phat
you will notice that I made no value judgement of his food. (nor of yours) I simply suggested real food like I suggested warmer clothes. Taters go from instand to gourmet with grated cheese and herbs on them - I do not object to the later. About 500 years ago I carried a package of instant mashed potatoes and instant brown gravy in case I was out for an extra day. I hated it so much that I never stayed long enough to get down to eating it. YMMV

Sure try going lighter and quicker, then try going heavier and slower with better food. Life is an experiment. Generally those light packs that are nice to carry do not contain the camp luxery items found in heavier packs. Every one makes their own decision as whether something provides enough extra to a trip to make it worth carrying. I like a camp chair, but not if we're camping on a peak.
Jim