Are you looking for a nutritious, delicious breakfast option that won’t take up too much time? Smoothie meal prep could be the perfect solution! Smoothie meal prepping is an easy way to have healthy, nutrient-packed breakfasts ready in minutes.
In this blog post, we will discuss what smoothie meal prep is, why you should do it, the benefits of smoothie meal prep, and the steps to prepping your smoothies ahead of time. We will also provide tips on storing prepped smoothies and how to make the perfect nutrient-dense smoothie.
So let’s get started!
What is Smoothie Meal Prep and Why Should You Do It
Smoothie meal preparation involves finding a recipe, buying the ingredients needed for that recipe, pre-portioning the ingredients, storing them in individual containers, and then placing them in the freezer.
With your ingredients already portioned out, simply toss them into a blender, add your liquid, and blend! Smoothie meal prep is an easy way to save time in the morning by having all of the ingredients for breakfast already prepped and ready to go.
Smoothie preparation allows you to take the guesswork out of breakfast while ensuring you meet your nutritional requirements. In addition, preparing your smoothie ingredients in advance will make this already quick breakfast even faster.
Benefits of Smoothie Meal Prep
Meal-prepped smoothies offer four significant advantages: they reduce your cooking time, provide more nutrition, keep you from skipping breakfast, and are easy to customize.
Time save: Meal prepping your smoothie ingredients can save you time and effort in the morning as all your components are already portioned out and ready to go.
Get more nutrition: Smoothie meal prep it can be an excellent way to backfill some of the key nutrients you know throughout the day you’re missing out on.
Stop skipping breakfast: Smoothie meal prepping can help you break out of the bad habit of skipping breakfast.
Easy to modify: As you settle into your weekly routine, it may become apparent that you need to obtain the recommended amount of fruit. The perfect solution? Simply add a serving to your smoothie every morning, and voila – all nutritional needs have been met! This can be applied to any other required nutrients as well.
Steps for Prepping Your Smoothies Ahead of Time
- Choose your recipe: Select a smoothie recipe that sounds good to you and meets your dietary needs.
- Gather all the ingredients: Make sure that you have all the necessary ingredients on hand – whether it’s fruit, protein powder, almond milk, or anything else. Consider each ingredient’s quantity per smoothie and multiply that by the total number you want to prepare.
- Prepare in bulk: Add your ingredients into resealable meal-prep containers. Label them with the date and add a sticky note of instructions.
- Store in the freezer: Place your containers into the freezer, ready to blend when you’re ready!
Tips for Making Prepped Smoothies
Regardless if you are looking for a smoothie recipe for weight gain or loss, here are my tips for making meal-prepped smoothies.
Tip #1: Measure out portion sizes for each ingredient
Accurately measure each ingredient by using a food scale or measuring cups. Avoid my mistake, which was to estimate without any weighing or measuring system and run out of strawberries!
Tip #2: Choose your Smoothie Container Wisely
Reusable containers are great for storing smoothies in the fridge or freezer. When choosing a container, ensure it’s airtight and has an easy-to-use lid that can be sealed securely. I’m a fan of having two compartments, which allow me to keep my dry ingredients and fruit perfectly segregated.
Tip #3: Buy in bulk
Smart shoppers know that by purchasing oats, chia seeds, and protein powder in bulk they can reduce the cost-per-serving significantly.
Tip #4: Buy frozen fruits and veggies
Frozen fruits and vegetables will last longer than fresh alternatives. I choose to buy fresh bananas and freeze them, as this is an effective way to extend their shelf life.
Tip #5: Use a food nutrient calculator
Using a food tracking application like Cronometer to uncover your smoothie’s nutritional benefits allows you to decide what ingredients and combinations provide the best value for you. By inputting each ingredient into the app, including fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, you can see the exact nutrient breakdown of your smoothie.
How to Make the Perfect Nutrient-Dense Smoothie
Protein
Several options for adding protein to your smoothie include milk, yogurt, and protein powder.
Milk: You will need to add some liquids, and milk is an easy choice it adds both calcium and about 8-15 grams of protein.
Greek yogurt: With about 15-20 grams of protein per serving and adds creaminess while providing probiotics that can aid digestion.
Protein powder: With about 25 grams of protein, it provides concentrated amounts of essential amino acids.
Complex carbohydrates
Adding complex carbohydrates such as oats to your smoothie meal prep can help increase your concoction’s energy and overall nutrient content. Oats are high in dietary fiber, magnesium, zinc, and Vitamin B1, which make them a good bang for your buck carb source.
Healthy fats
Adding healthy fats to your meal-prepared smoothies is essential to making them nutrient-dense and beneficial for your health. Healthy fats provide essential fatty acids, promote satiety, and help support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins from other ingredients in the smoothie. Excellent sources of healthy fats for smoothies are chia seed, almond butter, avocado, etc.
Fruit & Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are essential for a balanced diet and are packed with essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, the majority of the population needs to eat more fruits or vegetables daily. Adding them to your smoothie prep is an easy way to check a few boxes.
Final thoughts
Smoothie meal prep is the perfect solution for busy mornings, as it allows you to have healthy and delicious breakfasts ready in minutes.
With a few simple steps such as measuring out portion sizes, choosing your smoothie recipe, buying in bulk, using frozen fruits and vegetables, and utilizing food nutrient calculator apps like Cronometer, you can create nutrient-dense smoothies that are packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and essential micronutrients from fruit & veggies.
Noah Quezada is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Noah specializes in helping people develop lifelong habits and skills that lead to a long and productive healthy life. Noah’s goal is to provide evidence-based nutrition information through blogging, video, podcasting, and coaching.
