Cooking whilst backpacking, or even car camping, need not resort to pre-packaged ready meals, except perhaps for emergency back up supplies. I find such meals to be bland and limited in calorific value. Limited calories are fine, if you are on a diet, but when out walking in the mountains whilst carrying your house on your back you need substantial meals. A member of a walking party once remarked that he ate better on my trips than when at home - perhaps this said more about his own cooking skills than mine but a good compliment nevertheless.
