Just as you start recovering from Thanksgiving, the next holiday will come flying in like Santa and his 12 reindeer dropping off last-minute presents. For some, Thanksgiving might have been the ultimate test of willpower and strength when it comes to sticking to a diet. But for everyone else, the month of December can be even more difficult.

So what’s the best way to curb unavoidable cravings during the last stretch of the year? We recommend meal prepping. During the holiday season, you can plan meals based on your (abundant) leftovers to meet your diet goals. And when you pair this strategy with the amount of macros you should consume for each meal, then you won’t have to worry about staying on track with your diet for the rest of the year. Don’t worry, if you don’t have fancy meal prep containers, just use good old fashion re-sealable storage bags.

Meal Prep Guidelines

Meal prepping may seem like a chore, but if you have tons of leftovers, more than half the work is already done for you. Check out the example below to see what the meal prep macro numbers might look like for a Thanksgiving leftovers meal.