Smmmoooooth

 
Too busy to make smoothies?  Listen up!
Mike and I love smoothies. We seem to make more of them when we are training for a race as an after run snack, but they can be satisfying any time of day.

When I first started making smoothies it seemed like quite a process having to pull out every single ingredient. I would cut up a banana, get the frozen fruit out of each separate bag and put it all in the blender. The end result, however yummy, was not worth the effort to assemble. 

I thought about how to make the process quicker and came up with a pretty great time saving tip...SMOOTHIE BAGS!

Talk about a shortcut!  This little idea has saved me mucho time and I am so happy to share it with you!
Here’s how you do it:


I usually make about 6 smoothie bags at a time to keep in the freezer.  Be sure to have 3 bananas and one large bag of frozen strawberries or fruit of your choice.



Set out 6 zip lock bags and fold the top over so they stand upright.  Cut the bananas in chunks and add half of each banana to an individual bag. 

Then add 6-8 frozen strawberries (or fruit of choice assuming they are in smaller chunks - if not, you can chunk them yourself).


Close the bags and place in the freezer. 



Easy peasy!

Now, when you are ready for a smoothie, just grab a smoothie bag, 1 container of vanilla yogurt and OJ.  This healthy, nutritious snack will take about 3 minutes start to finish with this Smoothie Bag shortcut.  Kids love them, too!

These bags are a staple in my freezer and make smoothie making quick and easy.

Fruit Smoothies:
Yields 1 large smoothie or 2 smaller smoothies
Print this recipe!

• 3/4 C berries or fruit of choice (I use strawberries, but you could use any frozen fruit)
• 1/2 of a banana cut into chunks
• 1 container of fat-free vanilla yogurt
• OJ - about 1 C, or enough to just cover ingredients in blender

Put all ingredients into the blender.  Blend, blend, blend. 



I like mine very smooth so I blend the mess out of it.  I guess that's why they are called smoothies, ha!  If you prefer more of a liquid-y smoothie just add more OJ until you reach the desired consistency, or decrease the amount if you prefer a thicker smoothie.

Want a little kick?  Add crunchies on top. 
My recommendations:  granola or walnuts