1. **Stating the problem:** We have a menu with 4 entrée options (Burger, Taco, Rice, Spaghetti), 2 snack options (Chips, Apple), and 2 drink options (Water, Milk). 2. **Goal:** Find the total number of possible meal combinations where a meal consists of one entrée, one snack, and one drink. 3. **Formula used:** The total number of combinations when choosing one item from each category is given by the product rule: $$\text{Total combinations} = (\text{number of entrées}) \times (\text{number of snacks}) \times (\text{number of drinks})$$ 4. **Applying the formula:** $$4 \times 2 \times 2$$ 5. **Intermediate step with cancellation (if any):** No common factors to cancel here, so no cancellation step is needed. 6. **Calculating the total:** $$4 \times 2 = 8$$ $$8 \times 2 = 16$$ 7. **Answer:** There are **16** possible meal combinations. This means you can create 16 different meals by choosing one entrée, one snack, and one drink from the options provided.