I'm about to change your life. You can freeze smoothies. Do you know what that means? You only have to clean the blender once. And, the motto of my life - "Why dirty another dish?"
So, that's not really my life motto. But, I think it's a pretty good rule to live by. Less time doing dishes and more time drinking smoothies. It's like a constant tropical vacation.
There's one thing all health officials agree on, we don't get enough greens. I like to start my day off with a spinach salad in liquid form. What can be better than sneaking extra greens into your diet that don't actually taste like greens? It's the ultimate form of sorcery.
Since making daily green smoothies, I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin coupled with my lotion and facemasks.
I am always looking for a way to hack my mornings. Becuase, I live with roommates, they simply cannot abide by the jet engine of a blender going off every morning at 7:30. And, I cannot abide by doing that many dishes. That's at least a 15-minute set back every morning.
15 minutes. Do you know what you could do with that extra 15-minutes? Sleep. When it boils down to breakfast vs. sleep, sleep wins every time.
Since starting my weekly meal prep posts, I've been asked a lot about my smoothies. So, I figured it was time to let you in on the secret.
Blend once. Wash once. Drink all week long.
step one:
Pull out your favorite smoothie recipe. My go to summer recipe is below.
summer smoothie recipe:
8 Cups of Spinach
2 Cups of Strawberries
4 Bananas
8 Almond Milk Ice Cubes
Splash of Water
This makes about a week's worth of smoothies.
step two:
Get the right jars. After doing this a whole bunch, my favorite to use are wide mouth 16 oz mason jars. You can use larger jars if you want a larger smoothie, but 16oz is perfect for my breakfast.
the shoulder debate
When freezing opt for non-shouldered jars. If you only have shoulders do not fill up to the curve. This will prevent cracking.
For more information on freezing food without plastic read this blog post.
step three:
Fill your jars. Make sure to leave 2-3 inches at the top or 2-3 inches before the shoulder. Liquid expands when frozen. If you fill your jar to the top it will break! It will be unpleasant, and you will be sad.
I only freeze in glass and I have only had two jars break. Back when I was young, inexperienced and filled my shouldered jars to the brim. Learn from my mistakes.
step four:
Place in the freezer.
step five:
This is the hard step. Before going to bed, move one smoothie from the from the freezer to the fridge.
step six:
Go to bed.
step seven:
Wake up to a perfect smoothie! It will have defrosted overnight and be pretty much the perfect consistency. Grab reusable straw and head out the door.
It's that simple. Some of you have had some questions. I've tried to answer those to the best of my ability.
Won't you lose nutritional value if you blend and freeze them?
Yes, you'll lose a little nutritional value. However, it's negligible. And, I'd lose the most nutritional value by not having one at all. If you have the willpower to make a smoothie every morning, do it! But, if you don't, this is a great way to start your day off with nutrient-rich greens.
Isn't freezing in glass scary?
Not if you leave enough space in the jar. Don't be scared. If it does break in the freezer, it's almost always a clean break. It's not shattered glass.
Will the smoothies separate when defrosted?
After 8 hours, no. If you leave it to defrost over 24, it might. Justin once left one in the fridge for two days. It separated. But, it still tasted fine. Just give it a good shake.
Let me know if you have any more questions about freezing smoothies in the comment section below. Share this morning hack if you think it'd help smooth out someone's morning.
Have you ever frozen a smoothie?
*This post may contain affiliate linking you can read more on my disclosure page.