Is there any value in going to a no cook method over bringing a lightweight stove and using dehydrated or freezedried meals?

I have a friend who is no cook but I wonder if there are major differences other than less gear. Has anyone gone to no cook and been happier?

Not quite. I quickly learned, way back at the beginning, that I only needed one hot meal a day. (That's all I eat at home, so why would I do differently on the trail?)

I usually eat a cold breakfast - some sort of granola bar or near-cousin, or perhaps some cold cereal (same as at home.) However, in colder weather I'll sometimes take oatmeal, and add boiling water to the pouch and eat from the pouch.

Lunch is also cold, consisting of some protein (often, beef jerky or an Atkins or similar low-sugar, high-protein meal bar), some dried fruit and maybe some nuts or another granola bar. Again, similar to home (cold cut sandwich, fruit, cheese, salad, etc.)

But supper needs to be hot. I find one hot meal a day comforting, and to that extent, necessary. Freeze-dried works, but so do homemade quick-cook meals.

My own one-time experiment with no-cook saved me about 8 ounces of cook gear, plus some fuel. However, the no-cook food was heavier than the freeze-dried (it already had the water in it), so my net savings were about 6 ounces, and I was a lot less happy. I never made a second experiment.