Final answer:
Doug can order 192 different meals from the fast food restaurant by choosing one item from each of the categories of sandwiches, French fries, desserts, and soft drinks, excluding the salad option.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks how many different meals Doug can order from a fast food restaurant, given certain options and one restriction. The calculation is a simple combinatorial problem where we multiply the number of options in each category. Since Doug does not want a salad, only the sandwiches, French fries, desserts, and soft drinks categories are included. The restaurant offers eight different sandwiches, two kinds of French fries, three different desserts, and four kinds of soft drinks. Without the salad option, the total number of different meals Doug can order is:
Total number of meals = (number of sandwiches) × (number of French fries) × (number of desserts) × (number of soft drinks)
Total number of meals = 8 × 2 × 3 × 4
Total number of meals = 192
Therefore, Doug can order 192 different meals from the fast food restaurant when he chooses one item from each of the available categories except for the salad.