Now that Thanksgiving is over, the holiday season is officially underway. Busy will define most of our days and for many, skipping meals tends to be a casualty of the crazy schedule. A little “holiday preparedness” in the kitchen can help you stay nourished and energized for the demands of this season.

I love smoothies for their versatility and ease, but they just can’t be made ahead of time and saved for later. These little smoothie jars are a great way to have an easy breakfast or snack waiting for you, only a quick blend with almond milk is needed before drinking one up. You can load them up with your favorite smoothie ingredients: everything from fruit to greens and protein powders and nuts. Fill mason jars with everything except your favorite blending liquid and then store in the freezer. Soon as a smoothie craving hits, simply dump the contents of your mason jar into your blender, add 8-10 ounces of almond milk or coconut water and blend until well combined. You can even pour it back into your mason jar to drink (depending on your jar size).

Here is one of my favorite combinations... what will yours be?

MASON JAR SMOOTHIE

Place the following ingredients into a mason jar, cover and place into the freezer. When ready to blend, add the contents to your blender with 8-10 ounces of almond milk and blend on high until well combined.

1 sliced banana

½ cup frozen or fresh blueberries

1 cup spinach

1 scoop protein powder

¼ cup cashews

pinch of cinnamon

Enjoy!