Abstract: The present invention provides a new and improved method for combining, selecting and preparing food dishes by means of a data storage device or diet calculator. The particular components and ingredients of a meal are stored separately and the data pertaining to a particular meal and/or dish including instructions for preparation can be called up in sequence or can be output through appropriate input commands. The data concerning the menu or recipes of food preparation may be displayed on a display device when retrieved from memory or when entered into memory from the keyboard.