How to Freeze Smoothies and Acai Bowls for School or Work

Learn how to pack smoothies for school or work!

We make smoothies daily in our house. Sometimes more than once daily, actually. Smoothies are such an easy way to get kids (and adults!) to enjoy more fruits and veggies. I’ve been freezing smoothies for later in glass jars for years. I grab them when I’m rushing out the door and too busy to make myself anything nutritious. And I grab one for my little ladies to enjoy on the car ride from school to after-school activities.

My only problem has been finding a way to pack smoothies for my girls’ at school, since glass at school is a no-no. Well, I’m happy to say that I have found a couple of great solutions and now my freezer is stocked with smoothies! My 2nd grader gushed all week about how much she loved having her smoothies at snack time.

Frozen smoothies make my life easier because the girls can grab their own smoothies out of the freezer and put them into their backpacks in the morning. They are perfectly defrosted by snack time, about 2 1/2 hours later, and about the consistency of ice cream at that point. They can last longer and make it until lunchtime when packed with an ice pack.

Making a batch of smoothies takes just a few minutes. This week we made tropical smoothies. Making them two toned is fun and easy – just make a light colored smoothie (we used oranges, banana, mango and pineapple), use half the smoothie, then add a few strawberries to the blender to make the smoothie pink.

I first learned about these Ball plastic freezer jars from my friend Laura of Momables.com. Although I typically avoid plastics, these are BPA-free, and much more school friendly than glass.

I recommend the 8-oz. jars for kids and 16 oz. for an adult sized serving. I do have another solution if you really don’t want to use plastic at all, so keep on reading… 

We are big big fans of acai bowls. They pack so much nutrition into a tasty little gorgeous package. They can also cost a pretty penny at the juice bar. So I’ve been freezing acai bowls for later too! To freeze acai bowls, fill the jars halfway and freeze. When you take them out of the freezer, top with granola, seeds or nuts, and your favorite berries. Here’s a recipe for acai bowls. Pitaya Bowls are also great. 

P.S. Dirty fingers are a big faux pas in the world of food blogging, but you know what? Kids should have fingers with bits of paint on them, so I’m not touching this image with Photoshop.

Option #2 for taking smoothies to school. Make the smoothie as late as possible and then transfer immediately to an insulated container like this one. The smoothie will stay cold until snacktime kept at room temperature, and longer in a bag with an ice pack. The only downside to this option is that you can’t keep a big stockpile of smoothies in your freezer.

Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to keep my kids and myself healthy through cold season. I add a splash of Bio-K probiotics (find them by the refrigerated supplements) to our smoothies to boost gut health and immunity.

You might also be interested in how to freeze avocados, as they are a great addition to smoothies! 

Two-toned Tropical Smoothie Recipe

Yield: enough for 3 (8 oz.) jars

Ingredients:

3 seedless tangerines, peeled

1/4 cup almond milk

2 cups frozen pineapple or mango, or a combination

1 banana, peeled

5 strawberries (optional)

 

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a blender except for the strawberries. Blend until smooth. Spoon half the smoothie into jars. Add the strawberries and continue to blend until smooth. Add more almond milk or water if needed to thin. Pour or spoon the rest of the pink smoothie over the orange. Freeze.

 

 

My Smoothie Supplies (Amazon Affiliate Links)

 

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, I just love the products and wanted to share them with you. I do make a small commission on Amazon sales through my site.