DIY Smoothie Packets

If you’re looking to cool off in the mornings, turn to smoothies for beat-the-heat breakfasts and afternoon snacks. A blended-up batch of icy cold good-for-you ingredients is the perfect antidote to summer’s heat and humidity, but I must confess I don’t always like the prep work involved in making them.

A great solution is to fill the freezer with what I like to call ‘DIY Smoothie Packets’. They’re a pre-made package of frozen items which, when blended with liquid ingredients and/or yogurt, makes 1-3 servings of smoothie quite quickly. You can even incorporate your favourite smoothie recipes when creating your smoothie packets.

How to make smoothie packets:

1. Slice, measure, and prepare all smoothie ingredients EXCEPT the liquid ingredients/yogurt
2. Place the fresh fruit pieces on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until firm
3. Label the packages with the smoothie name, date, and remainder of the recipe (how much/what type of liquid to add)
4. Transfer the frozen fruit and fresh greens to the labelled bags
5. Seal the bags and store in the freezer for up to three months. Use as needed

3 tips to help with the smoothie making process:

1. Freezing the fruit in a single layer before placing the pieces into the package isn’t necessary, but it does keep the fruit from clumping together into a large mass
2. This method is easiest with pre-packaged, already-washed greens
3. Removing the smoothie packets from the freezer about 20-30 minutes before using (maybe while you make your morning coffee) makes for easier blending.

The smoothie packet formula:

Try starting with a 1-2-3 formula for each smoothie packet:

• 1 banana
• 2 cups yogurt/liquid
• 3 cups frozen fruits/veggies

For example:

1 banana + 1 cup Greek yogurt + 1 cup orange juice + 2 cups strawberries + 1 cup blueberries

or

1 banana + 1 cup coconut water + 1 cup pineapple juice + 2 cups baby spinach + 1 cup mango

If you don’t enjoy the taste of banana (or happen to be allergic to them) you can replace with avocado. You will lose some of the natural sweetness that comes with adding bananas, but will maintain the creamy, thick texture that a banana adds to the smoothie. Have fun and play around with the formula in order to come up with a smoothie concoction that works for you and your family.