How long do smoothies, shakes, juicing, etc. last?

janel814

I recently got a Nutribullet and find that I do not have time in the morning to prepare and consume the drink. I am wondering how many people premake and refrigerate drinks until later?

Does it change any of the properties? I read somewhere that you should consume juices within an hour of juicing, any ideas?

Or what about eating solid food for breakfast and lunch with only a liquid dinner??

eldamiano

Alternatively, just eat the fruit.....

janel814

I don't mean just fruit. I mean shakes with kale, spinach, fruits, nuts, powders, etc.....

eldamiano

Ok I would just eat whatever it is. Liquid form is not as good for you.

KariOrtiz2014

Bump!

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amy8400

I make fruit and protein smoothies at least every other day in my VitaMix. Typically I drink one serving for breakfast and save the other for my pre-workout (early evening) snack. After several hours in the fridge, the late day smoothie is no longer creamy and smooth, showing air bubbles on the top and a bit of a "puffy" consistency to it. If I put spinach in it, the color of the smoothie goes slightly brownish after several hours so it's not very appetizing IMHO.

Personally I like smoothies fresh made and the holdover ones are just okay. It takes me only a few minutes to make a smoothie in the morning. Having your veggies, fruit, and other mix-ins ready to go is the key.

lrearick1452

I don't know about the effects of storage on smoothies, but purely from a freshness standpoint you should consume as soon as possible after making. That being said, I can, dehydrate, and freeze a lot of what comes into my house. Each method has its pros and cons.
If I were in your situation, I would see if a mason jar fits on the blades of my blender. I would then make a bunch of smoothies in jars (or put what I've made into jars) and freeze them for use later in the week. If you try this method, DO NOT fill the jars past the "shoulder" of the jar because the jar will crack. Then I would defrost one in the fridge the day before I want to drink it. You could even take a frozen one in your lunchbox--it doubles as a source of cold for the rest of your meal. Shake it well before drinking because freezing tends to make liquids like smoothies separate.:drinker:

steadk

you can premake baggies and freeze them then just put it in the bullet in the morning... that way you can prep whenever is most convenient for you. when i make juices or smoothies, many times i store in mason jars and freeze... and try to consume them all that week. just don't let it thaw and refreeze and such.

macrotracko

I also make smoothies in the morning with a nutribullet. I wouldn't recommend making them ahead of time because, as you may have noticed, the heavier ingredients will settle. My solution has been to wake up a few minutes earlier so I have enough time. You could also have all the ingredients cut and prepped so that all you need to do in the morning is toss them in the cup. This way, it should only take a couple of minutes.

Ready2Rock206

you can premake baggies and freeze them then just put it in the bullet in the morning... that way you can prep whenever is most convenient for you. when i make juices or smoothies, many times i store in mason jars and freeze... and try to consume them all that week. just don't let it thaw and refreeze and such.

This is my plan. I just got a Nutribullet too and instead of pre-making the shakes I plan to pre-make the kits so I just have to pop them in and go. There's tons of ideas online if you google or do a pinterest search on nutribullet for making the kits.

janel814

First off thank you so much for the people that actually got the meaning of my question (freezer ideas & freashness)!!!

As for those (eldamiano & MrM27) that think I was asking for a way to get around eating or cutting calories that was not the point at all. I have a very good plan that has worked in the past for me and I will continue with it. I was just trying to try something new when it comes to getting my fruits, veggies, and other healthy ingredients. My family does not eat what I do so it is more convienent to make a shake or whatever you want to call in in the evening after my workout or for dinner. With these new ideas I can make it in the evening, freeze, and then take it to work with me in the morning since I have to take mass transportation to get to work. You may want to stop reading into a question before you answer then!!

cwolfman13

I make my Berry Banana Nut Smoothie twice per week on average for breakfast...usually the morning following a good lifting session. It consists of about 1 Oz almonds, 50 grams strawberries, 30 grams blueberries, 118 grams of banana (roughly), 1 cup of non-fat Fage Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup 1% milk. It takes me about 2 minutes to throw everything in the blender and hit the button and I put it in my Bottle Blender (without the blender ball) and usually consume it on the road to work.

It's not really a calorie cutter though...it is most definitely a full meal replacement smoothie that clocks in around 500 calories or so...more if I throw some more almonds in there.

dancinqueen91

I love the mason jar freezer idea. I don't usually have a need to make my smoothies ahead of time, but that would be a great time-saver when I bring out the blender

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Ok I would just eat whatever it is. Liquid form is not as good for you.

Oh, really? Please explain how chewing food to a pulp and mixing it with saliva so that it reaches you stomach in liquid form is better than drinking food that has been pre-liquified in advance.

Sense. You make none.

nicolen160

Ok I would just eat whatever it is. Liquid form is not as good for you.

Oh, really? Please explain how chewing food to a pulp and mixing it with saliva so that it reaches you stomach in liquid form is better than drinking food that has been pre-liquified in advance.

Sense. You make none.

THIS!! LOL AGREED!

nicolen160

I do not like fruits or veggies, or should I say I don't like the texture of them, so if I don't make smoothies then I don't get them in my diet ever! So this is a great option for me and it is the exact same food whether you chew it up swallow or if you just swallow, where do people come up with these things they say!

sjaplo

Ok I would just eat whatever it is. Liquid form is not as good for you.

Oh, really? Please explain how chewing food to a pulp and mixing it with saliva so that it reaches you stomach in liquid form is better than drinking food that has been pre-liquified in advance.

Sense. You make none.

Actually the whole point to chewing food - besides the obvious is that saliva contains enzymes that start to digest (break down) the food before it hits the stomach. Saliva contains amylaze which breaks down some starches into maltose and dextrin.

sjaplo

I do not like fruits or veggies, or should I say I don't like the texture of them, so if I don't make smoothies then I don't get them in my diet ever! So this is a great option for me and it is the exact same food whether you chew it up swallow or if you just swallow, where do people come up with these things they say!

It's callled "science" and a lot of us swear by it.

AmykinsCatfood

Ok I would just eat whatever it is. Liquid form is not as good for you.

Oh, really? Please explain how chewing food to a pulp and mixing it with saliva so that it reaches you stomach in liquid form is better than drinking food that has been pre-liquified in advance.

Sense. You make none.

Actually the whole point to chewing food - besides the obvious is that saliva contains enzymes that start to digest (break down) the food before it hits the stomach. Saliva contains amylaze which breaks down some starches into maltose and dextrin.

Last time I checked I'm still drinking a smoothie through my mouth where my saliva is...

Anna800

I make shakeology with fruit in the morning then take it to work and have it as my afternoon snack. It's always been fine.

gtaluvme84

You are best off to drink your juice within an hour of making them. I've read somewhere that on some veggies, they immediately start losing their good stuff, fiber, etc. I've always made the juice and consumed immediately, but i've recently made my juice so that it was available for immediate consumption after my Zumba class (about an hour ish later) I've found I need to mix it up, and it doesn't taste quite as fresh, but it is still good. After I make the juice, I usually add an ice cube or two just to help keep it cool while I'm in my class. I think it works fine.
Many things i've read say not to consume after 24 hours. I would agree. It just doesn't taste/look the same, and that matters to me.
I say within an hour ish, is fine, so you keep most of the healthy stuff.
Hope that helps!

jim180155

I find it more satisfying to eat food than to drink it. Drinking my meal just doesn't last as long, for some reason.

But I love the convenience of smoothies. Some of my smoothies are pretty big, and they're all packed with a lot of food, so the calorie counts usually range from 600 to well over 1,000. If I sat down to eat (chew) it all, it'd take a good hour. But I only get 30 minutes for lunch and I spend that time walking. Having the food in smoothie form allows me to drink it at my desk during the afternoon.

OP, I've read that some of the nutritional content is lost if a smoothie is not consumed soon after blending, but as far as I can tell, no one has a firm estimate on how much is lost. The effect seems to be minimal. Personally, I don't worry about it.

In the past I have prepared a week's worth of smoothies on a Sunday in my Vitamix and then frozen them in Blender Bottles to take with me to work. (Blender Bottles hold 28 ounces and work well in the freezer.) In your case with the Nutri-Bullet, I like the idea of bagging or kitting the ingredients, and then blending a day's kit in the morning.

phantasmagical

It takes me only a few minutes to make a smoothie in the morning. Having your veggies, fruit, and other mix-ins ready to go is the key.

^^This! I've been lax about smoothies lately, but when I'm in smoothie mode, I can usually crank out a smoothie in just a couple of minutes each morning because I've chopped or otherwise prepped all of the ingredients the night before. Powders and liquids can be pre-measured, too. Then just dump, blend, and Voila!

sjaplo

Ok I would just eat whatever it is. Liquid form is not as good for you.

Oh, really? Please explain how chewing food to a pulp and mixing it with saliva so that it reaches you stomach in liquid form is better than drinking food that has been pre-liquified in advance.

Sense. You make none.

Actually the whole point to chewing food - besides the obvious is that saliva contains enzymes that start to digest (break down) the food before it hits the stomach. Saliva contains amylaze which breaks down some starches into maltose and dextrin.

Last time I checked I'm still drinking a smoothie through my mouth where my saliva is...

No really. You chew your smoothie in order to stimulate saliva production. Interesting.

I have nothing against smoothies - I like fruit, yogurt and protein powder on occasion. My response was prompted by a desire to address the gap in knowledge as to the reason food should be chewed and the role of saliva in the human digestive system.

amanda9402

I also buy frozen sliced fruit at the grocery store to use in smoothies (trader joes has some great varieties like frozen mango and pineapple and berry blends), and if I have bananas that are getting overripe, I just stick them in a bag and put them in the freezer. If I am really on the ball, I weigh the preportioned bags and write the amt on there with a sharpie, so that I can super quickly enter the amts in the morning.