A smoothie is a good way to get some quick nutrition on a hard morning. When you’re thinking about skipping breakfast or waking up earlier, a healthy smoothie lets you get some more rest and still make a good choice for your body. With a little bit of prep the night before, your breakfast can be ready for you quickly in the morning. Whether you’re trying to diet or just have an easy morning, with these tricks, there’s no mess, no extra cups and no extra time in the morning.
How to prep your smoothie in a Mason jar
Safety first: Before using the Mason jar, check to make sure the jar is perfectly intact. Any blemishes to the glass, such as a crack, can make it easy for your jar to break. Also, you always want to make sure the blades you’re using fit inside the Mason jar with plenty of clearance from the walls of the jar. If the blades touch the glass at all, they could cause the glass to shatter. Finally, it’s important that you’re using a real Mason jar brand since other canning jars may not work.
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Prior to adding fruit and veggies to your Mason jar, make sure the blade assembly fits properly on the mouth of the jar. A mouth on a regular-size Mason jar should work with most standard blenders, like Oster and Tribest. But for larger blenders, you may need a wide-mouth Mason jar. Note that some blenders, like Ninja and Nutribullet, may not be compatible. Test your attachments on a Mason jar before adding your ingredients.
Add your smoothie ingredients
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, start adding the smoothie ingredients, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, a banana, fresh spinach, avocados, yogurt — anything you like in a smoothie. Once you’re finished, seal the Mason jar with its original lid and place it in the freezer overnight.
If you don’t have time to let your smoothie freeze, you can always use frozen fruits and veggies instead. If that’s not an option, throw some small pieces of ice into the jar with your fruit to get the right consistency.
Blend your smoothie in a Mason jar
In the morning, take the jar out of the freezer and remove the lid. The contents in the jar will be frozen in preparation for that perfect smoothie texture. Next, add milk, juice or water to help make the fruit and vegetables easier to blend. Screw the blender blade assembly onto your Mason jar and flip the jar upside down. Now it’s time to put the jar on the blender base.
Blend the smoothie until it’s… well… smooth and you no longer see any chunks of fruit, veggies or ice. Once it’s blended, remove the jar from the blender and twist the blade assembly off. That’s it! Now you can add a paper straw or drink directly from it.
For more tips to make your day easier, check out our articles onhow to open your beer bottle without a bottle opener and how to start a campfire with Doritos.