The Smoothie Bucket - Perfect Smoothies Without A Recipe!

You don't need a Smoothie Recipe, you need a Smoothie Bucket!  Keep a container in your freezer to add fruit extras whenever you have them and never waste fruit!  Make fast and easy, healthy frozen fruit smoothies, everyday without a recipe with fruit from your smoothie bucket!  Kid-friendly, it's a must-have for moms!

Never Waste Fruit with a Smoothie Bucket!

• It's a MUST for Moms! - I didn't realize that everyone wasn't doing this until I had an actual conversation with a fellow mom friend about my Smoothie Bucket. She looked at me in amazement over this very simple idea. You have a "bucket" (any large Tupperware, large jar, or a freezer bag) in your freezer and add fruit to it whenever you have random extras.

• Kids Can be Wasteful! - Like when your two year old only eats half of that banana. Or when you cut up some fruit for a snack and a few pieces are left over. Maybe you know those grapes aren't all going to get eaten before they go bad. Or you cut up a whole pineapple or cantaloupe and it's more than you can eat fresh. Or when your kindergartener decides that after a week of kiwi being the best food on Earth, she now no longer likes them after you bought the super-sized family pack. You get the idea, The Smoothie Bucket! Without our smoothie bucket, we would waste a lot of food!

• Smoothies Don't Need a Recipe! - So keep that frozen extra fruit on hand to add a super healthy plant-based smoothie to any breakfast! Smoothies don't need an exact recipe, any fruit will do and they taste a little different every time! And with a solid fruit and berry base, you can also make these hidden veggie smoothies by sneaking in a few greens or carrots.

• It's our daily burst of nutrition and it goes with eggs, Protein Pancakes, Homemade Instant Oatmeal, or any breakfast!

Ingredients

• Banana - I love to start a smoothie with a banana because they are cheap, healthy, and good for the consistency of the smoothie. Bananas over ripening on your counter can be peeled and tossed in the smoothie bucket. Frozen bananas really are better for taste and texture, but a fresh banana is okay too. And if you don't like them, a berry smoothie without banana will work just fine too.

• Frozen Fruit from your Smoothie Bucket - Your smoothie bucket is filled with any and all odd ends of fruits your family eats, and anything is fine to add! Definitely include berries! Berries are really the best for taste, so I like to add at least a half cup or more of any kind. You can buy a bag of frozen berries, or freeze fresh berries in the summer, to add in if your smoothie bucket lacks berries. Your smoothie bucket could have any kind of fruit in it such as kiwi, melon, apple, pear, pineapple, mango, grapes, watermelon, cherries without pits, oranges, plums, banana, and any kinds of berries.

• Hot Water - I like to add a splash of hot water from a tea kettle or faucet, just to slightly thaw the frozen fruit to go easier on my blender! This isn't totally necessary, and you can also add regular drinking water to your smoothie in addition to the orange juice.

• Ice - Adding a few ice cubes are optional, but it adds that nice frosty chill to a smoothie.

• Orange Juice - Orange juice is the liquid needed to blend up your smoothie. It also adds flavor and a bit of natural sweetness. You could also use any red berry or cranberry juice to get a different flavor. And if you are trying to cut out some sugar, you can use less orange juice and substitute some water.

• Almond Milk or Yogurt - I like to add something to give your smoothie a creamy consistency, plus extra protein. Any flavored nut milk or oat milk is a great option, or just a scoop of plain yogurt. Vanilla or strawberry yogurt are fine too.

• Optional Add-Ins -  Adding greens to smoothies is a great way to up the nutrition without anyone really noticing! Try adding a few leaves of kale or spinach, you can also add them to your smoothie bucket to have them frozen and ready. A couple baby carrots or a little chunk of broccoli or avocado also makes a great hidden veggie smoothie. For a higher protein mixed berry smoothie, add a spoonful of chia or flax seeds, or a few almonds or cashews.

Instructions

Now that you have your smoothie bucket stocked with all your extra fruit that you saved from being wasted, making your morning smoothie is super easy!

Step 1 - In you blender, add a fresh or frozen banana, and frozen fruit from your smoothie bucket, including some berries. Buy a bag of frozen berries if your smoothie bucket doesn't have enough.

I add a splash of hot water from my tea kettle or faucet as a precaution to prolong the life of my blender!

Step 2 - Add any optional add-ins like a few leaves of kale, spinach, a couple baby carrots or a spoonful of chia or flax seeds for added protein.

Step 3 - Add juice and almond milk or yogurt to cover and blend really really well. I usually blend my smoothie for a few minutes to get it really smooth!

Recipe Tips

• Ease your Family into a Hidden Veggie Smoothie! - Maybe start with 1 leaf at a time! You want to avoid "Did you put kale in this??" or "What's this green stuff??" But if you really let your blender run on high for awhile, it's pretty undetectable and a great way to make your smoothies super nutritious.

• Adding Protein - Add protein to your breakfast smoothie with a spoonful of seeds like chia or flax, or a scoop of yogurt. You could also add a few almonds or cashews, and remember that almond milk has protein too.

• Add Fruits you Don't Normally Eat - Smoothies are a great way to widen the variety of foods in your diet. If there is a healthy fruit that you just don't really like, you might like it or at least not notice it in a smoothie. This is great for kids too! Try giving them a fruit they've never tasted before or claim they don't like, like papaya, mango, kiwi or pineapple. Dice it up and offer it as a snack, knowing that if it doesn't get eaten, it can go in the smoothie bucket.

• No Recipe, No Measuring - Remember that the amounts in the recipe don't need to be exact! After a few smoothies you won't even need a recipe! If it gets too thick, add a bit of water. If it gets too thin, add a bit more fruit or another banana.

• Smoothies are versatile, flexible, and a great way to get a good dose of fruit, a few greens, vitamins, calcium, protein, and all that other good stuff to start your day! The recipe below is just a guideline, but now you know you don't need a recipe, you need a smoothie bucket!

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