By P.S. Kunze

A well-known chef's signature move is an excited "Bam!" as he tosses spices onto whatever delectable dish he is preparing. While it would be nice to share his enthusiasm for preparing meals, many of us regard the entire cooking experience as less of a "bam" and more of a "bummer." This may be especially true if you are cooking and dining by yourself. Before you decide that cooking just isn't worth your time and effort and go running to the nearest fast-food source, here are a few hints to help you prepare tasty and nutritional meals for one.

Give Peas a Chance
An important part of successful meal preparation begins well before you step foot into the commissary or grocery store. Rather than thinking of meals only as a means to get full, consider which foods are more likely to help you to improve or maintain your health.

Many diets or nutritional plans have specific goals, such as gaining muscle mass or losing weight, but for those who are primarily interested in improving health and reducing risks for certain diseases, the Eat 5 a Day for Better Health program is an excellent point of departure. One of the most widely recognized health promotions in the world, the program's goal is to help people become healthier by increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables to at least five servings a day. Tips for success, easy-to-follow recipes, and online tracking tools are all available on the easy-to-use website.

Learn to Cook
Many people who say they don't like to cook would be more accurate in saying they don't know how to cook. If you fit into the latter category, take heart in knowing there is more help available than you could ever use in a lifetime - and it is all easily accessible. By simply turning on the television and flipping through the channels, you are likely to find a cooking show or food preparation segment on a news or a talk show - or even an entire network devoted to food.

If print is more your style, there are a lot of interesting food and food preparation magazines available. Additionally, many magazines with topics ranging from muscles and fitness to makeup and marriage have recipes and cooking tips designed to help you achieve your goals. Check out your newspaper's food or living section for recipes that use local produce or seasonal items.

If you would rather select a cookbook, the choices are mind-boggling. Bookstore shelves are stocked with cookbooks covering practically everything: low-fat, heart-healthy, regional, international, 10-minute meals, three-item entrees, slow-cook, no-cook, and even chocolate or tofu lover's recipes - and many are designed for people with little or no cooking experience. Of course, the Web offers countless sites, such as The Food Network or Cooking.Com, with recipes, preparation tips, search engines, and products available for purchase.

If you would rather have someone teach you to cook, find a friend to help you or take a class. Many Family Service Centers and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facilities offer on-base cooking classes. If not, see if a local community college or restaurant has culinary classes available. You may find yourself enjoying the instruction so much that you enroll in a more comprehensive program.

If, after instruction, you decide that you truly do not like cooking, you will at least have learned to prepare a recipe or two for those occasions when you have to cook or want to impress your friends with your culinary skills. (No one needs to know that chicken parmesan is the only dish you can make.)

No Time to Cook During the Week? No Problem
If time is the issue that precludes your cooking during the week, it is no excuse to fall into a fast-food rut. Instead, devote a couple of hours during your weekend to preparing larger portions of healthy food that you can package as individual servings to enjoy throughout the week. To keep yourself from getting bored with the same item, freeze a serving or two for use at a later date whenever you cook. Simply microwave it and combine it with a pre-packaged salad or fruit, and you have a nutritional meal in less time than it would take to get a burger and fries.

Shop, Don't Drop
If you really do not enjoy cooking, or simply don't want to deal with the hassle of cooking and cleaning up for one, all is not lost. There are still many nutritional and tasty options available to you that don't involve a drive-thru or fluorescent cheese-like products. You won't have to look far at the grocery store to find appetizing, easy-to-prepare frozen foods or ready-to-serve refrigerated entrees. Many are fit for consumption as soon as you open the package, while others simply need to be heated. Before you select an item, read the label to get a feel for the ingredients and nutritional value. You may decide that you could make the item yourself or opt for a similar, healthier item.

Another advantage of reading labels, in particular those on frozen entrees marketed as "healthy" or "lean," is that many are designed to help you construct a healthy, low-fat, low-calorie eating plan. In fact, many product labels have websites with hints for incorporating them into your diet, as well as promoting healthy living strategies and providing nutrition updates. Keep in mind you will pay for this convenience in the price of the food, but the items will still probably cost less than similar items available at your local food court or diet center.

Eating alone doesn't have to mean eating unappetizing or unhealthy food. With a little forethought, effort, and the right attitude, you can enjoy cooking and eating alone. Who knows? After a while, you may even have your own signature move in the kitchen.