These are treacherous times in the United States … for those trying to watch their weight. For a week they’ve been scraping themselves off the ceiling—either from the sugar high of sneaking into the Halloween stash, or from the frustration of trying to back away from the candy. And now that the jelly beans are finally gone, it’s time to start planning the annual Thanksgiving gluttony-fest.

So how can we enjoy the holiday food season without reaching January in the shape of a Butterball?

In addition to looking for every opportunity to move it, move it, move it, we should also make an effort to save them, save them, save them—calories, that is—whenever we can. One way is to start brown-bagging lunch. It’s a good strategy for saving money we can use for holiday shopping and for saving calories that will give us a little extra leeway at celebratory meals and parties. To create a variety of cheap, easy, healthy lunches, just choose one item per meal from each of the following categories:

• Whole grain.  Whole grains contain more fiber than heavily processed grains, and their density will help you stay fuller longer. Look for whole-wheat bread, pita pockets, rolls, bagels, crackers, buns, or high-fiber tortillas. Consider making a salad from high-fiber pasta, or having a high-fiber cereal or bowl of oatmeal. You could also veer away from grains to have a sweet potato.

• Protein.You can include any low-fat meat—turkey or vacuum-sealed tuna are especially good choices—as well as hard-boiled eggs, and chicken or egg salad made with low-fat or fat-free dressings. Vegetarian options include hummus, reduced-calorie peanut butter, tofu, bean salad, almonds or walnuts, protein shakes, yogurt, low-fat hard cheeses, cottage cheese, or milk.

• Fruits & Vegetables.  Be sure to include fresh vegetables or a salad with low-fat dressing as well as fresh fruits, low-sugar applesauce, or a fruit smoothie for dessert. Check the calorie content on frozen yogurts or sorbets to make sure they’re not loaded with sugar. Like whole grains, fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense and will help curb your hunger for long periods. And finishing a meal with a fruit also will curb your sweet cravings.

Take care not to undermine your efforts with afternoon snacks from the vending machines or too many passes by coworkers’ candy dishes. Instead, try chewing flavored sugar-free gums to satisfy your sweet tooth and packing some extra fruit or nuts to serve as afternoon snacks.