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If you are at a loss what to take on your first trip, here are some suggestions to get started:

• Bagels: not light, but very filling and withstand all kinds of abuse in the pack without being damaged. A good substitute for bread. Slice them in half and toast them.
• Scones, Biscuits: Heavy, but filling and nutritious.
• Margarine, Cream Cheese and Apricot Jam: Necessary accompaniments to the bagels, scones, or biscuits. Carry in sealed plastic containers.
• Peanut Butter: High nutrition in a compact form. Doesn't spoil. Carry in a sealed plastic container; no ziplocs here. 
• Cheese and Crackers: Select crackers which are less likely to become cracker bits in your pack and store them in a rigid container (like Tupperware). Store the crackers separately from the cheese, unless you like your crackers soggy.
• Raisins and Other Dried Fruit: Eat them alone, in GORP, or on your morning oatmeal. Boil them with some water and brown sugar to make syrup for your pancakes.
• Rice: Compact nutrition. We recommend that you conserve fuel by cooking instant rice. There are many instant, flavoured rices available, but many of these have long cooking times. We suggest that you cook plain instant rice and add your own flavour.   Don't bring the box on the trip, though.
• Couscous: This is one of those ideal backpacking foods. For those who are not familiar with couscous, it is essentially tiny pasta pellets, about the same consistency as cornmeal. Couscous is very fuel efficient, since all you need to to is add boiling water, cover, and allow to soak for a few minutes. It is available at bulk food stores.
• Instant Mashed Potatoes: Don't sneer. These go well with a number of dishes, including chili, or you can just stir in some grated cheese for a one-pot meal. Instant mashed potatoes can also be used as a thickener for stews and other dishes.
• Pasta: Compact nutrition. Select pasta which will cook more quickly (vermicelli or spaghetini, not rotini). Top with cheese (Cheez Whiz will keep in a plastic container for a few days) or with spaghetti sauce (either dehydrated or kept in a sealed container). If you choose AKraft Dinner style instant pastas, remember to bring extra margarine and milk powder and leave the box at home. There are many other instant noodle and pasta dishes now available also.
• Legumes: Make sure you know how to prepare these before you take them along. Some legumes, such as lentils, can be cooked on the trail (20 to 30 minutes), but others must be cooked at home and then dried.
• Real Potatoes: Heavy and full of water, but .. If you want to add some potato to a soup or stew bake a potato or two at home, then cut them up and add them to your concoction on the trail. This will reduce cooking time. Alternatively, you can bake potatoes by wrapping them in more than one layer of heavy foil and setting them among some moderately hot coals.  You can also slice potatoes, boil them slightly, then dry the slices.  Add these to stews, ... to add body.
• Fresh Vegetables: Carrots and onions will survive quite well in the pack. They are heavy, but some will consider them worth the sacrifice for stews.
• Oatmeal/Cornmeal/Cream of Wheat: A good breakfast. If you like the instant oatmeal, it takes very little fuel and preparation. Quick oats takes only a few minutes to prepare and provides more nutrition with less sugar. You can also make your own instant oatmeal by zapping some quick oats for a few seconds in a blender and adding brown sugar, milk powder, cinnamon, raisins, ...  Cornmeal and Cream of Wheat can be messy to clean up, but they are very compact to carry. A kilogram of cornmeal could carry a hiker a long way. Remember the milk powder and brown sugar for the non-instant varieties.
• Granola: To begin, you can purchase commercial products, but home-made granola will save you money, provide better nutrition, and probably taste better. Making your own also allows you to control the fat content, since many commercial varieties are very high in fat.
• Dried Fruits: Apples, apricots, prunes, and pineapple and many others can all serve to provide you with vitamins and energy. 
• Nuts and Seeds: Can be used in GORP, as an addition to your morning porridge, or eaten on their own. Sesame seeds can be used to add flavour to some dishes.
• Instant Noodles: (Ichiban/Ramen) A tad bulky, but very light and consume almost no fuel to cook. Can be cooked quickly as a lunch accompaniment to crackers and cheese. For many beginning backpackers (and, admittedly, some veterans) these are a staple.
• Soup Mixes: Can be prepared according to instructions is or used as a base for more elaborate dishes. Add vegetables, dried meats, or dried legumes to give the soup more nutritional value. Look at the cooking time before you decide to buy. Some of these mixes require considerable simmering to re-hydrate the vegetables in them. 
• Jerky: Makes good snack material for the trail. Can also be added to soups and other dishes for flavour or meat content. Commercial jerky is too expensive for most of us. Consider drying your own. Its not hard.
•  Sausage: Cooked sausage or dry salami can be kept in the pack for several days. Make sure to cook the sausage very well to remove as much of the fat as possible. Add the sausage to another dish, such as soup or pasta, for flavour. To keep the cooked sausage longer on the trail, dehydrate it. Store in the freezer until your trip.
• Instant Pudding: For a treat. Make sure to bring the milk powder. Shake it in a sealed container or in a good, sturdy ziploc bag.
• Hot and Cold Drinks: Hot chocolate, chicken-in-a-mug, iced tea (can be used as a hot drink as well), drink crystals, fruit drink concentrates, tea bags/leaves (If you use leaves - remember to bring the tea ball - you will not have to pack out the used tea bags), and coffee. Plan some hot drinks. These can be very invigorating on a cold morning and very comforting before bed on a cold night.
• Staples: Pack as needed:
  • Flour: can be used for thickening soups and stews. Also used in baking (for the adventurous). Potato flakes can also be used as a thickener; indeed, some would argue that this is the only acceptable use for them.
  • Sugar: Used in tea, coffee, on cereal, ... Alternatively, use
  • Honey: messy but tasty
  • Beef/Chicken Bouillon Mix: Can be used as a hot drink. Can save a main course recipe which turns out to need some added flavour.
  • Salt & Pepper: 'nough said
  • Spices: Depending on the degree to which you are cooking from scratch, you may want to bring along the curry powder, chili powder, garam masala, ...
  • Margarine and Oil: Needed for frying or to add to some recipes (most notably, instant pastas).  Margarine can be used on bagels, crackers, pancakes.