Prevent Food Waste with Smoothies
Ah, the smoothie the bowl. Seemingly the most exclusive, coveted, most difficult-to-make item in the world of health, wellness, and beauty – at least I was always intimidated by it. I never made smoothies on a regular basis because it seemed that a lot of produce purchasing and prep had to go into it, but with a totally different approach, it doesn’t have to be like that.
Every weekend I shop for what I plan to consume within the week, especially when it comes to produce. So when I was left with extra bunches of bananas and berries after hosting a brunch, or when I accidentally bought double the amount of sweet potato needed for a recipe, or when I didn’t make it through all of the kale due to unexpected meals out, I suddenly became overstocked with fresh produce.
Not seeing how I’d get through all of that produce within the week, I turned to my freezer – the keeper of all leftover foods. The plan: to get all produce that would otherwise go bad sliced, cooked if necessary, frozen, and stored for smoothie use. I sliced up any extra bananas and froze in a single layer on a cookie sheet before storing. I cubed the sweet potato and roasted it all (some seasoned for dinner, some left plain for smoothies). Leftover berries were chopped and frozen. After hoarding all of this surplus produce, I found I had all the makings of a smoothie.
Ideas on how to prepare and collect leftovers during the week for weekend smoothies:
Slice berries that are about to go to mush (or, perhaps they have already), place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, freeze, dump into a storage container and keep in the freezer.
Don’t toss the kale leaves or carrots lingering at the bottom of your stash! Throw them fresh into a fruit smoothie where you won’t even notice those extra veggies.
Slice bananas when it seems you may not get to them before they become overripe, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, freeze, dump into a storage container and keep in the freezer.
Cut leftover, plain veggies prepared for dinner (like zucchini, squash, sweet potato, cauliflower) into ½ inch pieces, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, freeze, dump into a storage container and keep in the freezer. Tip: keep the skin on the veggies – they have a ton of nutrients and blend into a smoothie well.
Adding a few pantry items to your smoothie of leftovers can really kick it up:
Shredded coconut for added flavor and body.
Rolled oats for added fullness factor.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, and cardamom for a jolt of flavor.
Water to stretch the smoothie. Adding half the volume of the smoothie as water and the smoothie will still be packed with flavor while tamping down the sugar load of all of those fruits.
If you are aware of the elements of a smoothie, you can throw a bunch of stuff into a food processor and it will still come out tasty.
Creamy fruits add flavor, and provide a thicker, less icy texture due to higher starch and fiber.
Sweet fruits add tons of bright flavor.
Body builders, like shredded coconut and rolled oats add to the thickness of the smoothie as well as the fullness you feel with fiber and fat.
Liquid helps to stretch the smoothie's volume and sugar content. I usually just add water, tasting as I add more in doses.
Citrus adds a bright juiciness if you're after fruit-forward smoothie.
Greens provide a low-sugar backdrop of nutrients - you can usually hide a lot of greens behind just a bit of fruit.
Cleaning a blender is a pain, so make a large batch smoothie with enough for leftovers. Pour whatever isn’t consumed into an ice cube tray, freeze thoroughly, and then pop out the cubes and store in a container in the freezer. Next time you want a smoothie, add the amount of smoothie cubes you want into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. My favorite hack for extra busy or lazy mornings: microwave the smoothie cubes in a microwave-safe bowl or cup, or leave out on the counter to thaw, and mash with a fork until smooth.
DONE. It’s smoothie time.
