The gum reference was in regards to the MREs- the meals are low in fiber so if you eat a couple of them you can get constipated. Most folks think the gum has a laxative in it but it doesn't. The crackers are higher in fiber though. Personally I've never been a fan of gum either.
If you go the MRE route check when you buy them- some come with heaters and some don't. I have seen folks use the heaters to warm water for coffee, but it's not very effective. Taste is very subjective- the new ones are definitely better than the older ones, but there's still some of them I'd rather go hungry than eat; I also don't like salty foods and most of them are too salty to me. In freeze dried foods I always look for the lower sodium varieties and I usually dilute them if I can.
Lance's idea on the trihexane bar stove is a good one and I have one in my bail out bag. I think I paid $5 for it surplus and it stores a couple of the mil issue fuel bars inside of it. Packed it's about the size of a bar of flat soap and will heat water just fine. With a little experimenting you can figure out how much of the bar you need to bring a mug of water to a boil- if you try this be sure to clean your hands after handling the bar.
Honestly, a can of Dinty Moore beef stew or other canned food takes up a less room than an MRE and it's cheaper to boot, just remember to change them out every now and then. In my own bag I have one of the small stoves with a couple of fuel bars, a cup that fits on the bottom of one of my Nalgene bottles and several packs of food. I go to Earth Fare and buy a couple of those cup of noodle/soup things then strip them down and repackage them using a vacuum sealer. You can also buy the Mountain House brands already vacuumed but they're more expensive. Toss in a bag or two of tuna and I can whip up something edible quickly. I keep a couple of Clif Bars in my bag too. The big difference between us is I'm usually in an area where finding water isn't that big of a deal (east coast) whereas you have to carry your own. When I travel out west I usually throw some canned food in the truck and maybe an MRE or two. Oh, I have a couple of tea bags vacuum packed in my bag too along with a couple of packs of honey- luxury items to be sure, but they don't take up hardly any room or weigh much.
FWIW, food is more of a comfort item when you're talking short term and I wouldn't stress it too hard. I think I mentioned it before, adding a strobe that you can put on top of your Jeep or up high will help rescuers locate you much faster when searching by air.
ETA- One of my uncle's has one of those Aliners- it's a very nice camper for one or two people. His has heat and air and also a shower setup which I think they've since discontinued. The cassette toilet is nice and it's setup so you can cook indoors or out. He had to upgrade the axle on his and added trailer brakes when he did. Supposedly the standard factory axles aren't very good quality which is surprising given the rest of the trailer seems to be well made. It's definitely not an off-road camper though.
