Dump one bag in the blender while they find a shoe
Slice six overripe bananas, split them across six zip bags, and add a tablespoon of cocoa and a spoon of peanut butter to each. Twenty minutes on a Sunday makes a week of them.
In the morning it is one bag, a cup of milk, and thirty seconds of blending into a bottle with a lid they can drink in the car.
Nothing to measure at 7:10 in the morning, nothing to decide, and not one bruised banana going brown on the counter.
Ingredients
The batch makes 4 freezer packs, one smoothie each. Plan on about 15 minutes to prep, then freeze.
- 4 bananas, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups frozen strawberries or mixed berries
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 cups spinach (optional, hidden)
- Milk or juice for blending later (about 1 cup per pack)
How to Make It
- Set out four freezer bags or jars and label each with the date.
- Into each pack, add one sliced banana, 1/2 cup berries, and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.
- Add 1 tablespoon peanut butter and a small handful of spinach to each pack if you are hiding greens.
- Seal, press flat, and freeze. To serve, dump one pack in the blender with about 1 cup milk and blend until smooth.
Make It Work for Picky Kids
Smoothies hide a lot, but let a wary kid see you build a simple banana-and-cocoa pack first.
- Leave the spinach out of one pack for a kid who watches what goes in
- Keep the color chocolate-brown so hidden greens do not show
- Let the kid push the blender button so it feels like their drink
Pack or Store
This is a make-ahead system, so a busy week starts with a freezer full of packs.
- Freeze the bags flat so they stack and thaw evenly
- Use the packs within 2 months for the best flavor
- Send a finished smoothie in an insulated bottle and it stays cold to practice
- Serve with: a handful of granola
Parent Tip
Blend with cold milk straight from the fridge so the smoothie stays thick and frosty.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Mango spinach
Mango with a big handful of spinach blends bright green but tastes almost entirely like mango.
Mixed berry
Leave out the cocoa and use frozen berries for a kid who does not like chocolate in the morning.
Double peanut
Two spoons of peanut butter and extra cocoa makes something closer to a milkshake after a hard meet.
Pineapple coconut
Frozen pineapple with coconut milk gives a dairy-free bottle that still tastes rich.
Rolled oats
A quarter cup of oats per bag thickens it and holds a teenager until lunch.
Greek yogurt
Half a cup of plain Greek yogurt added at the blender adds protein without changing the taste much.
Plan the next step
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