Oh the smoothie….the perfect quick and healthy meal. Smoothies are absolutely amazing! They are incredibly delicious and satisfying, can be made in under 5 minutes, can serve as a light meal, an easy snack, or a healthy dessert. Smoothies are super convenient when short on time or on the go. The ONLY complaint I have when it comes to smoothies….they go bad pretty quickly!

Why do smoothies go bad so quickly? How long can a vegetable or fruit smoothie last in the fridge? Continue reading to find out!

how long can a vegetable smoothie last in the fridge?

SHORT ANSER: 1 – 2 days

That’s right, once you press start on that blender, you have up to two days to enjoy your smoothie before it turns bad! But don’t panic, there are ways to extend the life of your smoothie so it isn’t a mad dash to finish it before it turns. Find out what to add to your smoothie to extend its shelf life. Plus how to store your smoothies and the best way to meal prep your smoothies.

Why do smoothies go bad so quickly?

Smoothies go bad quickly because they are made with fresh ingredients that oxidize quickly.

When you cut fruit and vegetables they begin to oxidize. Think about an apple or avocado. Once you cut an apple or avocado, in a relatively short amount of time you can visually see the oxidation process because their color will start to brown.

When it comes to smoothies, the oxidation starts to occur the moment you press start on the blender. When fresh fruit and vegetables are blended, you are essentially cutting the produce and rapidly exposing them to air, making their shelf life very short.

The oxidation continues as your smoothie sits and remains unconsumed.

So how long can a vegetable or fruit smoothie last in the fridge? Only 1-2 days.

How to tell if a smoothie has gone bad

So we know that a vegetable or fruit smoothie can last in the fridge about 1 or 2 days. But how can you tell if your smoothie has actually gone bad? Don’t worry…there’s sign!

• Browning– when vegetables and fruits oxidize, many of them with visually turn brown. If your smoothie is beginning to become a tint of brown, that’s a sign your smoothie is far along in its oxidation process and has most likely turned bad
• Bad odor– does your smoothie smell bad? If the answer is yes, it’s time to throw it out. If your smoothie smells sour, bitter, or just off that means it has gone bad. Trust your sense of smell…your nose knows!
• Separation– if your smoothie has separated, that is a possible sign your smoothie has gone bad. Sometimes, smoothies just separate however, so just because your smoothie has separated does not necessarily mean it’s gone bad. Be sure to check for the other signs, browning and smell, before you toss it.

Ways to make a smoothie last longer

How long can a vegetable smoothie last in the fridge? 1 – 2 days. But there are some tips and and tricks to extend your smoothies freshness!

• Add lemon– adding lemon or another citrus to your smoothie not only helps to brighten the flavor, but it can also extend the life of your smoothie! When you add citrus, you are adding a big dose of victim c to your smoothie, this allows fruits and vegetables to stay fresh for longer.
• Add leafy greens – leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll can help to slow down the oxidation process of your smoothie, aka it will keep your smoothie fresh for longer! Kale does add a bit of a taste to your smoothie, so if you are looking for more of a neutral flavored green to add, use spinach. Spinach will add nutrients and chlorophyll to your smoothie, but will not affect the taste much.
• Keep it cold– keep your smoothie cold. Freezing your smoothie will extend the life of your smoothie the most. So if you are not currently drinking your smoothie, just freeze it. But if you are drinking your smoothie or want to drink your smoothie soon, keeping your smoothie cold in the fridge or in a cold, insulated container will also help your smoothie from going bad too quickly. If you are slowly drinking your smoothie, keep it in the fridge in between sips or over ice, if possible.
• Store in an air tight container– oxidation, which is what makes the fruit and vegetables of your smoothie turn, is caused by oxygen. So if you store your smoothie in an air tight container, you will significantly slow down the oxidation process!

How to store a smoothie in the fridge (how long can a vegetable smoothie last in the fridge)

How long can a vegetable smoothie last in the fridge? 1 – 2 days. But how you store your smoothie in the fridge will make a difference!

To properly store your smoothie in the fridge, make sure it is in an air tight container and do not store it on the door of your fridge.

Why? Smoothies go bad quickly because fruits and vegetable oxidize quickly after being cut or blended. Storing them in an air tight container will slow the oxidation process.

You do not want to store your smoothie on the door, because that is the warmest part of your fridge. When it comes to storing smoothies and extending its shelf life, the colder the better!

How to store a smoothie in the freezer

Freezing your smoothie is the ultimate way to keep your smoothie from going bad. You can freeze a smoothie up to 3 months! If you go past 3 months, your smoothie will not necessarily go bad, but it may start to develop freezer burn and taste funky.

To store your smoothie in a freezer, simply place smoothie in an air tight, freezer safe container, such as a freezer-safe mason jar. Allow at least an inch of space at the top of the container so your smoothie can expand when freezing, without breaking your container.

You can also freeze your smoothie in an air-tight, freezer safe ziplock bag. Again, give the smoothie a little room to expand when freezing.

You can also freeze your smoothie in an ice cube tray. This method is best when you have a little bit of smoothie left over and don’t want it to go to waste. Simply pour leftover smoothie in an ice cube tray, once frozen move to a freezer bag. This will allow you to just toss the leftover smoothie into a new smoothie when you are making it.

Best way to meal prep smoothies

Smoothies are the ultimate convenience food. You can make them quickly and drink them on the go, leaving you full, fueled and satisfied. But you can make the ultimate convenient food even more convenient by prepping them ahead of time!

When it comes to meal prepping smoothies you have options.

You can simply make a big batch of smoothies, pour them into air tight containers and freeze them. This method allows your to thaw and enjoy smoothies at your convenience. This method works well, but I don’t feel like the taste and texture is quite as satisfying as when you blend them fresh.

Since a fruit or vegetable smoothie will only last in the fridge about 1-2, making a weeks worth of smoothies and having them sit in the fridge is just not an option. Which leads me to my favorite, and in my opinion, best method for meal prepping smoothies. You basically prep them almost all the way…but then blend them on the day you want to drink them. This is a perfect way to meal prep a big batch of smoothies that allows maximum freshness.

To meal prep smoothies with this method, simply prepare and combine the majority of you ingredients and freeze it, but leave out the liquid (usually oat or nut milk).

For example is you are making a green apple smoothie, combine correct measurements of banana, apple, spinach, oats, dates, lemon juice, sunflower seeds, hemp, cinnamon and ice cubes in a freezer friendly bag. Seal and freeze the bag of ingredients. Then when you are ready to make a smoothie, simply toss the ingredients into a blender and add your liquid, in this case 6 oz of nut milk, and blend. You can have a smoothie ready in less than a minute!

Make sure you label each smoothie bag so you know what it is and how much milk, coconut water or fresh juice to add.

Bellow are some easy smoothie recipes for you to make at home and get started!