How Long Can You Store A Smoothie In The Fridge?

Smoothies are one of those foods that check several boxes: They're sweet, filling, and can be made with a seemingly endless variety of ingredients. NPR reports that a whopping 60% of the frozen fruit Americans purchase ends up in smoothies. You'll find smoothies made with vegetables, nut butters, and all kinds of milk as well (via Good in the Simple). Smoothies can be a well-rounded breakfast, a pick-me-up snack, or even a dessert when sweet additions such as chocolate and dates are added to the mix. 

Smoothies can be a fun treat to blend up in the kitchen because, unlike a lot of recipes, they really don't require precise measurements. Got half a banana and a mango? Chuck it in. Voila — mango banana smoothie! Trying to use up a sweet potato before it goes bad? Sweet potato smoothie coming up! When making smoothies in this eyeballed way, it can be difficult to tell exactly how much creamy drink you'll end up with. Who among us hasn't blended one smoothie only to pour out about three or four servings? For times like those, you'll want to stash your leftovers in the fridge — but the question is, how long will they stay fresh there?

If you've got some leftover smoothie — or simply want to mix up your breakfast ahead of time — then feel free to store it in the refrigerator, but make sure to drink it within 48 hours. According to Raw Blend, an Australian purveyor of blenders, juicers, and dehydrators, that's the upper limit of how long a smoothie will stay fresh once refrigerated. The site notes that the exact shelf life of a smoothie depends on the ingredients used, with those containing leafy greens better able to hold up longer than one day, as the chlorophyll in the greens will help keep the mix fresher. For other smoothies, Raw Blend recommends drinking them within about a day.

The site notes that as fruits and vegetables are blended, oxygen is introduced, leading to oxidation or the discoloration of ingredients (per Love Food Love Science). You'll recognize this from slicing apples and potatoes, which turn brown at their cut parts. (Though we've got a trick to help prevent browning in potatoes.) Due to this process, smoothies stored in the fridge might discolor quickly but will still be fine to drink; Raw Blend suggests adding lemons or lemon juice to the smoothie to slow that process down. According to the food blog Cooks Dream, your smoothie might also separate into liquids and solids in the fridge; just stir it together before drinking.

Of course, if the smoothie tastes or smells off, it should go straight into the compost.