I like multi-week hiking trips, so I'm always looking for a good calories-per-gram value at not too high a price.
Dehydrated meals are great, but they run $10-$12 bucks a pop. My stomach is pretty chill so if it's enough for two meals, I stretch it out without worrying about it going bad. Still, my goal is to spend close to the same amount for camping food as regular groceries.
Powerbars and the like are good, but, again, cost. Same for beef jerky. And macademia nuts, which are the best value at 200 calories per ounce. (A lot of power bars, for comparison, are 125 calories per ounce. Beef jerky isn't huge on calories, but is a good ratio for protein.) Of course you can mitigate cost through bulk purchase.
So, on to cheaper stuff I'd normally have in the kitchen and can reliably get at small-town grocery stores along the way:
Cheese and sausages are good for a couple days so if you eat those first you get the weight out of the way.
Tuna sold in a foil packet is good too. (Even though canned is cheaper. And even though I would feel stupid paying for the flavored ones when I could add my own oil and spices, in this case it seems like a good value.)
My favorite thing that I came up with this time was power oatmeal. Take one packet commercial instant oatmeal (for extra flavor), about three parts regular instant oatmeal (so you're not going crazy on sugar), however much raisins, walnuts, and chia seeds you want (got last two at wholesale place), bunch of cinnamon. Then you have a stick of butter with you for the first week and throw a tablespoon of that in for each serving. Delish!
I also like grapenuts and whole fat dried milk (Nestle Nido). I don't like the taste of the dried milk normally but the grapenuts do something to it.
Pasta actually isn't too shabby in terms of calorie concentration, but it doesn't feel like a nutritional powerhouse. It is filling, though. Angel hair takes the least fuel to cook. Throw some butter in for sauce, also an opportunity for that shelf-stable parmesan cheese.
I also take a multi-vitamin, which people say are useless because you're probably getting adequate vitamins in your regular food intake, but that might not be the case under these circumstances. Plus, I heard there was new research that mosquitoes are less attracted to you if you have a ton of b-vitamin in your sweat? Worth a shot!
Obviously, I'm carrying a stove. I did try the time before last not taking the stove and fuel to save weight, but I found it wasn't worth it in terms of lost variety.
So anybody else have similar needs and have some suggestions?