>>913587I did a ton of research on this when I was prepping for the PCT. Unless you'll be gone for more than two weeks straight, don't even worry about nutrition; you body stores most of the vitamins that you need in your fat cells, which will release as you burn that fat off. Your primary concern will be calories, and if you're hiking, your calorie to weight ratio. For most of my trips, I just carry summer sausage and string cheese; not too expensive, not too heavy, slow burning energy, doesn't require cooking. I also pack tea, cocoa, etc to warm up and for quick sugar. If you are doing a long trip, you can still do this, just make sure to order a salad and a glass of orange juice every time you pass through a town, and you'll be fine. Waxed hard cheeses are also good and have the added benefit of using the wax for field candles, as well as Spam singles, and the occasional "envelope tuna" (which isn't very high on the cal/g ratio because they pack them in water, but is better than only eating pork for months at a time).
On the other hand, if by value you mean cost; eggs, sandwich wraps, potatoes (which are awesome cooked in coals) and home-made beef heart jerky are the cheapest foods that I take on camping trips when variety and recreation are more important than pack weight and making distance.
