How to Make Frozen Spinach Cubes for Green Smoothies (or Kale!)

I have been making smoothies for years and sometimes it surprises me that I'm not tired of them! With endless options for combinations and flavors, though, it feels like there's always something new to try. One of my favorite ways to keep my smoothies packed with nutrition is with "smoothie boosters." These are additions that don't really impact the flavor, but they add amazing health benefits! Chia seeds and hemp seeds are a go-to, and recently, I've been all about this Frozen Spinach for Smoothies. They take just a few minutes to make, store in the freezer, and can be tossed into any smoothie to add a serving of veggies. My favorite way to use these spinach ice cubes is in a tropical smoothie with frozen pineapple, frozen mango, almond milk, and a spoonful of chia seeds...but I have to remember to make double because my kids ALWAYS steal sips!

How to Make Frozen Spinach for Smoothies

This recipe has just two ingredients: fresh spinach and water. It doesn't get easier than that! Toss them into your blender and blend until it's totally smooth. I keep it running until I don't see any spinach pieces and it's a gorgeous bright green color! Pour this into ice cube trays and let it freeze solid (about 4 hours). From there, you can pop your Spinach Ice Cubes out of the tray and store them in a freezer-safe container until ready to use. You can also make this same recipe with kale. Blend the whole veggie, even the stems, and use it in your green smoothies!

All About Spinach

I am constantly researching, learning more, and sharing about the amazing benefits of fresh ingredients. It's one of the many reasons I decided to get a master's degree in Public Health and a Master Certified Health Education Specialist certification through the NCHEC! One serving of raw spinach (about ½ cup) has only 5 calories and contains 60% of your daily vitamin A and 15% of your daily vitamin C. What an incredible way to start your day! It also has folate, manganese, calcium, magnesium, and iron. So many "green" smoothie recipes take advantage of the fact that you can't detect the flavor of fresh spinach when it's all blended in with other ingredients. It's one of my favorite ways to get a few servings of vegetables into my kid's day!

• Dye-Free Green Muffins
• Spinach Quinoa Salad with Roasted Blueberry Vinaigrette
• Tropical Green Protein Smoothie

How to Meal Prep Smoothies

I post on Instagram all the time about how I meal prep smoothies. Since smoothies are one of my favorite foods and I drink at LEAST one every day, I've found the best way to prep them ahead of time! I put all of the ingredients except liquids (I usually use almond milk) into a jar or storage container and pop it into the freezer. When I'm ready to blend, I toss everything into the blender, pour my plant milk in, and I have a smoothie in under a minute! This Frozen Spinach for Smoothies is perfect for my meal prep smoothie jars. Pop a few into your jar with your smoothie ingredients and you're ready to go! This is also a great way to use a ton of spinach if you can tell it's about to go bad, so I think of it as a recipe that reduces food waste. Huge win! Try it with some of my favorite green smoothie recipes:

• Kid-Friendly Spinach Smoothie
• Creamy Avocado Vanilla Smoothie with Hidden Veggies
• Easy Detox Smoothie (that actually tastes good!)
• Minty Kale Smoothie
• Tropical Green Protein Smoothie
• Creamy Citrus Matcha Green Protein Smoothie
• Green Aid

My Favorite Blender

My KitchenAid blender is my most-used kitchen appliance! I'll be the first to admit that this blender is a splurge. I always joke that Bobby knew the way to my heart wasn't with diamonds or flowers, but with a professional-grade blender! He absolutely knocked it out of the park with that gift! Since there are many more affordable options on the market, I've tested many blenders so I can make recommendations for every budget. I've now tried and can recommend the Vitamix Explorian, the KitchenAid 400, the Beast Blender, and the Nutribullet to meet you at any price point.

Grab My Smoothie Cookbook: Rock Your Blender

I'm absolutely serious when I say smoothies are my absolute favorite thing to make. I am constantly dreaming up new and delicious combinations! Because I love smoothies so much, I wrote an entire cookbook filled with recipes. It's called Rock Your Blender and you can find it on Amazon or download it instantly as an EBook. These recipes are exclusive to the cookbook and can't be found anywhere on my site!