In my post on New Year’s resolutions, I said that I’d publish a post on frozen fruit smoothies. Here it is! Because eating more fruit is one of my resolutions, fruit smoothies are an easy way to meet this goal.
This time of year in Canada it can be hard to get fresh fruit that tastes good and is reasonably priced. Of course, to keep your diet varied, you treat yourself to your favorite fruits from time to time. Mine are pineapples and mangoes.
But, if you don’t buy as many fruits in the winter, or you find yourself not finishing what you’ve bought, then consider the option of freezing leftover fruits and making smoothies. You can buy frozen fruits at the store but, by freezing unused fruits, I’m trying to accomplish another resolution, which is to waste less food.
Here’s what I do.
Any fresh fruit that hasn’t been eaten within a few days of being ripe gets cut up and put in a glass dish in the freezer overnight. I seem to have ripe bananas, pineapples, and strawberries left over the most. When I take the fruit out, I let it sit for a few minutes, then use a knife to loosen the fruit and store it in a freezer bag. Voila: unwasted fruit and fresh smoothie material!
To make smoothies, I use the Magic Bullet. You can use a blender, but the Magic Bullet is compact, convenient, and makes an individual serving quickly and with little clean-up.
For my smoothies, I fill the Magic Bullet cup with frozen fruit to the top and then add half orange juice and half water to the top. I find orange juice to be too caloric to make up all of the liquid in the smoothie. Then, I blend it, add more water if need be, and that’s it.
Some tips:
- Use pineapples and bananas to add a smooth texture; they’re the ‘softest’ frozen fruits
- Add yogurt, milk, or other juices if you don’t want to use orange juice as a base
- Use a mixture of fresh and frozen fruits if you don’t want your drink completely frozen
- Be aware that this is a ‘cold’ drink, and not your classic winter one, so dress appropriately!
What do you put in your smoothies? I’d love to hear about it.
Enjoy!
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Great ideas. I just cut a pineapple this morning and it was only half eaten. Freezing and making smoothies is a great way to use the rest. Smoothies are a great way to get kids to eat plain yogurt without a negotiation. We just found some raw unfiltered honey which is solid, will try that too.
So glad you like smoothies, too. Yogurt is a perfect addition. I agree that smoothies are a great way to get kids to eat nutritious foods in a fun format!
I recommend unsweetened almond or cashew milk. Gives a nutty flavor, and adds a few more healthy calories.
We also use the magic bullet.
Semi-related: have you thought about becoming an amazon affiliate?
Great idea with the almond and cashew milk and I will try that – I think the kids will like that, too. Thanks!!