A very wise man once said, "The poor foods in our diet are often NOT our foods of choice, but our foods of convenience." I don't recall his name, but I'm certain that he's smart and quite handsome.

Obviously preparation is key, but there are some things you just can't prepare for. When life gets in the way you might have to go MacGyver on it. Get out your duct tape and a tampon and manufacture an emergency meal.

I'm telling you now that this absolutely WILL happen sometime throughout the course of your diet. Likely more than once. Since you are now aware of this, you're not allowed to use it as an excuse. Kylene has some great advice below, but I'd like to this opportunity to readdress the issue of budget.

Don't be shy about spending money on the food you eat. To fully understand what I'm talking about, review the course on budgeting. The money you spend at the grocery store to circumvent situations like these is money that you're saving at the fast food window. I probably don't have to tell you, but it's expensive to feed a family of four at McDonald's. The extra $1 you spend on organic albacore tuna-in-a-pouch pales in comparison to the money you'll throw away on emergency meals in drive-throughs.

If you absolutely have to (and you will) take the kids through a drive through but keep something handy for yourself. Don't waste 300-500 calories and a day and a half of remorse on an emergency meal that can be prevented.

We have all been there. Kids have ballgames, you are stuck working late, the list is endless of why we didn't have time to get a proper meal on plan.

• Keep a tuna fish packet in your purse - this can be added to any salad for an instant on protocol meal.
• There are several protein shake options that are packaged individually. It can be 100 degrees outside and all you need to do is buy a cold bottle of water to make this into an emergency meal. Keep a couple in your purse.
• Buy precooked frozen chicken - this can be used for many quick recipes for the whole family
• No kidding - buy the lowest carb beef jerky they have in the gas station as a last resort
• Order a hamburger and throw away the bun, or a cold cut sandwich