Quick & Convenient Frozen Smoothie Packs!
Increase your fruit and vegetable intake with this convenient snack
Written by: Nathalie Prayogo, a student in the Nutrition and Food Science, Dietetics Specialization program at the University of Alberta and reviewed by our Health Stand Nutrition Dietitian Team
Looking for a quick and easy breakfast or snack? Or just a refreshing beverage after playing sports or a gym workout? Try a smoothie! Smoothies can help increase your fruit and vegetable intake. They keep you full for a while, and on top of that, are refreshingly delicious. Smoothies, especially these smoothie packs are so simple to make which can be great for kids to make on their own depending on their age. Need a last minute snack on-the-go when you’re kids are hungry before sports? Smoothies are a great idea for a range of purposes!
A quick and easy way to make smoothies are by preparing your own frozen smoothie packs. Although you can always get premade smoothie packs from the store, I find it more interesting to make your own smoothie packs. All you need to do is to put your fruits and vegetables for your smoothie in a Ziplock bag, reusable food storage bag or container and put it in the freezer until you need to use it.
Here are a few recipes that you can use to make your own smoothie packs!
What You Need
Sweet Green Smoothie Ingredients
- 1 medium banana
- 1 cup of raw spinach or Swiss Chard
- ¼ cup green kiwi
- 1½ cups 1% milk can be substituted with your preferred choice of milk
- 1 scoop of whey protein powder (or other protein powder) optional
Nutrition Facts
This Sweet Green Smoothie is high in Calcium and Vitamin C. If adding the protein powder, it is also high in protein. This smoothie also contains around 394 calories, 49 g of carbohydrates, 5.5 g of fat, 40 g of protein, and 5.1 g of fiber.
Recipe adapted from Prevention.com
Number of Servings: 1
What You Need
The BnB Smoothie Ingredients
- 1 Cup of 1% Milk can be substituted with your preferred choice of milk
- 1 Medium Banana (fresh or frozen)
- ¾ cup Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp of chia seeds
Nutrition Facts
The BnB smoothie is high in fiber and protein due to the chia seeds. It can also be a good source of calcium. The BnB smoothie also has 328 calories, 50 g of carbohydrates, 9.9 g of fat, 14 g of protein, and 13.1 g of fiber.
Recipe adapted from joyfoodsunshine.com
Number of Servings: 1
What You Need
Q’s Berry Banana Smoothie Ingredients
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 tsp of chia seeds
- 1 cup of 1% milk can be substituted with your preferred choice of milk
- 1/3 cup of quick oats
- 1 scoop of whey protein powder (or other protein powder) optional
Nutrition Facts
Q’s Berry Banana Smoothie is filled with lots of macronutrients that can help energize you throughout the day. Containing 414 calories, this smoothie also has 55 g of carbohydrates, 6.4 g of fat, 37 g of protein, and 6.9 g of fiber.
This deliciously sweet recipe is from @qs_healthandfitness_
Number of Servings: 1
How to Make Your Own Smoothie Packs:
- Put all of the fruits and vegetables needed in a Ziplock bag, reusable food storage bag or container.
- Put your premade smoothie packs in the freezer until you are about to use them.
How to Make the Smoothie Recipe:
- Grab your premade frozen smoothie pack.
- Put ingredients from your frozen smoothie pack in the blender, along with the other unfrozen ingredients (such as dairy and other milk alternatives, or yogurt).
- Blend well and enjoy!
How to Personalize Your Smoothie
Different people have different preferences. There are so many ways to personalize your smoothie to cater to your liking. Here are a few tips and tricks to personalize your smoothie:
- Feel free to add more or less milk to change the consistency of your smoothie. If you prefer a thicker smoothie, try reducing the amount of milk. For a thinner smoothie, simply add more milk!
- Try coconut water instead of milk or other milk alternatives.
- Feeling like a bigger smoothie? Add the amount of ingredient servings into your smoothie. Similarly, you can reduce it if you feel it is a little bit too much.
- Another way of thickening your smoothie is by adding ice! It also makes your smoothie colder if you’re looking for a colder drink.
- Not a fan of eating vegetables? Try adding other vegetables in your smoothie such as cooked cauliflower, cooked carrots or avocado (while this may sound strange you might be pleasantly surprised this is a good way to eat your veggies!)
- A cost effective way to boost calcium and protein in your smoothie is to add powdered milk. 1/3 cup of powdered milk has the same nutrition as 1 cup of fluid milk.
- Protein powders are completely optional in your smoothie. It is best to consult with a registered dietitian to figure out how much protein intake you need. For more information on personal nutrition counseling services, check out our: Registered Dietitian & Calgary Nutritionist Services.
In our busy lives and schedule, it can be hard to maintain a sufficient fruit and vegetable intake. Fortunately, these frozen smoothie packs are a convenient way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Try this premade smoothie pack snack next time you’re meal-prepping for the week, post a photo of your smoothie, and tag us on Facebook and Instagram @healthstandnutrition!
Check out these other incredible smoothie recipes by the Health Stand Nutrition Team:
Looking for more simple meal-planning tips and healthy recipes?
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