Make-ahead Green Smoothie
How to get more greens in one's diet...the ever-present question.
The answer I've often been told is "just make a smoothie!"
Okay, great, but smoothies require a bunch of ingredients that need to be washed and cut and makes a bit of a mess in the kitchen that requires clean up. As a mom, I just don't have the time for that. One of my kids would inevitably be clawing at my leg or demanding a snack before I'd even get a single ingredient into the blender.
So what's a green-needing momma to do??? Pre-make them!
I first used this method when I was pregnant with my second baby. I knew we would be short on time and energy but also knew I would be needing quality foods with high nutritional content while I was recovering and nursing my new baby. So, about 6 weeks before my due date I started prepping food that we could have ready to go, and one of the most useful things I prepped were these smoothies. They worked great for me postpartum and they are great now with a household busy with two working parents with two little boys.
What you'll need:
Spinach
Kale
Celery
Apples
Lemons
Almond Butter (or another nut butter)
Ginger
Tumeric
Blender
Quart sized baggies (you could also use mason jars or similar to reduce waste)
Basically the idea is, put the ingredients that you would normally throw right into the blender into your baggies, get out as much air as you can, and then throw them in the freezer. Here are the specifics on what I put into each bag, but know that you can add, delete or change ingredients to your preference.
Prep it:
1 apple, chopped
1 handful of spinach
2 handfuls of kale
1 stalk of celery
2 heaping Tbsp of almond butter
1/8 lemon wedge, squeezed
small chuck of ginger, chopped
a few shakes of turmeric
These little beauties will stay good in your freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use them, set the bag out on the counter for about 5 minutes to let it soften up then dump the contents into the blender. Add 2 cups of water, blend, and enjoy. Each bag will make 2 tall glasses, one for you and your partner :)