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The diagnosis: “Husband Frustration”.
There’s the laundry build-up. But, that’s manageable.
Then, the trash. Truthfully, the added chore is somewhat enjoyable.
Have we discussed the toilet seat? Yea, I won’t go there. After all, this is a food post. I promise, I’m getting to the food.
Out of all the hubby frustrations, one tops many lists: food. The laundry can build (you know how much I love laundry) and the trash is manageable, but having a husband who doesn’t enjoy the full experience of salted kale chips, chia seeds, or beets just isn’t fun for any real food wife.
My real food conversion came via a dare from Dustin (AKA, my husband). His tempting dinner dare sent this former fast food loving gal on a real food crash course. Boxed pasta with mystery sauce was quickly replaced with large helpings of seasonal veggies. Juice loaded with artificial sugar was replaced with homemade green juice, kombucha, and good ol’ water.
Dustin happily accepted our new food life at home, but lunch at work often involved fast food indulgence or a quick stop at his favorite barbecue chain. Truthfully, I don’t blame the poor man. Our real food life at the time consisted of an extreme plant-based, no animal-products diet. The man just needed a good helping of bacon. Bless his heart and hungry tummy.
Over the years our real food diet has evolved. Food isn’t black and white, good and bad. White flour isn’t always the enemy, and the occasional pan of decadent brownies topped with homemade ice cream is a satisfying treat. As I’ve chill-laxed (yep, I totally said that) and learned to cook satisfying meals in my own kitchen, Dustin has slowly (all on his own) renounced the fast food pit stops. In fact, today he’s a fully converted real food junkie.
Need evidence?
Evidence provided.
Back in May I ventured away from home for a girls’ trip to Indiana, leaving Dustin on daddy/babysitter/cook duty. I spent the day before my trip shopping for food and preparing as many plan-ahead meals as possible. I walked on the plane the next morning with full confidence my family would survive, and prayed the meals I prepared would be enjoyed.
Monday evening I arrived home to two happy (fed) kids and a clean house. After a few hugs and kisses the kids couldn’t wait to share their new daddy/kid activity: smoothie-making. Dustin took smoothies to a whole new level while I was gone, creating fancy, nutrient-packed treats. I beamed and wondered why I ever fretted.
Today, Dustin is all about the smoothie-making. It’s been nice to relinquish a bit of kitchen/cooking duty. In fact, the man has become so serious about his smoothie endeavors he recently high-jacked borrowed my blender, taking it to work, just to make an afternoon smoothie and instantly becoming the most popular man at work. In order to support his smoothie-making love, I spent my weekend creating quick and easy freezer smoothie packs.
Each smoothie pack is loaded with fruits and leafy greens, all the ingredients needed to make a delicious afternoon smoothie without the fuss of gathering ingredients or “wasting” time at work.
You don’t have to be the crazy smoothie-making guy at work to enjoy the benefits of freezer smoothie packs. Freezer smoothie packs are perfect for busy school mornings or a quick afternoon snack. Today, I’m sharing five of my favorite smoothie pack recipes. These recipes will help get you started.
5 Freezer Smoothie Pack Recipes
You don’t have to be the crazy smoothie-making guy at work to enjoy the benefits of freezer smoothie packs. Freezer smoothie packs are perfect for busy school mornings or a quick afternoon snack. Today, I’m sharing five of my favorite smoothie pack recipes. These recipes will help get you started.
Ingredients
Very Berry Smoothie
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 banana sliced
- 1 cup apple juice sweeter version
Mango, Strawberry, & Banana Smoothie
- 1 cup mango
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 banana sliced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
Berry Grape Smoothie
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1/2 cup grapes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
Tropical Bliss Smoothie
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 cup mango
- 1 banana sliced
- 1 cup orange juice
Sweet & Sour Berry Smoothie
- 2 kiwis peeled and halved
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries
- 1/2 cup peaches
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
Instructions
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In labeled ziplock bags, combine the ingredients for each smoothie except the liquid. Keep bags in the freezer.
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To use a freezer pack, add 1 cup liquid to the base of the blender followed by smoothie pack contents and any extras such as chia seeds or coconut manna. Blend until smooth.
Recipe Video
Note: Add 1 cup of greens to any smoothie pack before freezing for added nutrients.
- Build your own smoothie pack recipe: 2 cups fruit, 1 sliced banana, 1 cup greens (optional).
- Add 1 cup of liquid (water, coconut water, juice, milk) to the blender, then add frozen smoothie pack contents.
- If you’re using frozen fruit to build smoothie packs, work fast. Defrosted fruit will stick together once frozen resulting in a giant ice block.
- Boost your smoothie’s nutrition by adding chia or flax seeds. Adding coconut manna or half a avocado will produce a creamier smoothie.
- Freeze yogurt in ice cube trays. Add the yogurt ice cubes to smoothie packs. Or add fresh yogurt to the blender after adding a liquid, followed by the smoothie pack contents.
These all look amazing! I’ve been trying to make smoothies more often lately. I love the colors!
Thank you, Medha! I love the colors of the fruit too!
I’m looking forward to trying these recipes this week! 🙂 By the way, did I miss the fifth recipe? I only see four…
Hey Dana, Oh heavens, thank you for catching that! I think mommy-brain kicked in with that fifth recipe and somehow it was never added. Just added the recipe now. Enjoy the smoothies!
Wonderful idea! Now to get my hubby to eat a smoothie (?! 😀 ).
Just like children, you have to trick them! (husbands)
You make your big giant blender-ful of smoothie and simply say, “omg, i cant drink this whole thing!” Then you just HAND HIM a big glass of yummy, and he’ll only say, “mmm… strawberry milkshake….” Strawberries often dominate other flavors, so offering that flavor first time out will reel ’em in. They’re hooked! And nobody doesnt like strawberries.
BTW, topping off the smoothie with a couple glugs of ginger ale or club soda or sparkling water makes a smoothie into a tropical treat. Add a big wedge of pineapple and you’re golden.
Love this!! 🙂
Thank you, Jessica :).
The recipes look fantastic, but what really caught my eye are those beautiful measuring cups! Where did you get them?
Thanks, Erin, I love those measuring cups. I found them at Home Goods.
Awesome mason jar glasses with straw holders. Tips on where to find?
Hey Katherine, Thank you. I use the Ecojarz tops (come with stainless straws): http://amzn.to/1piMh50. The tops fit on any mason jar. I find my mason jars at local grocery stores.
Can bananas be frozen? If so, how do you keep them from turning black and mushy upon thawing?
Hey Theresa, The bananas will turn brown in the freezer and will have a soft texture when defrosted. Because the bananas are blended in smoothies it’s not a big deal for us. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the bananas if you’re planning to eat them straight from the freezer.
You can freeze cut bananas and pop as much as you need right into a blender when you’re ready to make something. They will last about a month in the freezer before starting to turn brown.
Hey Cynthia, That’s a great idea! Thank you for sharing that great tip.
Great article. We have been going smoothie crazy for the last couple of years too! Because we often work opposite shifts, I love making up big batches of smoothies when I have the time. I then pour the mixture into single serving containers and pop them in the freezer. We can then grab one on the run any time. The cups thaw in 15 minutes or so (depending on container size). Actually, in the summer we like eating them frozen with a spoon. Also, throwing in a few chunks of melon adds a refreshing taste. Thanks for sharing your ideas!!
Hey Diann, What a fantastic time-saving idea! My kids would love eating a frozen smoothie with a spoon like an ice cream treat. Thanks so much for sharing!
If you can also freeze large batches of smoothies in ice cube trays for a faster thaw or variable serving sizes.
Great idea, Cynthia!
I’ve been pre bagging my smoothies for a while now, so convenient! Rather than putting the yogurt into trays I just scoop out and place right inside the bag. Another thing I do is when I get home with all I greens/veggies, I wash them all, juice out the liquid in the juicer then I pour it into the blender along with the discarded fiber add some water and blend it up pour it info trays freeze and the place a few cubes into each bag. By doing this my veggies don’t go bad and it makes for a quick smoothie only having to add my ground seeds to it. 🙂
Hey Deanna, Thank so much for sharing! Such a great idea to use the green and veggies that way!
Is there any reason you don’t add the ground seeds to the freezer packs? I was thinking about doing that but maybe I shouldn’t?
Hi Emily,
Kristin is currently out of the country, but I’ll make sure to let her know of your comment so she can respond when she returns. ~Rachel
Hey Emily, You could add them. There’s no reason :).
They are awesome! How many does each recipe serve?
Hey Stephanie, Thanks :). The recipes will make approx. 4 cups, give or take depending on fruit size.
How many servings do each of these recipes make?
Hey Stephanie, The recipes will make approx. 4 cups, give or take depending on fruit size.
Perfect!! Thank you!
Thank you!
You’ve given me 2 wonderful new ideas when I make our smoothies every morning: avocado for creaminess and freezing the yogurt. Thank you 🙂
Hi KRP DIEM, I’m so glad. Enjoy your morning smoothies :).
Yes, thank you for pointing out that yogurt can be frozen. Goat yogurt is not easy for me to get, so I will now be stocking up and freezing. Are there any negative effects of freezing it?
Hey Cynthia, Freezing is a pretty safe method for preserving food. Goat yogurt will be perfect to preserve via the freeze. Just make sure you freeze the yogurt in small portions so it’s easy to defrost and use. If you’re planning to eat the yogurt you may need to gently whisk it after freezing.
Just wondering, are these smoothie freezer pack 1 serving? It seems like a lot for one serving.
Hey Diane, Each smoothie pack makes approximately 4 cups of smoothie, give or take based on fruit size.
thank you- we have just started this smoothie, juicing journey. Your information was very helpful
How long does the freezer packs last? Also- do you know a receive that adds natural peanut butter?
thank you
Prdama
Hy prdama, The smoothie packs will last about six months to a year, probably longer. I would just be concerned about freezer burn to the greens, if storing the packs for longer. This smoothie uses natural peanut butter as an ingredient: https://livesimply.me/2014/06/15/chocolate-banana-protein-smoothie/. You can leave the oatmeal out and still make a super delicious smoothie!
oops meant recipe… that adds natural peanut butter.
Prdama
The jar lids are so pretty. Did you find those through EcoJarz tops? I don’t see them offered on their website. I see the straws, etc, but not the tops in your photos.
Hey Sue, Thank you. Those pretty tops actually came from Target’s dollar bins a couple months ago. I recently saw similar tops at a Micheal’s Craft Store.
Put lemon on the bananas before freezing and they will look fresh when making your smoothie.
Great idea, Caunelia. Thank you for sharing.
What a fabulous idea!
Thank you, Dale :).
I’m VERY new to smoothies and very excited to get started. Question: could you completely skip a meal with a smoothie? I don’t know if folks use these as a snack or as a meal replacement.
Hey Linda, If you consume a smoothie as a meal, I’d recommend adding a protein (nut nutter, oats, yogurt) or pairing a smoothie with nut butter toast or a hard boiled egg. Enjoy the smoothies!!!
Hi Linda, I don’t have much freezer space. Is it possible to blend all the ingredients (excluding liquid) first before freezing without compromising freshness or taste? Can’t wait to try these smoothies 🙂
Hey Maria, You can blend the smoothies and store them in mason jars (with about an inch of room on top for liquid expansion). The jars will store for about 3 months in the freezer before effecting the taste.
Thanks, Kristin. I’m working on this project today (now that the kids are back to school). I’m going to try all 5 recipes. Do you think I’d be able to store the blended smoothies in a ziplock bag? They would freeze flat. I’ve done this before with leftover pesto. Thanks for your quick response. I’ll let you know how it goes.
You’re welcome :). I love the idea of freezing smoothies in a Ziploc bag so they lay flat!! I must try that. I think it will work out great. Let me know how it goes!
I have search everywhere for the “perfect” ratio for a basic fruit smoothie and you have nailed it!!
Awesome, Elizabeth! Enjoy the smoothies!!
I just want to know if the food stored in these plastic bags maintains its nutrients, because I want to start to make the smoothie packs for all week at Sunday.
Hey Ana, I’m not sure of any issues with nutrients being lost via plastic bags :). Some people aren’t a fan of using plastic for plastic’s sake, so choose to use glass jars instead.
This is such a great idea! My baby loves smoothies! We put keifir in our smoothies to add a little bit of a probiotic boost.
Thank you, Kelly! The freezer smoothie packs make life (particularly with kids ;)) much easier. I love that you add kefir to your smoothies, great idea!
Thank you so much for this! My husband is on a major mission to improve his diet and we’ll definitely be adding these in. At the risk of sounding like a total pain in the butt, is there any chance you have the calorie info for each recipe?
Hey Corrie, I’m so glad the smoothie packs will be helpful! We don’t count calories, so I don’t calculate the calories in my recipes. The My Fitness Pal calorie counter may be helpful–you can plug in the recipe and the calculator generates calorie information: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
I love this. I’m getting ready for back to school and these would be great for the kids in the morning or after school.
Hey Erlene, Thank you! Freezer smoothie packs are perfect for busy school mornings. Enjoy!!
Thanks for these! Love having them ready in the freezer and they are delicious. I had to add extra liquid but I think it’s because my blender isn’t so great and everything gets stuck. Thanks again:)
Hey Kat, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the smoothie packs. Yes, the liquid will greatly depend on your blender, so feel free to add more. 🙂
love these recipes- can you tell me where you got the smoothie drinking glasses?!
Thank you, Lorraine. I purchased them from Target.
This is great! Wonderful article and we are looking forward to trying out these smoothie recipes!
Absolutely love the ideas. I’ve added them to my Must Do folder ( future tense- wait until fruit prices get within reason). Question: A lot of the recipes contain banana. I get the nutritional value, and how bananas help thicken and add a creamy texture, but I really, really dislike the taste of banana in anything . Besides your suggestion for avocado, any suggestions for a replacement ingredient in freezer bags that’ll replace bananas in similar way?
Hey Paula, I think you could add yogurt during the blending stage to reach the same creaminess. 🙂 Enjoy!!
I just made some smoothie packs this weekend! Another recipe I found had the great idea of freezing yogurt in ice cube trays. That way you can add the yogurt to the packs easily as well! Then you are literally only dealing with the true liquid (juice, water, etc) when blending.
OMG! I just found you & the first thing that caught my eye was your freezer smoothies. I have been learning Clean Eating for about a yr. now & have been making smoothies for a couple of yrs. Your story sounds so much like mine. Hubby still coming around, doesn’t like smoothies too much, yet. LOL Love that your hubby came up with freezer smoothies! I can not believe I haven’t come up with that! It takes me forever to make just one smoothie. Sometimes I make a big batch for extra, but never thought to do it his way. Great way to work together! Thank you so much for the great idea & I can’t wait to read on!!
wouldnt it be easier to pre blend them and then just add the pre blended (blent? 😉 ) to the blender with the milk or juice? honestly asking, not being smart
i mean blend the berries and yogurt and then freeze it all together in ice cube trays and then re-blend with coconut milk or juice?
Hey Valerie, You could definitely do that. I’d probably freeze the blended fruit in ice cube trays so they are easier to blend later with the liquid. You could also blend the smoothies and freeze the pre-made smoothies in freezer-safe mason jars.
I am highly allergic to strawberries. Could you replace them with raspberries? Or do you having other recipes that use raspberries?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Stephanie, The smoothie(s) may be a bit seedy with the raspberries. You could try a raspberry and blueberry combo, or just blueberries.
Thanks for the ingredient list – very helpful. Another thing I’ve been doing as I’m terrible at good blender practices (either it’s soaking in the sink or I can’t be bothered assembling it in the morning because I’m an alarm snooze criminal) is to put the blended smoothie in ice cube trays (in “meal prep” weekend time) and then the morning of all you need to do is put the ice cubes in the jar you drink your smoothie and by the time it defrosts I drink it. 🙂 if you you have it for breakfast or early morning can put in the fridge to defrost overnight.
Thanks again for the recipes. A lot simpler than some of the recipes I’ve tried and keen to try it out.
That’s such an awesome idea, Alissa! Thank you for sharing!
OMG, i have apparently been missing a standard (and brilliant) organization tool! “MEAL PREP WEEKEND” I dont have to wake up to an alarm, thank dog, but i might get up more willingly if i knew dinner was already prepped for cooking. I actually did know about this do-ahead dealio from watching the adorable Rachael Ray do the same thing on one of her old shows. However she managed to use almost an entire half gallon of cream/half n half for the week’s meals!!! I will sit myself down and make a game plan for prepping a week of smoothies, then plot out a week’s worth of dinners; cutting up, measuring and containing all the stuff for each meal. I love cooking but all the shopping and prep makes me irritated, which is possibly why i avoid even deciding what’s for dinner until dinner TIME!
Anyway, thanks for helping put my head in a different place, i can now see the future of dinner, and it’s good!
Maybe @kristenmarr would like to do an issue with week-o-dinners in a future blog post? (Just please easy on the spicy stuff, not everyone likes hot flavors)
Love your info! A note for Alissa – the best way to clean your blender:
add dish soap and water in it and turn it on ! Let it swirl away then rinse well….all done 😮 )
Thank you, Beatrice! Great tip!
Will I be able to fit one pack in a 650 ml nutri ninja/bullet cup?
Hey Jamie, I’m not sure.
Hi Kristin, I have started a new health-binge, cutting out all bad foods, soft drinks etc. I have also began at the gym, and have started taking a protein shake as I just don’t have the time to get the protein intake I need. I was wondering, with these recipes, could I add my protein powder? Or would you recommend searching for other recipes? I love how these can be prepared prior! Thanks 🙂
Hey Elle Zo, Awesome, I’m excited for you! You could definitely add protein powder to the packs. Here’s more information about making your own smoothie packs: https://livesimply.me/2017/10/03/how-to-make-your-own-freezer-friendly-smoothie-packs-prep-ahead-smoothie-hack/
Hello,
just wondering if you have heard of alternative bags to store as the plastic are good as they do not take up room in the freezer like a lunch box would. However I’m worried about the amount of plastic being used weekly for these and how we should all be cutting down on plastic use.
Hey Jade, Yes, Stasher bags are a great option. http://amzn.to/2BiV57Q
Thanks for providing such nice recipes for making smoothies. I will try some of your recipes and definitely give feedback about how the test is. Please provide some idea of how we can make the fruit salad with freezing.
Could plain greek yogurt be used for the yogurt in your recipes?
Hey Melissa, For smoothies, yes.
How much coconut manna do you add if/ when you use it? Can it be frozen in ice cube trays too?
Thanks!
Hey Brandy, I usually add about 1 TB of coconut manna per bag. It will make the smoothie a bit chunky once blended, if frozen in advance. But I like it.
Awesome post, Definitely I’m going to try these amazing smoothies. Healthy and tasty treat…
Thanks for sharing such an amazing post, Love you : )