Backpacking Food
The food you carry into the backcountry can be one of your heaviest items, so it is smart not to get too carried away when packing. To help get you started have a look at some Sample Backpacking Menus. 
Most people choose lightweight, usually dehydrated or freeze dried backpacking foods and only a few heavier items like cheese or peanut butter, for example.
Read more about Freeze Dried Food for Backpacking. You should also be thinking about the duration of your outing and the order in which you will eat your meals. Taking raw meat to eat on day 4 in midsummer is a bad idea, but could be perfect for the first night or the second night if the temperatures are right. What backpackers choose to eat can vary greatly from person to person. Some love to cook and will carry full cook sets, fresh produce and luxury items like bacon. Others take the easy route and only cook meals that requires you to boil a little water, like pastas, or freeze dried pouch meals. Still others have found a happy medium between these two and will eat a combination of packaged and "made from scratch" fare. In the end it is up to you. You will want to consider how far and how quickly you want to travel, as well as the cookware you will be using. If you are packing your super light solo cook pot, then making pancakes in the morning is going to be tough and you may want to stick with cereals for breakfast. You should be able to supply yourself entirely from your local grocery store, and this will save you money as well. Freeze dried meals that are prepackaged are excellent for their weight, bulk and speed, but can be expensive. I usualy pack one and use regular grocery store items for the remainder of my meals. An important aside to food in backpacking is how to store it properly while you are camping.
Click here to read about your Food Storage options.
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