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This article was written by Lizzie Fuhr and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.

If you’re serious about losing weight, your lazy-girl habit of getting takeout for dinner every night has got to change. Luckily, cooking at home doesn’t have to be a crazy struggle or time suck. These tips will help you get organized and make simple swaps! Results are within reach.

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Store for Freshness
Just tossing your produce is the fridge won’t make it last. Check out the simple chart below; it lays out the smartest spot to store most common produce, whether at room temperature, on a refrigerator shelf, or in the crisper (the coldest fridge drawer). Click here to see where to store 13 more fruits and veggies. 

 

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DIY Smoothie Packs
If you’re not prepared, making a smoothie can turn into a 15-minute production. DIY smoothie packs are the perfect solution to this predicament. Just prep all the fruit and greens you plan use in your smoothies, and freeze individual serving sizes in quart-sized zip-top bags (glass mason jars work well, too). Write a note with any ingredients that need to be added to the blender last-minute, and your smoothie is as good as done. 

Go Greek
Skip oil, butter, and heavy cream, and bump up levels of calcium, protein, and probiotics in your meals by using Greek yogurt. It can easily sub in for mayo, sour cream, or heavy milk in your favorite recipes.

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Mix in Tofu
Replacing part of your ground-meat mix with tofu not only helps keep the patties moist, which is especially helpful if you are using a lean meat, but it also lessens the calorie and saturated fat count of many dishes. 

Click here for even more genius food hacks for weight loss from POPSUGAR FITNESS