You know the drill. 7am: Wake up the kiddos and get them showered, fed, dressed in something at least semi-suitable for public, pack the lunches, and rush out the door without a second to spare. Then it’s everyone in the car and off you go, only to realize you’ve done nothing to prep your #1 for the day. I’m talking about you! Before you know it, that stomach will be singin’ louder than the radio if you don’t fill it!

Mornings can be tough. K, #momlife or #worklife or just #life can be tough. We’re all busy, and we are all trying to find ways to make our hectic lives just a bit easier. During my never-ending search to cut down on time-consuming tasks and increase my supply of quick meal recipes, I’ve found the best little hack: pre-packed smoothies! You guys, you?ve heard me say this before: If you fail to prepare, you better prepare to fail! Meal prep will either make or break your transformation, and while it can seem like a pain in the butt to set aside time on the regular for this, it’s true that this little bit of time will equate to a LOT of reward! And the beauty of this is that just a “little bit” of time for prep will really make all?the difference in a healthy morning routine.

SUCCESS BEGINS WITH CHOOSING THE RIGHT MEAL PREP TOOLS.

Of all the meal prep tools I swear by, my Vitamix just might be one my favorites. You all know I?m all about a great protein smoothie, and how I survived smoothie making pre-Vitamix is beyond me! I recently found and use the Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series because it?s an absolute powerhouse! It has five different program settings that allow me to whip up smoothies, hot soups, dips, spreads, and frozen desserts, and it saves me a TON of cooking and prep time without compromising my healthy meal requirements. As a busy mama, TIME IS RARE AND INCREDIBLY VALUABLE, so this Vitamix is my newest lifesaver!

You should know me by now, and when I LOVE something, I want YOU to have and love it too! Well, my friends, I’m excited to share with you that I’ve partnered up with Vitamix on this post, and they are so generously giving away a Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series to one?lucky reader!?Yes, that’s right…a $649.99 value is?being given away in the post below.?Scroll to the bottom for the details, but first, you’ll wanna’ nab all three of these amazing time-saving, pre-packed smoothie recipes!

But before we give away the farm (I mean, “the Vitamix” ;)), there are a few other tips + really cool features I’m kind of obsessed with that you should know about. First, this machine instinctively knows which Vitamix blender bowl I?m using. FOR REAL. So when I switch out the larger 64-ounce container for an 8-ounce bowl, it automatically adjusts its blend settings for the smaller size. Mind. Blown. The smaller Vitamix bowls (like the ones in this starter kit) allow you to blend and immediately store or transport. And new moms, this is an awesome feature for making your own baby food! I’m wishing I had this bad boy when my babes were actually babes.

I know, I know…calm down, Heidi! But my heart gets VERY HAPPY about meal prep tools that are GENIUS!

My other favorite feature is the countdown timer. I don’t know about you, but I’m always going in 20 directions at once?if not physically, then at least mentally. The simple fact that it times my blend to the second helps remove one more thing I have to think and worry about. I hit blend, and BAM. I can walk away, knowing that the Vitamix will automatically shut off after the proper blend time. I’ve made about 100 smoothies since getting our Vitamix, and it has yet to give me anything but the perfect blend.

PRE-CUT AND PRE-PACK. THEN GRAB, BLEND, AND GO!

So how do I avoid forgetting about Mom on busy mornings? I’ve learned the magic of pre-prepping and freezing my smoothie ingredients for the week on my regularly scheduled meal prep days (Wednesday and Sunday), so all I have to do come morning time is toss everything (minus the jar) in the Vitamix, add liquid (and sometimes a few other non-freezable ingredients), and blend. Then with the A3500, I set the handy dandy timer and turn my attention back to the kids while it does the rest of the job for me. If that sounds amazing, you?re right. It is!

Once all my ingredients are cut, I like to pack my pre-prepped recipes in mason jars before freezing. While ziplock baggies will do the trick too, there?s something oddly satisfying to this OCD mama about opening the freezer and seeing these perfectly packed and adorable little jars of goodness just waiting to be whipped up. Bonus: Mason jars are also an environmentally-friendly storage solution (as opposed to the trusty plastic zip bag). But hey, we live in the real world…If the zip bag is your go-to, that works just as well!

SO LET’S GET THAT VITAMIX BLITZING!

Next up, three of my favorite smoothie recipes to pre-prep: Green Goddess, Jamaican Me Crazy, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. Not only are they delicious enough to be a stand-alone treat, but they also fit my macro and calorie budget and are perfect on nearly any plan! I add our Chris + Heidi Low Carb Meal Replacement Shake Powder to these (and not just because my name’s on the package ?). I prefer this supplement because we painstakingly created it to keep your body nourished, feeling fuller, and more satisfied for a longer amount of time. You can definitely add any protein powder you prefer, but please, PLEASE make sure that it’s one that’s performing well for you.

TIME SAVING PRE-PACKED SMOOTHIE RECIPES:

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Chris + Heidi Vanilla Low Carb Meal Replacement Shake Powder
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/3 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/3 cup frozen mango chunks
• 30 grams banana
• 20 grams avocado
• 1 ? ? 2 cups water

Directions:

1. Cut pineapple, mango, banana, and avocado.
2. Layer ingredients in mason jars, excluding water, spinach and protein powder. Seal, then freeze.
3. To use: Empty ingredients from frozen mason jar into Vitamix, adding fresh water, spinach, and protein powder. Blend, and enjoy! Makes 1 serving.

Fun Fact: Avocados give this shake a punch of healthy fat and creaminess!

Nutrition Information: 311 calories, 10g fat, 35g carbs, 23g protein.

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Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Chris + Heidi Vanilla Low Carb Meal Replacement Shake Powder
• 1 tablespoon canned coconut milk
• ? cup pineapple tidbits
• 40 grams banana
• ? cup 100% pineapple juice
• 1 cup water
• Ice as desired

Directions:

1. Cut pineapple and banana.
2. Layer with other ingredients in mason jars, excluding water, ice, and protein powder. Seal, then freeze.
3. To use: Empty ingredients from frozen mason jar into Vitamix, adding fresh water, ice, and protein powder. Blend, and enjoy! Makes 1 serving.

Tip: You will need to thaw the jars or plastic bags just a tad before adding to Vitamix. If you don’t have time to thaw, simply pre-pack with ONLY solid ingredients, leaving all wet ingredients to be added fresh…cutting down on total prep thaw time.
Fun Fact: Coconut contains lauric acid, which researchers believe support the immune system. Lauric acid has been shown to help inhibit growth of staph and strep infections!

Nutrition information: 299 calories, 8g fat, 24g carbs, 21g protein

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Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Chris + Heidi Chocolate Low Carb Meal Replacement Shake Powder
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
• Ice as desired

Directions:

1. Layer protein powder, powdered peanut butter, and cacao nibs in mason jars. Seal, then freeze.
2. To use: Empty ingredients from frozen mason jar into Vitamix, adding fresh almond milk and ice. Blend, and enjoy! Makes 1 serving.

Tip: For a prettier shake (because who doesn’t love pretty??), exclude the cacao nibs from the Vitamix, then top finished and blended shake with nibs for garnish!
Fun Fact: Cacao nibs are not only full of chocolatey deliciousness, but they are also high in iron, antioxidants, and magnesium.

Nutrition Information: 313 calories, 15g fat, 20g carbs, 28g protein

{Giveaway is Closed} VITAMIX GIVEAWAY: HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS TIME-SAVING (AKA LIFE-SAVING) MEAL PREP TOOL.

Ahhh…the time has finally come. You’ve made it though all my tips and tricks (hopefully they helped), and you’ve gotten three of my favorite pre-packed smoothie recipes that can and should be prepped in BULK in advance for convenience! And now….YOU CAN WIN the Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series here along with my favorite Blending Bowl Starter Kit!!! Yes, this is BIG NEWS, my friends. And here’s some more great news! Vitamix is having a huge sale now through May 19th, and you can get $50-$100 off all new models! I am so honored and grateful Vitamix has offered to partner with me on my quest to make convenient eating (or “breakfasting”) a part of YOUR life too!!

To Enter To Win: {Giveaway is closed}

1. Comment below sharing YOUR favorite time-saving tips OR the recipe you’re looking forward to trying the most!
2. Go find my last post on either Instagram or Facebook and tag a friend that could use a Vitamix too! The more friends tagged + comments made here, the more entries! **This giveaway is open to US residents only.**

That’s it! For extra credit, you can share your favorite smoothie?recipe with me below!?You have until midnight Saturday, May 18, to enter. Winner will be chosen and announced Sunday, May 19, 2019.

Good luck and happy pre-packing!!

xo,

Heidi

**Thank you, Vitamix, for sponsoring this post! The opinions shared and?discussed in this post are my own.**

Here are some other delicious and super fast recipes you and your Vitamix will love!

Avocado Dreaming with this Breakfast Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Hulk Shake!
Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Shake
Eggnog Protein Shake Recipe