Ever since my boys gave me a Vitamix for Mother’s Day I’ve been on smoothie overdrive! I’ve always liked smoothies in the morning for the speed, nutrition, and convenience factors. But having a new high powered tool makes it even more irresistible. Don’t worry if you don’t have a Vitamix though, a regular blender works just fine—I used mine for years and years with not much trouble.
Since I’ve been on a smoothie kick I thought I would compile a list of the things that I do to streamline the process.
Frozen Fruits: I like to freeze my fruits ahead of time and use them instead of ice cubes for slushy smoothies. Too many ice cubes water down the flavor. Simply line a jelly roll pan with a piece of parchment paper and cover with fruit. Allow to freeze and transfer into a storage container or zip top bag.
Some of my staples are bananas and watermelon. I also freeze avocados when they get ripe before I can use them and pineapples.
Leftover Smoothie: Sometimes my smoothies seem to multiply and we can’t drink them all in one sitting. However, leftover smoothies are just gross—they separate out and lose their flavor. I pour extra smoothie into an ice cube tray. Then I add random extra cubes to future smoothies.
Spinach cubes: I just saw this tip on pinterest last week! I buy the huge boxes of spinach at Costco. It’s organic and so inexpensive—cheaper to just use half and throw it out than to buy a smaller quantity at the regular grocery store. But I hate to waste it. So I’ve just started pureeing the spinach and freezing it into ice cubes. Then they’re ready to add to any smoothie to make it a monster! Just add a ¼ c – ½ c of water to your blender with the spinach and let it go. It will turn into puree instantly!
Another note about spinach—if you are not using a high powered blender, add non frozen spinach and the liquid you’re using and blend first before adding other ingredients.
Protein: I don’t use any protein powders in my smoothies. I guess I could, but out of laziness/cost factor/not caring too much I haven’t bothered. Instead I usually throw in a scoop of chia or hemp seeds, or sometimes some walnuts. They give it a good boost, and with a high powered blender they blend right in.
Liquid: I usually use almond milk in my smoothies. Sometimes I use water if I want a brighter fruity flavor, and on the rare occasion that we actually have juice in the house I will sometimes add a splash. But mostly I stick with the almond milk because it is fortified with vitamins, and I share my smoothie with David each day and I want to make sure to get him an extra dose of important nutrients.
Some of my favorite smoothies:
Apple Pie Smoothie
Banana Almond Shakes
Chocolate Covered Cherry Chia Smoothie
Green Boy Smoothie
Spinach Smoothie
Strawberry Orange Smoothie
Hope these tips help to speed up your morning routine! What is your favorite kind of smoothie to make? Do you make one each day? Do you mix up your flavors, or do you have 1 staple flavor combination that you make over and over?
