p r e p s c h o o l

 

Smoothie prepping is ADDICTIVE. I love an organized fridge and freezer stocked with healthy options! If you spend one hour of grocery shopping making sure you have all ingredients (I’ll attach a shopping list of smoothie ingredients at the bottom of this post) and then less than one hour over the weekend creating… your week is going to run a WHOLE LOT SMOOTHER! You’re saving time and money! Win. Win. My smoothie prepping takes me less than 20 minutes. I turn on my favorite podcast, grab a bowl to fill with ingredients, a sharp pairing knife, cutting board and get busy…the end result looks like this:

Convenience is convenient, and I’ll NEVER COMPLAIN about the increase in healthy alternatives while on the go, but it can be COSTLY and really add up. Kurt and I stopped by a smoothie chain after church a couple of Sundays ago and it was $16 for two 20 ounce smoothies. Yes, it was a meal replacement so $8 per person is reasonable, but if I’m dining out I want to enjoy something that I know I won’t make at home…like sushi!

I know for a fact that I’m making my smoothies at home for around $3 each. This includes when I crank it up with acai berry, fresh herbs and chia seeds. Once you stock your pantry and freezer with powerhouse smoothie ingredients it’s hard to justify spending $8 for one that you may or may not enjoy. I ENJOY my smoothies.

Here are two of my favorite recipes:

Raspberry Jam

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

3/4 cup coconut milk

1 cup spinach

1 freezer prep bag of pineapple, kiwi and raspberries

blend and top with coconut flakes and chia seeds

Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

8 ounces coconut water

3/4 cup frozen pineapple

1/8 cup chopped cilantro…or just a small handful…stems and all

1 cup fresh spinach

1 tsp himalayan pink salt

juice from one lime

blend ingredients and serve in a frozen beer mug

garnish with pink salt rim, lime and mint

disclaimer: Slight guessing is included in the amounts of certain ingredients used in the recipes listed above.  Truth is, I have no clue the “exact” amounts of coconut milk, spinach, or fruit used in my smoothie.  I eyeball it like a pro, taste it, live and learn.  I use a lot of cilantro. I splash in whatever liquid I’m using…Precision is not my middle name. Lynn is.

I have at least 20 different smoothie recipes that are on repeat. I’ll share more in the future. As far as protein powders go…there are so many to choose from.  Look for one that is low in sugar, high in protein. I prefer plain or vanilla and if I want chocolate I make my own. I use sfh Pure Whey. I like the flavor, how well it blends and how it adheres to my standards when choosing what to put in my body. Do your research and if you have any questions I’m happy to try and answer them.

Here is the shopping list I promised. SmoothieShoppingList (1)

A Few Extras before you skip off to the grocery store:

• Take fresh herbs, chop and put in ice trays, cover with water and freeze to add to smoothies. Totally worth it, especially if you’re like me and can’t keep them alive long enough to use them up. Green eyes, yes. Green thumb…not so much.
• No vacuum sealer??? Vacuum seal the creative Pinterest way…To get a tighter seal on my bags I close it leaving just enough room on one edge for a straw. I then use the straw and suck out as much air as possible before sealing off completely.
• A great way to get vitamin C in your blood is to add EmergenC packets to your smoothies before blending. This past Monday I felt a little wonky with low energy, sniffles and a mild sore throat…immediately I knew to boost my vitamin C intake and fight back. Not having it!
• Another kick is to add a dash of cayenne to your smoothies. Cayenne aids in digestion, alleviates gas and removes toxins from the body. Bam!
• Double the recipes to fill 8 popsicle molds for the whole family to enjoy! Yes, you can add alcohol before freezing to make adult treats, but No you cannot add benadryl to trick your kids into a nap so you can binge watch some Netflix in peace…

Comment below and let me know how it goes! Love, love, loving all your feedback! February is love.

**all photos are originals taken by me. All typos are orginal and excused by me.

*** this blog post was not on my editorial calendar. This blog post happened because of a fruit fly…which led me to my bananas…which I found to be browning…which led me to stop whatever else I was doing because it was a good time to get those bananas into freezer bags for my smoothies…which made me think you might want to know about my smoothie operations….and now you do.