5 Smoothie Recipes For Leftover Fruit & Veg

Smoothies aren’t just a way to get more roughage into your diet – they’re also fantastic for using up bits and bobs lurking in your fridge. Don’t throw away those wrinkly apples or overripe bananas! With the help of a good blender, they can be whizzed up into a wholesome treat in minutes.

Plus, it’s not only old fruit that can go into a tasty smoothie. Leafy greens, cold coffee and even leftover porridge make for nutritious smoothies that prevent waste. Here are our top five super-customisable smoothie recipes for making the most out of your leftovers.

Leftover porridge smoothie

Got leftover porridge from breakfast? Turn it into a filling afternoon snack with this wholesome chocolatey smoothie. If you prefer something more fruity, replace the banana and cocoa powder with two handfuls of berries.

Serves 1.

Blend the following until smooth:

• ½ cup cooked porridge, plain or with flavouring
• 1 ripe banana, broken into pieces
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• ½ cup milk or plant-based milk
• 2 ice cubes (or use frozen banana)

Pick-me-up coffee smoothie

Coffee gone cold? Made too much? Give it a second life with this energising smoothie, packed with banana and peanut butter goodness. Far more cheap and healthy than sugary coffee shop drinks.

Serves 1.

Blend the following until smooth:

• ⅔ cup brewed coffee, chilled in the fridge
• 1 ripe banana, broken into pieces
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk or plant-based milk
• 2 ice cubes (or use frozen banana)

Healthy green smoothie

You won’t even taste the leafy greens packed into this sweet, fruity smoothie! It’s an easy way to get more fibre into your diet and use up old fruit and veg too. The avocado makes this smoothie creamy and rich – add another quarter to make it thicker and more filling.

Serves 1.

Blend the following until smooth:

• 1 cup spinach or kale
• Half a ripe banana, broken into pieces
• Half an apple
• Quarter avocado
• ½ cup milk or plant-based milk

Creamy yoghurt smoothie

Got some nearly-empty yoghurt pots hanging around? Yoghurt is a great source of protein and good bacteria – and if you’re not a fan of bananas, it provides a thick creaminess that can replace them. If you’re using a flavoured yoghurt, it will contain a lot of sugar, so reduce or omit the honey in the recipe.

Serves 1.

Blend the following until smooth:

• 1 cup fruit, such as berries or tropical fruit
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ cup milk or plant-based milk
• 2 ice cubes (or use frozen fruit)

Coconut rice pudding smoothie

Leftover rice in the fridge? Make a filling and nutritious breakfast with this coconut rice pudding smoothie, full of sweet, comforting flavours. Blend on high speed for a minute to ensure a smooth texture – soaking the rice in milk overnight will help too.

Serves 1.

Blend the following until smooth:

• ½ cup cooked rice, white or brown
• 2 pitted dates
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup milk or plant-based milk
• 1 teaspoon honey
• A large pinch cinnamon
• 2 ice cubes

More low-waste smoothie tips:

• The freezer is your friend. Get into the habit of chopping up and freezing fruit that’s on the turn, because it can go straight into the blender – and instantly chill your smoothie! You can also turn ageing milk, cold coffee or fruit juice into smoothie-ready ice cubes.
• Bulk out your smoothie with nuts, seeds, dry oats, protein powder or nut butter. It’s a great way to finish up packets hiding in the back of the cupboard.
• Blend up past-their-best desserts into milkshakes. Stale biscuits, old ice cream, chocolate or even cake can be blended up into slurpable treats instead of thrown away. Simply combine with milk and ice cream in the blender.

Looking for the best blender to make smoothies with? Take a look at our energy-efficient appliances here.