Hi Daisy,
Thanks for sharing that info on the NOLS approach. On the group trips I generally do (anywhere from 2-8 people/ from long week ends to up to 8 days is the norm--some backpacking, some paddling) everyone takes care of his or her own food needs, so I generally do individual meal packaging prior to the trip for every meal and have a separate supply of snack food and coffee or tea or hot chocolate. I'm curious though about the bulk method you described. Can you provide a few examples of the typical breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that you (or NOLS) does on these trips and with what sorts of bulk foods?

I'm able to get by with no feeling of deprivation on about 1.5 lbs. per day for myself. Just to give folks a sense of how I do it, here are some typical meals:
breakfast--2 eggs, 1/3 bagel, 2 ozs. of swiss cheese, coffee or tea
lunch--peanut butter and jelly sandwich or 1 1/2 sandwiches, half a snickers bar, water
dinner--8-10 ozs. of soup using powdered soup with dried vegetables, 1/3 freeze dried meal that I've taken out of original packaging and repackaged, peanut M & M's for desert, coffee or tea
Soy roasted almonds or honey roasted peanuts as trail snack

thanks
Gerry Magnes