Food tastes run the gamut. For a four-day trip, you do have the benefit of bringing a few more "comfort" foods because weight won't be as huge of a consideration. I'd tell anyone to mix it up and bring stuff they actually like!
Here are some things I bring:
High quality chocolate, meaning, chocolate generally produced overseas. I am sure there is great domestic chocolate, but generally the quality is better out of Europe.
For dinner, I generally bring whatever is my whim, but for something really good I do like Mary Jane's Farm line of organic backpacker products. The quality is a notch above all others, in my estimation. Plus, she sells in bulk sizes which drives down the price considerably. The meals are generally instant, and it makes it easy to prep and clean up.
http://www.backcountryfood.org/
Personally, I gravitate toward the Mac-and-Cheese which uses white cheddar, not that yellow stuff you get from Kraft. I bring along one of those tuna fish foil pouches you can get at the store, throw it in, and there you have it, tuna casserole. If I am really fancy, I might bring a few olives as well.
Another fine producer of bulk foods and instant foods is adventure foods. I've had various degrees of success with most of their stuff, but they do make a bakepacker-friendly line of goods, and they do sell in bulk. Plus they do not load their foods full of preservatives.
http://www.adventurefoods.com
Other things I like to bring:
Nuts. Good source of fats and usually they are salted. You can get nuts in a trail mix
Dried fruit – mangoes are excellent, although I prefer the kind they don't add too much sugar too. Don't overdo the dried fruit as certain types can do wonders on the intestines.
Energy bars – Some are loaded with sugars, some aren't. Choose wisely. But I like em for a quick snack and you can stuff them into your pockets.
Tea/coffee/hot chocolate – On a cold or rainy evening, a hot drink can do wonders to lift the spirits
Instant oatmeal – Speaking of cold, the prospect of a hot breakfast can at least make getting out of sleeping bag on a cold morning tolerable
High quality jerky – Turkey, salmon, beef, your preference
Miso soup – Again, keeping a theme with hot is great. Miso soup isn't really all that helpful in terms of calories or nutrition, but it's warm and friendly. Plus you can get the instant cubes in tiny sizes.
A lot of people like Instant Ramen products or Lipton Instant Noodles. Some of it is good, some of it loaded with fat and salt. Again, this isn't necessarily bad if you are backpacking, just something to consider.
Depending on the trip, the length, and whether or not we end up passing through or near a campground or some other place with a recycles bin, I'd generally bring a high quality bottled microbrew with me. And my hiking partner, I'd bring one for him. Extra weight, most certainly. But there is nothing like sitting in camp, watching the sun set on some beautiful mountain lake, and partaking in a nice refreshing adult beverage. Of course, you must pack your bottle out and of course, you gotta be careful with the glass.
Four days? No problem. You shouldn't have to carry too much weight for that trip to make a bottle beer a reality.
Hope that helps! Have fun!
Dirk
