Anne, who is married and living in New Orleans, Louisiana, can relate. "I used to consider it just too much trouble. But cooking for me and my husband is different, we have to eat!"

Clair, of Rockmont, N.C., admits, "I could use some tips that would challenge more than just my soup can opening skills in the kitchen!"

Not being obligated to feed anyone but yourself can make it very easy to just settle for whatever you can find or have delivered. Calling for take-out or substituting snack food for a meal can be tempting. Anne did recall her favorite premarital bliss meal substitute: "By myself I'm happy with a box of Wheat Thins and picante sauce." But snacking instead of actually eating a well-balanced meal may eventually cause health problems. With a few simple techniques, it can be easy and quick to cook delicious healthy meals.

Veggie Tales
When considerations of health are involved, fruits and veggies are always at the front of our minds. Depending on where you shop, some grocery stores offer cut vegetables, which are great for stir-fry meals. Frozen stir-fry packages also are an option – they only require that you add meat, chicken or shrimp. Jon, a traveling businessman, goes that route: "These are really convenient for me, since I never know when I may or may not be in town. No thawing -- just pour it in a wok with chicken or beef and stir. I can usually eat most of it myself or divide it for two."

You can also buy fresh vegetables, such as beets, cabbage, carrots and potatoes, which can be kept for more than a week. Frozen vegetables are equal in nutritional value to fresh and can be cooked in the same variety of ways as those you find in the produce department. Unused green peppers and onions can also be chopped up, frozen and saved for casseroles. Already purchased fruits that have grown too ripe, such as bananas and strawberries, can be frozen for later use to make fruit smoothies or daiquiris.

Tea For One or Two
Cooking in large portions can still be good idea. Casseroles, stew and lasagna are all recipes that freeze well. This can come in handy when you have unexpected guests. Ray, a vision technologist, says: "I throw together a large pot of spaghetti and eat it for at least two days, sometimes lunch and dinner. But if some of my friends drop in, they may get a plate full when they do."

A roast beef slow-cooked in a Crock Pot can be used as leftovers in several variations. Add barbecue sauce to shredded roast beef for barbecue beef sandwiches. Adding additional water and vegetables can also turn your original roast into a soup. The same suggestions can be applied to a whole chicken. Planning more than one meal can save money and as well as time.

There are healthy alternatives for those that insist they just don't have the time to cook. David, an on-the-go artist by trade, admits: "I am in a sad state of affairs where cooking is concerned. I keep pre-fixed black beans in the fridge for a quick quesadilla in the car."

Low-fat frozen dinners or fresh or dried pasta with bottled sauce are quick-fix meals. The ladies I spoke with went more for the frozen low-fat dinners, and the guys were more likely to fix different pasta and sauce variations. In the end, however, they agreed that any meal -- whether take-out, microwave or stove-top -- could always be improved by serving a green salad, fresh bakery bread and a favorite bottle of wine.