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We’re huge fans of meal prepping smoothies! Every Sunday we make a batch of green smoothies to eat every day for breakfast.
We’ve pushed the limits to figure out how long smoothies last in the fridge! We’ve also tested ways to make them last longer and stay fresher.
Smoothies that are kept too long will suffer from the oxidation process and lose their nutritional value. They’ll also start to taste funky at a certain point.
The sweet spot for us has been 3-4 days if you store them the right way.
How Long Can A Smoothie Last in the Fridge After Making It?
Smoothies can last up to 3-4 days in the fridge if they are stored in an airtight container and filled all the way to the top. They’ll taste best if you drink them within 24 hours.
On the counter
If you leave a smoothie out on the counter, the smoothie will go bad within 2-3 hours.
The main issue is oxidation. Oxidation is when the inner nutrients of a fruit or vegetable are cut open and exposed to the elements. After a while, vitamins, flavor, and even the color of fruit and vegetables can be lost.
You can tell when your smoothie has oxidized because it turns a gross, gray-ish color.
Leaving your smoothie on the counter is a bad idea, not only in terms of nutrition but in terms of taste, too. Smoothies taste best served fresh and cold, not at room temperature.
Further Reading: best blenders for frozen fruit smoothies
In the fridge
We love meal prepping smoothies to eat throughout the week. If you want to have one each morning, then store them in the fridge.Â
We recommend keeping them in the fridge for a max of 3-4 days. They’ll have oxidized a little bit, but they are still good to eat and highly nutritious!
Our #1 tip is keeping them in an airtight container. This is the best way to make smoothies last in the fridge.
You also need to fill the container all the way to the top. The less room there is for air and oxygen, the better.
Ingredients will in your smoothie will probably separate a little bit and form layers. Always give a refrigerated smoothie a shake before consuming to even out the ingredients and make it taste nice.
Store-bought smoothies can last in the fridge for a lot longer than 48 hours, even when opened, due to their preserving ingredients.
In the freezer
If you like to prep well in advance, it’s possible to freeze a smoothie. If properly stored, you could keep your smoothie fresh for up to three months!
The freezer is the longest-lasting solution to keeping your smoothie fresh, but it does come with its downsides. The main problem is that you need to wait for the smoothie to defrost when you want to drink it, which can take a while. If you want to make your smoothie creamier, you can use milk as your liquid base.
If you want to drink smoothies throughout the week, make a full batch and store them in the freezer. Pull one out before bed each night and put it in the fridge to thaw. This will keep them tasting fresh.
Frozen fruit is unlikely to oxidize as long as it is kept inside an airtight container. This will also prevent freezer burn from occurring.
Read more: Best blenders for green smoothies
Do Smoothies Go Bad in the Fridge?
Fruit smoothies will go bad in the fridge after a while, even if kept in an airtight container. Having already been exposed to the elements, perishable fruits and other ingredients (particularly dairy milk) will gradually be stripped of nutritional value and flavor.
This is made worse by the bacteria that is found in your fridge, particularly if you keep a lot of raw meat.
How long is a smoothie good for?
If you want to drink your smoothie fresh, we’d recommend drinking it within 24-48 hours of being in the fridge. They can last up to 3-4 days, but they won’t be quite as good.
How Do You Know if a Smoothie Has Gone Bad?
Sometimes, the fact a smoothie has gone off is made obvious by the development of mold. However, mold is highly unlikely to appear within the first 48 hours of a smoothie being in a fridge. So, how do you know if a smoothie in the fridge has gone bad?
Visually, an off-smoothie will be discolored. If a strawberry smoothie comes out of the fridge a brown color, then it’s most likely off. Although, this may just be a result of the ingredients separating, so try shaking it and then judge the discoloration.
Other signs that a smoothie has gone off include it giving off a bad smell or taste. For this reason, we’d recommend always smelling a refrigerated smoothie before consuming it.
Certain liquids for smoothies are more likely to go bad quicker. Water, kombucha, and coffee will last longer, but milk or even some natural juice has a shorter shelf life.
Does Juice Last Longer Than Smoothies?
Homemade juice can last longer than smoothies, particularly if stored right. Juice that is stored in a mason jar at the right temperature in the fridge, and is made using organic ingredients and a high-quality juicer, can last up to 72 hours in the fridge. After 3 days in the fridge, the juice can taste the same and provide the same nutrients.
However, homemade juice is the same as a smoothie when it comes to counter and freezer preservation. If left out on the counter, a juice will quickly be affected by the elements and lose its taste and health benefits. It needs to be put in the fridge immediately to keep its vitamin and mineral content.
If stored correctly in the freezer, juice can last around 3 months like a smoothie.
4 Ways To Make Your Smoothies Last Longer
There are a few ways to make smoothies last longer. Use this tips to help your smoothies last in the fridge and stay fresh.
1. Store them in an airtight container
Always make sure your container is 100% airtight. As an extra precaution, it would also be a good idea to wrap a layer of plastic over the surface of the smoothie before and then fasten the airtight lid on top.
If you’re planning on freezing your smoothie for longer than a month in the freezer, this is a must, as the slightest bit of air could make the whole thing pointless.
2. Add citrus fruits
Squeezing a little citrus fruit is a popular way to preserve sliced fruit from oxidation, and this method can also be used on fruit smoothies and juices. All you have to do is fill in a little bit of lemon or lime juice and stir it into your smoothie mix before putting it in the fridge.
Citrus fruits are also really common in our list of colon cleansing smoothies so that’s an added bonus!
Citrus fruit is non-perishable and can be used to slow down the oxidation process of other fruits.
We have a list of cheap smoothies for weight loss that are all loaded with citrus fruits!
3. Add some leafy greens
Alternatively, you could add some leafy greens and turn your standard fruit smoothie into a green smoothie. Not only do green smoothies add more vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but they can also make your refrigerated smoothie last extra long. There are several leafy green options on our list of our favorite vegetables for smoothies!
This is due to chlorophyll, a pigment in leafy greens that can be used to keep a smoothie in the fridge for longer.
We have a list of kale smoothies you can try out!
Thanks to chlorophyll, green smoothies can last in the fridge twice as long as a standard fruit smoothie. If you wish to extend the shelf life of your smoothie for a few hours longer, definitely add either lemon juice or greens.
Thankfully, blending up your greens won’t impact the fiber content, but it can make your smoothies more foamy.
4. Fill the container to the top
Even a little bit of air at the top could prove detrimental to your smoothie. If you want to make your smoothies last in the fridge or the freezer, you need to ensure that no air whatsoever is in contact with the smoothie surface.
This is why it’s a good idea to fill up your airtight container to the brim, and make sure the airtight lid is well fastened.
You can store them in your smoothie container if you have a personal size blender! Our list of NutriBullet smoothies or Magic Bullet smoothie ideas might be a good fit.
Common Questions on Storing Smoothies
Store smoothies for the week by freezing them in ice cube trays. A homemade smoothie will not last longer than a couple of days in the fridge, so you need to freeze them if you’re planning on consuming them throughout the week. Using an ice cube tray makes it easier to defrost your smoothie.
The furthest in advance that you can prepare a smoothie is 3 months. By keeping a smoothie in an airtight container, you may be able to maintain the flavor and nutrients of a smoothie for up to three months. This is no guarantee though, as within that 3 months, there’s a good chance your smoothie may start to oxidize.
Besides keeping leftover smoothies in your fridge or freezer, you could turn them into smoothie popsicles. For this, all you need to do is pour them into paper cups and stick them on an even surface in the freezer. Alternatively, you could try adding the leftovers to baked goods or desserts.
Spinach smoothies lat 3-4 days because the chlorophyll helps prevent smoothie oxidation.
Banana smoothies only last 2-3 days instead of 3-4 days because bananas have such a fast rate of oxidation.
Summary: How Long Do Smoothies Last in The Fridge?
If you want to keep your smoothie fresh, delicious, and nutritious for longer than a few hours, you’ll need to properly preserve it in your fridge or freezer. Smoothies can last 3-4 days in the fridge, but are best to drink within 24 hours.
Although smoothies don’t last in the fridge as long as juices, they can last in the freezer for just as long, allowing you to prepare smoothies up to 3 months in advance!
