Meal Prepping Smoothies Takes Less Effort Than You Think

One of the biggest ironies when it comes to meal planning is that when you're low on time, taking the time to prep quick, portable meals and snacks can be a real lifesaver. Fortunately, batch prepping something like smoothies is fairly straightforward, and the time saved really does make it worthwhile. All it really involves is stuffing your smoothie ingredients into jars or bags and sticking them in the freezer. When you're ready to make them, just take a few seconds to add liquid and blend.

The most important step in smoothie prep is choosing the right recipes. Since you'll be freezing your smoothie ingredients, it's best to save that delicious two-in-one coffee smoothie for the weekends, as it calls for lots of liquid-like ingredients like Greek yogurt and coffee. Instead, opt for recipes that focus on fruits, greens, nut butters, and seeds. Your blender will slice through these much more easily than icy frozen coffee, and you'll save time by only needing to add one liquid to lubricate the blending process.

Once you've chosen a good recipe, you can simply gather your ingredients and divide them into individual servings among sturdy glass jars or freezer bags. The idea is that each jar or bag holds enough ingredients for a single smoothie, including sliced fruit, small seeds, and nut butters (which incidentally freeze very well). After each container is tightly sealed, label them with the type of smoothie and the date, as they should stay fresh for up to three months.

A key part of making smoothie packets ahead of time is that instead of spending 15 minutes every day making a smoothie (about seven hours total per month), you can spend an hour or so assembling several weeks' worth of smoothies in one go, depending on how much you can fit into your freezer. To do this, assemble all of your ingredients first, chopping up any fruit that needs to be made smaller, such as bananas, mangoes, or large strawberries.

Next, set up your containers. If you're using jars, be sure to pick wide-mouthed straight-sided jars, not the ones with the rounded shoulders, as they could shatter. If you're opting for plastic freezer bags, make them easier to fill by sticking them inside disposable cups and rolling the opening down over the edge. Then, fill your jars or bags by measuring the right amount of each ingredient into each container, starting with fruit first, adding nuts or seeds next (chia seeds are great for adding more fiber to your smoothies), then sticky ingredients like honey or nut butter, which will make your smoothies thick and luscious.

Stuff greens in last, as they're easy to smoosh down into the remaining space (and they'll become limp after freezing, anyway). If you like protein powder in your smoothies, you'll want to add it fresh with your choice of liquid each morning, as freezing it can ruin its flavor and texture, making your smoothie gritty and much less enjoyable. Keep these tips in mind and you'll be on your way to successfully meal prepping smoothies.