One of the trickiest parts about implementing a homemade green smoothie routine is the fact that fresh smoothies don’t last long. This is both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, when food parishes quickly, it’s a sign that it’s alive and preservative-free. Obviously, both of these qualities are beneficial and desirable. Unfortunately, these qualities also infer extra effort and work. Thus, the downside to “fresh” and “homemade” is added labor and cleanup times. In my extensive green smoothie experimentation, I’ve found that fresh green drinks keep three days tops. By day four, they start turning into pond scum rapidly. For this reason, I tell folks to consume their blended concoctions quickly (within the three-day window).

In my last green smoothie challenge, I advocated daily smoothie creation and intake. While this practice works for many people, it’s unrealistic for folks with eventful lives. In 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge for Busy People (coming soon), I’m going to encourage participants to blend smoothies every other day, while making enough smoothie for daily consumption. This routine will save you heaps of time while simultaneously preserving the bulk of the nutritional value within your drinks. I suspect that batch blending green smoothies is the sweet spot between maximizing health benefits and convenience.

8-Day Green Smoothie Challenge

Are you eager to give it a go? I want to give you a chance to try it here and now. Here’s a small preview of what’s to come. Below, please find a shopping list and a few green smoothie recipes that will get you through eight days of the new green smoothie challenge.

Shopping List

1-pound baby greens mix
1 bunch red leaf lettuce
1 bunch parsley
16 Medjool dates
8 bananas
3 pears
1 apple
1 orange
1-pound frozen cherries
1-pound frozen mango chunks

Green Smoothie Recipes

Days 1-2

• 1/3-pound baby greens mix
• 4 Medjool dates (pitted)
• 2 bananas
• 1 pear (with seeds)
• 2 cups frozen cherries (pitted)
• 1-quart water

Days 3-4

• 1/3-pound baby greens mix
• 4 Medjool dates (pitted)
• 2 bananas
• 1 pear (with seeds)
• 3 cups frozen mango chunks
• 1-quart water

Days 5-6

• 1/3-pound baby greens mix
• 4 Medjool dates (pitted)
• 2 bananas
• 1 apple (with seeds)
• 1 orange (peeled)
• 2 cups frozen cherries (pitted)
• 1-quart water

Days 7-8

• 1/2 bunch red leaf lettuce
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 4 Medjool dates (pitted)
• 2 bananas
• 1 pear (with seeds)
• 2 cups frozen mango chunks
• 1-quart water

Directions

Blend each smoothie until smooth (1-2 minutes). Each recipe yields 2.5 quarts of green smoothie. Drink one quart of smoothie daily (in addition to your regular diet) for eight days. Share the extra half quart with a friend or family member. That’s it! Good Job! You’re done!