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    Oh My Veggies » Plant Based Nutrition & Health

    10 Hacks for Simple Smoothie Making

    Published: Jan 6, 2016 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 2, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Creamy_Apple_Pie_Smoothie-3
    Smoothies are a great way to pack fruit and vegetables into your diet, and a perfect quick fix for busy mornings. Here are 10 perfect smoothie hacks to simplify your morning routine and make it even easier to get nourishing smoothies into your life.

    1. Prep in advance

    If you set aside a day each week for meal prep, add smoothies to your list. You can wash, chop, and sort ingredients for a week (or month!) worth of smoothies and portion them into freezer bags for individual servings. Label each bag with the type of smoothie it will make, and indicate the liquid that should be added to each batch. Then, when it comes time to make your smoothie, simply pull a bag out of the freezer, pop the ingredients into the blender, add the liquid, and blend! Two-minute morning smoothies are a breeze this way!

    2. Stockpile bananas

    Every Friday before I leave work, I scoop up any neglected bananas from the office fruit bowl and bring them home. I usually leave them out for a few days to get a nice brown speckle going, then I peel them and toss them into a large freezer bag to be used for baking and smoothies throughout the week. If they’re already peeled then when it comes to smoothie time all you need to do is grab a frozen banana, break it into chunks with your hands, and add it and whatever other ingredients you choose into your blender. A thick, creamy smoothie is never more than a few minutes away! Not into banana? You can also freeze ripe avocado chunks in a single layer, then toss them into a freezer bag once they’re frozen solid.

    3. Frozen greens!

    I used to go through bags and bags of baby spinach in my green smoothies before I figured out I could use frozen spinach for a fraction of the price. Look for bags with cubes of frozen spinach or kale – not the blocks of frozen spinach - and simply toss a small handful into the blender (or into each smoothie pack). Not only is this a great money saving tip, but if, like me, you live somewhere where local greens aren’t available year round, this is a great way to source them locally throughout the winter. You can also freeze your own greens while they’re abundant and portion them for individual servings.

    4. Use a mason jar

    Taking your smoothie to go? Blend it right into a mason jar! Although I’ve read that small-mouth mason jars will screw onto most blender bases, turning a loaded mason jar upside down with out the ingredients spilling out is not a ninja-move I’ve yet mastered. Instead, when I’m blending to go I use my immersion blender. The wand fits perfectly into most mason jars, so I blend right in the jar, screw the lid on, and head out the door. A perfect grab-n-go smoothie with minimal cleanup!

    5. Protein power

    Liquid meals clear the stomach four times faster than solid foods, so if you’re looking for a smoothie with some staying power, boost the protein content. Protein powder, nut butters, seeds, Greek yogurt, tofu, and beans are all great add-ins to pump up the protein content in your smoothie. Also try adding oats, either cooked, soaked, or blitzed into a powder before you blend. They add a bit of protein, thickness, and complex carbohydrates that really stick to your ribs.

    6. Freeze your liquids

    If you like thick icy cold smoothies but don’t want them watered down with ice cubes, freeze your liquid of choice in ice cube trays instead. You can pop the frozen cubes into a freezer bag so you’ve got an assortment of frozen liquids to blend in at any time. You can freeze any milk (dairy, almond, soy, coconut), coffee, yoghurt, coconut water, or whatever else you like to blend into your smoothies.

    7. Fill up the night before

    If you know your morning is going to be frantic, load your blender the night before. Simply pop the blender jar in the fridge fully loaded, and in the morning pull it out, blend, and you’re good to go. Quick and easy smoothies in a flash!

    8. Blend and freeze

    Did you know you can freeze your smoothies? Of course you can! There are a few different strategies you can use here. First, you could blend up a week’s worth of smoothies, portion them into mason jars with lids, and pop them into the freezer – just be sure to leave some space at the top of each jar for the liquid to expand into. You can also blend up a big batch of smoothie and pour it into muffin cups to freeze in smoothie pucks. These can be tossed into a blender to break up, or into a to-go jar to thaw. Lastly, you can freeze smoothie mix into popsicles for a quick (and fun!) breakfast.

    Layer your liquids

    Did you know there’s a correct way to layer your smoothie ingredients into your blender? I discovered I’d been doing it wrong for years, but now that I’ve seen the light I’ll never go back! Always start with about half of your liquid at the bottom of the blender. Then add your soft ingredients (greens, fruits, etc), followed by harder ingredients (anything frozen, nuts and seeds, etc), and finish with the other half of your liquid. Layering in this way allows your blender to work most efficiently, so not only will your smoothie be done faster, but it’ll extend the life of your blender.

    10. Blend to clean

    To make cleanup a cinch, simply give your blender a quick rinse, then add a little bit of warm water and a couple of drops of soap. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds, then stop, drain, and rinse. Poof! Your cleanup is done!

    Ready to blend? Check out these 8 tips for making your smoothie extra fabulous.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says

      January 06, 2016 at 10:22 am

      So there's a correct way to layer your smoothies?! Who knew?!! Thanks for the game-changing tip!

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 07, 2016 at 4:43 am

        I know, right? But it's so much easier on your blender and I dare say produces a smoother smoothie. Try it!

        Reply
    2. Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says

      January 06, 2016 at 10:24 am

      Excellent tips! I never thought about buying frozen greens. So doing that!

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 07, 2016 at 4:44 am

        Once you try frozen greens you'll never go back to fresh in the winter! So much more bang for your buck!

        Reply
    3. Tragic Sandwich says

      January 06, 2016 at 11:20 am

      Great tips! And #10 is essential--I do that with all of my blenders; it's the most efficient way to get to the far side of the blades for cleaning.

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 07, 2016 at 4:45 am

        It's definitely the best way to get under the blades, especially if you've had anything sticky in there.

        Reply
    4. Anna says

      January 06, 2016 at 1:00 pm

      Wow, these are some really good hacks - thanks a lot!

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 07, 2016 at 4:45 am

        You're welcome!

        Reply
    5. Kelley says

      January 06, 2016 at 6:13 pm

      I'd never thought about freezing liquids! I've taken to freezing all the partially-eaten bananas my toddler won't finish.

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 07, 2016 at 4:46 am

        I personally don't have the freezer space to freeze my liquids very often, but it can be a great treat, especially in the summer.

        Reply
    6. Tori says

      January 07, 2016 at 7:01 am

      I have a smoothie addict for a brother so I really appreciate new tips! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 08, 2016 at 1:21 am

        Glad to help!

        Reply
    7. No Udder Protein says

      January 07, 2016 at 9:51 am

      What a game changer! Life on the go just got healthier!

      Thanks for the great tips. Definitely sharing your post with!

      Reply
    8. No Udder Protein says

      January 07, 2016 at 9:58 am

      What a game changer! Life on the go just got healthier!

      Thanks for the great tips. Definitely sharing your post!

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 08, 2016 at 1:22 am

        Glad you enjoyed the post. Enjoy your smoothies!

        Reply
    9. Paula Jo says

      January 07, 2016 at 11:18 pm

      I was not aware any company put out greens in frozen cubes. Which companies put out this product? And where have you been finding them? P.S. I love lists! Thanks so much for another one.

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 08, 2016 at 1:23 am

        Hi Paula, I live in Sweden and frozen greens in cubes in the only way I can find them (I miss the blocks for things like lasagna!). My local brands won't help you, but I have definitely noted some bloggers in the US referring to bags of frozen greens. If anyone out there can help out with brands, please do!

        Reply
    10. Melanie says

      February 27, 2017 at 2:02 pm

      I don't like to use bananas due to the problems with deforestation. Any other suggestions instead?

      Reply
    11. Clarence Navarro says

      June 30, 2018 at 4:38 am

      it's very useful tips, happy to know this tips, nice article for smoothie making, thanks for sharing .! I'll very thankful if you please post other tips ASAP. thanks in advance

      Reply

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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