How to prepare smoothie packs

Smoothies are an excellent way to pack in a lot of nutrition quickly and easily. If you have fussy kids, you’re probably already well aware of the power of the smoothie – packing in all that green stuff they would normally turn their noses up at. It’s also a great way of using up fruit that’s beyond its prime – overripe fruit is perfect for smoothies.

Here’s how to prep smoothie packs so that you always have a delicious smoothie at the ready.

The quick way

Chop up a variety of fruit & veg and pop into small zip-lock bags. Freeze. Done! You’ll have to take this out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you plan on using it as the fruit & veg will most probably freeze in a solid chunk.

The better way

Chop up a variety of fruit & veg and lay out on a baking tray. Freeze fruit & veg flat on the tray. Once frozen, divide into zip-lock bags. This will ensure that the fruit & veg doesn’t freeze in one solid chunk and you can pop this into the blender straight from the freezer without blowing your blender motor!

What to pack in your smoothie bags

• For creaminess, add bananas, mangoes or avocado
• For sweetness, pack in bananas, peaches or berries
• For acidity or to balance out sweet overripe fruit, add pineapple or kiwi
• For a big hit of nutrition, pack in baby spinach or kale
• Some veggies can overpower the taste, so add cooked pumpkin, carrot, fennel (stewed) or brocollini in small quantities
• To hide strong tastes, add banana (yep, banana is pretty much mandatory!)

Additions

• You’ll need to add yoghurt, milk (any variety), juice, watermelon or water to get a smoothie consistency
• Oats and raw unsalted nuts are brilliant at thickening up smoothies (throw them in the blender through the feeder hole as the blades are spinning to get a better blend)
• Pop in some dates for extra sweetness.

Smoothie combinations

Here are my favourite blends:

• My go-to -> banana, berries, spinach and yoghurt
• Mango, lychee and coconut milk
• Banana, peach, oats and almond milk
• Mango, banana, almonds and yoghurt
• Pineapple, mango, mint and coconut milk
• Banana, mango, kiwi and pineapple juice

So, what are you waiting for? Get prepping and you’ll be enjoying a nutrition-packed smoothie each morning.

What are your favourite smoothie combinations?