Cleaned, chopped and ready to go in juice bag. A bit of work now saving you time in the morning rush.

Hi Time Savers,

Want to save time in your morning making green juice?

Here are some tips that I do that help me.  Yes, it takes an effort to do it upfront but trust me, if you can shave 5-10 minutes off your morning juice routine for 5-10 minutes of sleep, you will be happier and more rested.  And your friends and family will like your big smile.

How to save time making Green Juice

The first step is when you arrive home with your groceries before you put them into the fridge:

1. Wash everything when you get home from the grocery store
2. Put your herbs in a glass or these cool holders to keep them fresh longer
3. Assemble juice bags.

Juice bags – what is that?  Let me explain.

I like to prep a few days worth of green juice ingredients so all I have to do is grab a bag of ingredients and juice away.  Here is what is involved:

Clean and prep your ingredients

• Wash and scrub your carrots, take off the top and bottom
• Rinse your celery, cut off any brown
• Take the bottom stem off any broccoli that you purchased, rinse
• Take the plastic off your English cucumber, peel if needed
• Cut 1/2 -1 inch of ginger, trim off any brown dried areas, peel if needed
• Cut up some of the veggies to fit in the juicer  – celery, carrots, cucumber – just cut into three-inch sections

Load up the freezer bags

• Get large Ziploc freezer bags ready by opening them up to take in the goodness
• Take a handful of spinach or romaine and add to bag
• Take your 3 stems of rinsed curly parsley and add to bag
• Take your 2 stems rinsed cilantro and add to bag
• Add your 2 leaves of curly kale
• Add your 2 leaves of black kale
• Add your cut carrots, celery, cucumber, ginger
• Add your pear.  This I leave whole until juice day when I section and take the seeds out.  It will brown and go mushy if you do it before.
• Take the air out of your juice bag and seal closed
• Pop in the fridge until you need it.

I typically do a few days worth.  So on a Sunday afternoon after groceries, I do up 3 juice bags so I can quickly do juice Monday to Wednesday.  Wednesday evening I do my juice bags for Thursday to Saturday.  Sunday is the “get creative with juicing” day where I use ingredients in the fridge as I practice the empty fridge strategy for grocery shopping.

This prep work ensures your food is there when you need it

For anyone who shares a fridge with your family or room-mates, having “your” food available when you need it is a big deal.  Your juice bags should be safe – provided you communicated to everyone that they are your “GREEN power bags” and hands off.

Once you take the air out of the bags, pop them in the fridge. You will be so pleased with your self in the morning.

More Morning Time Savers

Here are a few more ideas to save you time each morning:

• Filter your water the night before.
• Fill your kettle up ready for action to make your “lemon hydration“.
• Set out your mug.
• Pre-cut your lemon ready to squeeze in the morning (keep in the fridge once cut).
• Get your juicer out, along with your jar and lid and other tools to prepare your juice fest.
• Make your lunch the night before.
• If you are really strapped for time, leave the dirty juicer parts in the sink totally covered in soapy water. Wash when your return home.
• Preselect what you plan to wear the night before.
• Get dressed after your juice fest.

Finally, in your rush, please breathe and practice gratitude.  All this goodness you are adding needs oxygen and good vibrations.  Tell yourself that you are amazing and doing great things for your wellness.  And smile.  You will be amazed by how many people will smile back and how kindness comes your way.

I hope you find these time savers useful.  Let me know if you have other ideas.

Cheers to you as you make GREEN juice a daily habit.

Jo-Ann Blondin