Why Your Freezer Is Your Best Weight-Loss Tool

It's a cinch to DIY your own freezer bags of cooked grains, and because you're in charge, you decide what types of grains and how much — you can even mix them such as quinoa with rice. Freeze them in half- or one-cup servings and add frozen grains to hot soups, or warm them up in the microwave to add them to salads or stir-fries.

No more wilted, slimy greens going to waste! Buy greens in bulk and freeze them as they are or pureed in ice cube trays for soups, stir-fries, or smoothies. Any type of greens will freeze well, so go for spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, arugula, or a combination.

Puree a can of beans, freeze the puree, and use these magical frozen bean cubes in anything you can think of. Add one to your bowl of oatmeal, throw a few in the blender when whipping up your kale smoothie, or mix them into pasta sauce, soups, or cooked whole grains. Each cube offers protein and fiber to keep you feeling full and energized longer, and won't affect the taste of the dish.

Too many zucchinis in the garden? Freeze shredded zucchini in one-cup servings to be used later for healthy chocolate cranberry zucchini bread or a bowl of lower-calorie zoats (zucchini + oatmeal).

Instead of adding plain ice cubes to your smoothies, use almond milk ice cubes to add some extra calcium and creaminess to make your smoothie feel more decadent. This is also a great hack if you're unable to finish a carton and don't want it to go to waste.

This little freezer hack turns steel-cut oats into quick oats, so in less than five minutes, you can sit down to a creamy, satisfying breakfast that'll keep you full all morning long.

If your farmers market or chicken coop (or neighbor's coop) is bursting with fresh eggs, and you can't possibly eat them all before they go bad, you can freeze them! They last three to five weeks in the fridge, but they can keep in the freezer for up to six months. This recipe is for freezing egg whites and yolks together, so you can quickly grab a few and warm them up in the morning for a high-protein breakfast. You'll never run out of eggs!

Instead of buying fruit-flavored yogurt, which can contain extra calories from added sugar, buy plain yogurt and flavor it yourself. Puree a batch of fresh or frozen fruit in the food processor or blender, and pour spoonfuls into baby food containers or ice cube trays. You can save room in your freezer by popping frozen fruit puree cubes into a freezer bag. Then when it's time to eat, just take out a cube or two and stir it into your bowl of plain yogurt.

Instead of opening the fridge just to have a pint of high-calorie ice cream staring back at you, stock your freezer with healthier frozen treats. Frozen fruit bars are a great option, but you can also freeze your own desserts such as these 30-calorie ice cream cupcakes or frozen nutty banana nibblers.

Smoothies may be a quick breakfast to slurp down, but they certainly can take a great deal of prep, especially if you use fruit you need to peel like mangoes, oranges, or kiwis. Prepping ahead of time means you can whip up a smoothie in just a few minutes.

Wash, peel, and dice fruit and store the smoothie ingredients you'd use for one smoothie in bags in the freezer. My favorite is one sliced banana, one cup of blueberries (can use frozen), six sliced strawberries, half a cup of sliced mango, and a big handful of spinach. Cutting the fruit in small chunks is recommended to ensure they puree well.

Pour the frozen fruit in your blender or food processor and add yogurt, milk, peanut butter, or whatever other ingredients you choose, and a little water, and your smoothie will be ready in no time.

Homemade pizza tends to be much healthier than a pie you'd have delivered from the local pizzeria because you can use whole-wheat crust, not a ton of cheese, and lots of fresh veggies.

Either keep premade whole-wheat pizza crusts in the freezer, or you can buy dough (or make your own) and store wrapped balls of dough in the freezer. You just need to remember to thaw it in the fridge a few hours before dinner so it's ready to roll.

The next time you bake an enormous spinach lasagna, gluten-free pasta bake, kale casserole, or big batch of bean soup, instead of storing leftovers in the fridge, where they often go bad, save them in the freezer. Divvy up appropriate portion sizes into reusable containers, so the next time you need a quick, healthy meal, it's ready to go.

If you remember in the morning, you can transfer the containers to the fridge and allow them to thaw all day, or if they're in glass containers, just pop them in the microwave. It sure beats ordering high-calorie takeout!

Whether you enjoy a smoothie for breakfast or blend one up for a high-protein post-workout snack, here's a simple (and tasty) way to add more essential electrolytes to your glass. Instead of adding plain ice cubes to the blender, throw in frozen cubes made of coconut water. It also adds a natural sweetness to satiate sugar cravings.