoothie service.

    Ok, that's not true. I'm waaaaaay too lazy to search out the exotic ingredients AND prepping a month's worth of these guys takes about an hour that the million dollar smoothies did not require, BUT... once you get them assembled they are every bit as fantastic, promise.

    You're going to LOVE this. 

    Go Green Spinach Apple Smoothie ingredients being put into the blender jar by 2 young boys and a brunette woman.

    SHORTCUTS:

    • Printable Guide with ALL 5 RECIPES
    • Smoothie Recipe Labels that include the directions for blending so you know what to do right when you pull your smoothie pack out of the freezer.
    • Avery Labels - used to print Smoothie recipe labels (<--affiliate link)
    • My Favorite Smoothie Containers

    STEP BY STEP GUIDE: HOW TO MEAL PREP FREEZER SMOOTHIE FREEZER PACKS

    Step 1: Pick Your Favorite Recipe

    There are 8,000,000 different smoothies out there. Some are good, some not so much. I'm going to share my favorite 5 with you. If you're new to smoothies start here and then once you get a feel for what you like and what you don't.. you can branch out on your own!

    • The Best Green Smoothie:
    The Best Green Smoothie (for beginners) is a cool, creamy, sweet vegan smoothie with banana, peanut butter, kale, chia seeds, cinnamon and almond milk.
    • Cherry Limeade Smoothie:
    Cherry Limeade Smoothie in glass.
    • Wild Blueberry Banana Smoothie:
    Wild Blueberry Banana Smoothies in glasses.
    • Simple Strawberry Banana Smoothie:
    Simple Strawberry Banana Smoothie in glass cups.
    • Go Green Apple Smoothie:
    Go Green Apple Smoothie Ingredients on a white countertop.

    Step 2: Choose A Storage System.

    Meal Prep Freezer Smoothie Packs packaged in an assortment of containers. Mason jar, plastic bag and plastic cup.

    3 Smoothie Freezable Smoothie Container Options:

    1. Freezer Safe Disposable Cups
    2. Freezable Mason Jars
    3. Ziploc Freezer Bags

    PROS and CONS of Each Smoothie Container Option:

    • Freezer Safe Disposable Cups: Pros - sturdy enough to hold up in freezer without cracking and come with lids (which is always nice for an "on the go" situation). Disposable if desired. Cons - They are a bit pricy ($17.99). I wash and reuse them. Thus far, I have used them through 3 rounds of smoothie making.
    • Mason Jars: Pros - Reusable, inexpensive and freezer friendly. Cons - Not disposable, breakable.
    • Ziploc Freezer Bags: Pros - Inexpensive, great for limited freezer space. Cons - You can not drink the smoothie from the bag, you will have to dirty a kitchen cup, not reusable.

    Step 3: Turn your smoothie recipe into a freezer smoothie pack recipe.

    Simple Strawberry Banana Smoothie in glass cups.
    1. Determine the liquid base. Every smoothie recipe has a liquid that serves as a base. You DO NOT add the liquid base to a smoothie pack. It will cause the smoothie ingredients to become an ice chunk, and will not be blendable.
    2. Remove yogurt. Not all smoothies contain yogurt, but if a recipe does, I like to add it as I blend instead of in the smoothie pack. Often the yogurt is included in the recipe for texture purposes.

    Example: How To Create A Smoothie Pack Recipe.

    Below are the ingredients for The BEST Green Smoothie. Almond milk has been highlighted red because it will not be added to my smoothie freezer packs. Instead, I will add it when I blend. There is no yogurt in the recipe, so I did not need to make any additional modifications.

    • Ingredients: 1 cup almond milk, 1 cup leafy greens, 1 banana, 2-3 ice cube, 1 TBS peanut butter, 1 TBS chia seeds, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, pinch of ground cinnamon.

    Step 4: Prep Your Ingredients.

    Simple tips and tricks to teach you how to Meal Prep Freezer Smoothie Packs. Make them in advance, and enjoy them for the week, or even the whole month!
    1. Decide how many smoothie packs you would like to make. I usually make 20 at a time.
    2. Bust out your multiplication skills and determine how much of each ingredient will be needed.
    3. Wash, peel, chop, etc. Don't forget to set out all the non-produce ingredients as well. You will need measuring cups and spoons. Make sure that everything is ready to go before you start assembling.

    Helpful Hint.. frozen greens, fruits and veggies get a bad wrap. Often fresh local and/or organic produce isn't available in the Winter months. Using pre-chopped organic fruits can be a huge time and money saver.

    Step 5: Assemble your meal prep freezer smoothie packs.

    1. Use the recipe you for your freezer smoothie packs that you created in Step 3 for reference.
    2. Assemble your smoothie packs. Make sure that smoothies are packed tightly (air = freezer burn). If you are using cups or mason jars, add extra greens if needed to fill empty space.

    Step 6: Label Smoothie Containers.

    How you go about doing this will vary depending on your container. Labels should contain the date the smoothie was assembled and blending instructions. If you are making one of the recipes from this post, you can use the labels that I created by clicking HERE. My labels can be printed on THESE AVERY LABELS or on printer paper and attached with packing tape.

    • Freezer Safe Disposable Cups - Use a sharpie OR, if you are using a recipe from this post, PRINT AND USE THESE FREE LABELS.
    • Freezable Mason Jars - Use a sharpie to write on the top or side of the mason jar. You can remove the sharpie later using nail polish remover.
    • Ziploc Freezer Bags - Use a sharpie OR, if you are using a recipe from this post, PRINT AND USE THESE FREE LABELS.

    FAQ's: Freezer Smoothie Packs

    What type of Blender is best for making smoothies?

    I use a Blendtec High Speed Blender. I bought it refurbished on the Blendtec website and saved about $100.

    How do I avoid my smoothie ingredients getting stuck inside the mason jars or cups?

    Before blending, thaw the cups on the counter for a few minutes or run them under some warm water. This will help the jar to empty easier.

    Can you make smoothies from freezer smoothie packs if you don't have a high speed blender?

    Yes! You just have to make a few modifications. A high speed blender can handle ingredients like a frozen banana, but you will want to chop your fruits and veggies into smaller more manageable pieces.

    Can I blend my smoothies the night before?

    Yes. I do this on mornings that I know that there will be sleeping kids in the house when I blend my smoothie. It's so loud! Blend your smoothie according to recipe directions and store it in the refrigerator covered. You may notice some separation (just stir), but it will still taste great.

    Can you store pre-blended smoothies in the freezer?

    You can! I like to lay a small piece of plastic wrap over the top and then seal with a lid. To thaw, just place the frozen smoothie into the refrigerator the night before. Some separation will occur, just stir well.

    My Favorite Smoothie Essentials:

    Recommended High Speed Blender:

    • Blentec Total Blender Classic with Wildside Jar (refurbished)

    Recommended Budget Blender:

    • Ninja Magic Bullet Blender

    My Favorite Freezable Smoothie Containers:

    • Ball Wide Mouth Quart Glass Jars
    • 16 oz. Plastic Smoothie Cups with Flat Lids
    • Reusable Silicone Bags- Quart Size
    • Ziplock Freezer Safe Bags - Quart Size

    Accessories:

    • Jumbo Smoothie Straws (Assorted Colors)
    • Metal Smoothie Straws
    • Ball Sip N' Straw Lids (Wide Mouth) - these only work with widemouth jars
    « 5 Healthy Meal Prep Methods + Resources and Recipe Ideas
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    About Bailey Sissom

    Bailey Sissom is a 3rd grade teacher turned stay-at-home mom and the creator of Simply Sissom, a blog for busy moms who value feeding their kids healthy meals and snacks, but struggle with finding the time to make it happen. On Simply Sissom, Bailey shares practical recipes, tips and tricks to help make preparing whole food meals happen consistently.

    Comments

    1. Lauren Harris-Pincus says

      February 22, 2017 at 10:33 pm

      Beautiful photos and such great tips for DIY smoothies!!!

      Reply
    2. Rebecca says

      February 23, 2017 at 12:49 pm

      such a great idea to make healthy breakfasts too quick to not do! and those cups-so gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        February 25, 2017 at 9:56 am

        Thanks Rebecca!!!!! I've been enjoying following along with all you've been up to on Insta. You have been BUSY!!! Super impressed with your photo boards!

        Reply
    3. Donna says

      March 15, 2018 at 11:27 am

      I am going to try these shakes! (btw just an fyi.....you wrote buys mom instead of busy mom on your "About" info.) (:

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        March 15, 2018 at 12:51 pm

        Thanks so much for pointing that out! I'm going to get that corrected:) Hope you love the smoothies!!!

        Reply
    4. Bridgett says

      March 21, 2018 at 11:05 pm

      Just curious, do you think you could prepare the liquid ahead of time as well, if you freeze it in ice cube trays first? Do you think it would still be too hard to blend? I think I may try it!

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        March 26, 2018 at 11:39 am

        Hi Bridgette! I don't think that the liquid can be prepared ahead. The smoothie needs the liquid to get nice and creamy. I just keep the liquid available in my fridge, most blenders have measuring marks, so pouring it in is no big deal!

        Reply
    5. Tressa says

      April 26, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      If you use a mason jar, you can just take the base/blades off of the blender and put it directly on the jar for individual servings. This works for standard blenders and you have less things to wash.

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        April 28, 2018 at 10:33 am

        I have never heard that! Thanks so much for the tip:)

        Reply
    6. Whitney says

      June 03, 2018 at 2:14 pm

      Thanks for the great tips! Going to try this today.

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        June 04, 2018 at 4:25 pm

        Great! Hope you love it!

        Reply
    7. anna says

      June 13, 2018 at 10:31 am

      Good tips and great pictures. I definitely could be a little more organized in prepping smoothies like you do. Just pinned your smoothie recipes.

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        June 19, 2018 at 9:06 am

        Hope you love them!!!

        Reply
    8. Janice Ramirez says

      July 10, 2018 at 11:20 am

      Can you add protein powder to these?

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        July 16, 2018 at 5:01 pm

        I'm sure that would be great! You will probably just need to add a little extra liquid since the protein powder is a thickener.

        Reply
    9. Elizabeth A Paredones says

      September 24, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      BUT DO YOU FREEZE THE GREENS AS WELL?

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        November 11, 2018 at 3:51 pm

        I do!!

        Reply
    10. Alexis Williams says

      January 15, 2019 at 10:32 pm

      Have you tried to freeze pears just chopped up as is? Everything I’ve read on freezing pears for smoothies has a lot of prep work. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        January 28, 2019 at 9:51 am

        I have never made a smoothie with pears.. although I think it would be delicious. Is there a specific reason you can't just chop them up and freeze them?

        Reply
        • Alexis Williams says

          January 28, 2019 at 11:12 am

          That’s what I would prefer to do! Lol. I don’t see a reason why not, but wonder at the same time everyone cooks them first and then freezes them? Thanks Bailey!

          Reply
    11. Allyson Schumacher says

      March 14, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      Do the bananas become brown and icky when you cut and freeze them? I guess chopping up a banana in the morning wouldn't be too much, but I would really like to just make the bags with them in there already as long as they don't get brown and icky!

      Reply
      • Bailey Sissom says

        March 25, 2019 at 12:32 pm

        You can freeze them ahead, it's just really hard on the blender to blend them up. If you do freeze, I recommend chopping them into rounds as opposed to just freezing half of a banana:)

        Reply
    12. Ann says

      March 13, 2020 at 11:47 am

      Thank you a lot for sharing these simple tips and tricks! Such treasure. I've just bookmarked the page. I'm so happy I discovered your fantastic blog a couple months ago!
      p.s. the pictures are great!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Bailey! Boy Mom x3 and former teacher turned food blogger. On Simply Sissom you will find simple, tasty, fuss-free recipes that are perfect for busy families.

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