Teeth brushed? Check. Hair combed? Check. Backpacks filled? Check. Lunches packed? Check. All morning you’re racing the clock trying to get the kids ready for school. You’ve finally wrangled everything together with three minutes to spare, only to realize toothpaste probably doesn’t count as breakfast. GAH! You were SO close to being on time, too. Sounds like a morning with kids alright … and that’s if you’re having a GOOD morning, without the tantrums that erupt when your son realizes his favorite shirt is dirty or your daughter can’t find her homework. Most days you can barely get everyone out the door, much less feed them all a healthy breakfast. Especially when it’s so much easier to reach for the sugary pastries you know they’ll eat without a single objection, or take a detour through the drive-thru you already pass on your route to school. A healthy breakfast doesn’t have to take tons of time though, at least not when you’ve got a freezer full of smoothie packs. All you have to do is grab a bag, empty it into the blender, give it a whirl and boom, breakfast’s ready to go out the door with you. Smoothies are also a great way to up your family’s nutrition intake, because are they really going to say no to spinach when it’s in a smoothie that tastes like peanut butter and chocolate? NOPE. If freezer smoothies sound like a wonder breakfast, it’s because they kind of are! Start everyone’s day right with these smoothie making tips and recipes.

Ripe for the Blender

Overripe bananas are almost too sweet to eat, making them a perfect (and natural!) way to sweeten a smoothie. Instead of chucking bananas in the trash when they’re just about past their prime, peel, slice and bag them up for the freezer. Same goes for berries and stone fruits like peaches.

It’s in the Bag

No need to fuss with fresh fruit every time you want to make a smoothie. Instead, take an hour over the weekend to prep and freeze ingredients for the week. Just peel, core/pit and cut up your favorite fruits and greens, then combine them to create smoothie packs for the freezer. To make a smoothie, just empty the bag into a blender, add some liquid and blend until smooth. As a general rule, for every 2 1/2 to 3 cups of frozen fruit and greens, you’ll need to add about 1 cup of liquid, such as orange juice, or a mix of water and yogurt.

Go Green

It’s definitely hard to believe moms who say their kids love green smoothies. Your kid happily slurps up mashed kale? Yeah, right. The thing is … mine do! They for real love green smoothies. Because the truth is, a handful of greens is hardly detectable when it’s mixed into a smoothie with a bunch of other stuff they actually love. Now that you know the basics, here are my favorite recipes for make-ahead freezer smoothies the whole family will love.

Kid-friendly Smoothie Recipes

Each recipe serves two, so be sure to double or triple it if you need to. Green Goblin Freezer Smoothie For the freezer bag:

• 4 pitted dates
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 cup chopped curly leaf kale or baby kale
• 3/4 cup berries

Blend with 1 1/2 cup milk (or non-dairy milk alternative).

Monkey Business Smoothie

For the freezer bag:

• 2 ripe bananas

Blend with 2 1/4 cups milk (or non-dairy milk alternative) until smooth. Then add 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons honey, agave or maple syrup. Blend until combined.

Tropical Tango Smoothie

For the freezer bag:

• 2 cups mango
• 1 banana

Blend frozen fruit with 2 1/2 cups coconut water (or milk or non-dairy alternative) and 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled. And there you have it. Super easy freezer smoothies for smoother mornings. Now if only you could find your kid’s homework …