All of the freeze-dried shit is terrible and never worth the money. The stuff in the silver pouches is for newbies who don't know any better, and for perpetual suckers/gearheads. You're so much better off at QFC/Safeway/etc. and getting your dry goods there and perusing the bulk aisle. The cost and relative light weight of a decent spice selection works wonders, and a bit of fresh garlic or onion is more than worth the small increment of additional weight.

Carry a little more weight = get stronger.

And dried eggs? Don't. Just don't.

Dry food is dry food.
Why pay $8.00 for something "freeze dried", when your neighborhood grocery store or supermarket has "dry" food ingredients for $1.00 a pound, and you only need a quarter-pound to make a full meal?
Go backpacking with lots and lots of other people, and see what they eat. Could be your friends, could be people who just show up at your wide-spot-on-the-trail and camp nearby you. There are a ton of alternatives in between overpriced "freeze dried eggs" and boring "tortillas and peanut butter".

Yeah, skip the pre-packaged crap; not worth the cost and as others have noted above, there are much less expensive alternatives, if you have a little know-how and plan ahead. Also, keep in mind extended back-country travel can be very strenuous, particularly if you're not already in peak physical condition, so stock up on calorie-dense foods such as nuts, seeds, chocolate, and dried fruits and meats (for non-vegans, of course). They pack easily, don't add a lot of weight, and, along with some whole-grain carbs such as steel-cut oats, will get you quite a ways down the trail.

If you want to go more of the gourmet route - and seriously, nobody wants to subsist exclusively on trail mix and turkey jerky for more than a few days - it's pretty easy to cobble together ready-to-eat meals from stuff in your pantry that just requires a few minutes in boiling water. Throw some instant rice, spices & freeze-dried veggies into a Ziplock, add some smoked salmon, and you've got yourself an easy-to-prepare, hearty one-pot meal. Heck, just transfer a couple of cheap cup-a-soups to a baggie for a quick-and-easy lunch.

Seriously, you don't have to spend a fortune on this stuff...

I stick with Mountain House. They have the best dried food I've found. Don't get the lasagne though. The way the "cheese" sticks to your fork is suspect. Best thing for lunch is Top Ramen. Best thing for breakfast is oatmeal. If you want to make your friends jealous, vacuum seal a hot dog. Store a bun and a packet of ketchup where they won't get smashed. Starbucks has awesome one serving packets of instant coffee. Rice Crispy Treats are a great light snack to carry.

Sounds terrible, but el cheapo ramen tastes quite yummy for some absurd reason. The kids now insist on doubling the ration so we aren't stealing theirs.

@5: I'm not a big fan of the SB Via's, just because - Starbucks roast. That said, even plain old Nescafe Instant can taste like ambrosia after a few days on the trail, and Folgers also makes coffee-in-a-teabag that's not too bad. But, I'm a coffee snob, so I pack a baggie of coarse-grind of my current favorite brew (or Tony's Backcountry Blend, if I can get it), and splurged on a lightweight plastic GSI Outdoors Commuter Java Press mug, which also makes for a decent water bottle, so I'm not doubling up on equipment. The little bit of extra room the ground coffee takes up is totally worth it, because there's really nothing quite so luxurious as a really good cuppa steaming hot Joe to get your day started.

Backpacker's Pantry's Huevos Rancheros needs to be cooked over low heat after you add the water. Otherwise you end up with something like egg soup.

When I spent a week at Philmont Scout Ranch (in northern New Mexico) many many years ago, we ate freeze-dried food, but once I moved out here and began hiking in the Cascades, I never bought it. My long-time backpacking friend and I both liked cooking food so while we bought some bulk food (granola, etc.), we always brought eggs & sausage for breakfast and something like salmon or jambalaya for one of the dinners. For coffee -- a must -- we usually brought Medaglia d’Oro instant espresso.

I'll bring tomatoes and chard backpacking when I want smashed, bruised tomatoes and wilted chard in my hot, dirty pack. But that's never, so I'll continue to bring hardier root veggies or even vegetables that can take a punch (like bell peppers) without spilling their guts over everything.

If you're going to go pouches, go Turkey Tetrazinni. Quite possibly the most enjoyable meal I had in 2013 was that, after I've gotten up Asgard Pass into the Enchantments.

cheese, tortillas and summer sausage.

My food selection depends on the specific trip...shorter (3-4 days) and flatter, like the coast. I'm just shopping the dry goods/canned aisle at the grocery store. Long with lots of elevation plus possible climbing equipment, I'm saving every ounce and going freeze dried for dinners (oatmeal for breakfast). My experience is that any one of the freeze dried that started life in more of the casserole or stew category and you'll do ok. Just avoid any of them that involve mashed potatoes.

11/Jonman, I never hiked up to Aasgard Pass (good for you!) but I did hike down from it once. One my first of two hikes to the Enchantments, my then-girlfriend and I hiked up the long way and were planning on returning the same way. But, while coming back from one of the latrines, she ended up running into a guy who had hiked up via the pass and he was interested in not hiking back the way he came so we exchanged car keys and we got to hike down via the pass. My second visit to the Enchantments was better because we were there later in the year, when the larch trees were turning gold. Being in the stunning lower Enchantments with those golden larch trees remains my favorite backpacking experience in Washington.

Just a thought, but what about taking along those boil in a bag Indian food entrees? They're always vegetarian, and not half bad. They're also more like $3 for a serving not $11.

Trader Joe's sells them under it's own name, I think, but the one I liked was Tasty Bite.

http://tastybite.com
http://tastybite.com/meal/indian-entrees

Rice and beans. Breakfast, noon, and night.

@15, yes, Tasty Bites! Take along some quick-cook rice and it's a delicious meal.
If I'm going to a lake with trout, I'll buy a box of Tuna Helper (discard the box). Catch a trout or two, cook them on the fire or stove, add to the pot and voila! Trout Helper!

If you want eggs, give Ovaeasy a try. It's a fantastic product, virtually indistinguishable from fresh eggs.

Why not Soylent? It's cheap and has got to be the least fussy food there is - it requires no stove, the packaging is effectively weight-free, and it's as close to nutritionally complete as science has been able to determine.

Sardine Spaghetti is delicious! Especially with fennel, lemon zest and breadcrumbs. But for camping I take the packet curries someone mentionned and eat them over quick cooking rice and lentils. Dried pasta mixes from the grocery store are great when you doctor them with dehydrated kale and chorizo. Not enough people who like cooking in the woods are writing. I also find it hard to leave my cast iron at home.