{green smoothie recipe // with Target}

This post was sponsored by Target.

Is it just me, or has summer not slowed down life one bit? I feel like I am busier than ever at a time of the year that used to be reserved for days upon days of beachside lounging. (I’m obviously referring to back in high school before real life started, when summertime meant your most important decisions were picking out a swimsuit.) Busy days mean I end up staying up a lot later than usual, so I try to grab as much sleep in the morning as possible—which means I have to streamline my morning routine. 

The biggest time-saver routine I started a few months ago is using my Sunday afternoons to spend about 15 to 20 minutes prepping ready-to-go smoothie packs for the week. I pick up all the fresh ingredients I need for a morning smoothie from Target and pre-package them into quart-sized Ziploc bags, and then toss them in the freezer. The only prep I do each weekday morning is to throw the contents of the Ziploc into our Vitamix and transfer it to a plastic to-go cup! It’s actually shocking how quickly I can whip up a delicious smoothie for breakfast! Here’s my go-to green smoothie recipe:

Green Smoothie X (serves 2)

2 handfuls of spinach or kale (Or both! Because why not?)

2 tablespoons blueberries (about 10 blueberries)

1 banana

2 dates (these are for sweetness, so feel free to add agave nectar or stevia or whatever sweetener you prefer)

1 heaping tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I like a little spice in my smoothie; if you can't hang with spicy, then I would leave this out)

1 scoop Vega One natural-flavor protein powder

16-oz cups coconut water (the amount you put in will depend on how liquidy you prefer your smoothie)

Instructions: Simply freeze all the ingredients except the coconut water and protein powder in a quart-sized Ziploc bag. In the morning, just toss the contents of the bag in the blender, top with protein powder and coconut water, blend well, transfer to a to-go cup, and proceed to get after your day!

What time-saving tricks do you have for a summer on the run? 

What’s your #TargetRun?