In Yellowstone, it's not about the food . . .

Vacations are a blast, and most of us especially enjoy menus that vary from the usual home food. That's certainly the case with normal vacations, but since Yellowstone is all about nature, it might be a bit different here. Where there are restaurants available, the time taken away from the park to buy prepared food may be, to your disappointment, below your expectations. One may want to prepare one's brain ahead of time that Yellowstone just isn't all about the food. Those who focus on eating out at mealtimes often miss the best part of wildlife or the quietest part of popular thermal features (lunch excepted). Following is how we make the best of the park yet don't starve: 

Food:
Eating out is not an option as far as we are concerned, unless we want to make reservations at Old Faithful Inn or Lake Hotel for a once-in-a-lifetime $50 each meal (which is scant on quantity for vegetarians, better for carnivores ;-). Other venues serve very expensive, what I call "sustenance" food that wastes a lot of time waiting, waiting, waiting . . . . which is fine if you want to take the time. 
 
They do have stores in the park. Some have a varied supply, others are quite limited. Prices are spendy but not a deal breaker. Generally the only things we buy in the store are bread (their bread is fantastic!), occasional bananas or apples, onions, peeled boiled eggs, and chips. Their premade sandwiches are a great way to stock lunches and suppers for while out in the park. I've never had any, but they look good. I just understand that you don't want to wait until 11 AM to purchase or they may all be gone. 
 
They only sell butter lettuce, which takes a lot of water to clean (thinking RV water/gray tank stingy here) and though yummy, it’s a really light head – not much lettuce. No prepared lettuce packs are available that I remember. We bring what lettuce we want with us from cities out of the park  and then just skip it after it’s gone. I believe all stores have sandwich cheese. At least once every week or two we try to visit the store in Gardiner just above the north gate of the park, which has a fantastic stock of fresh foods and goods (for a little store). There are also two grocery store in West Yellowstone. Cooke City has a small store where you can get essentials (smores), soups, bread, and basics. It's very small, the size of a semi-large living room. There is at least one convenience store there. 

We really try to bring all our easy-to-prepare food with us to the park such as a couple loaves of bread, condiments, veggie meat (or dried meats for sandwiches), produce, maybe prepared potato salad. We make ramen or soup and add to it a can of mixed veggies for supper.
 
We don’t worry too much about bringing an ice chest, as all the above foods do fine during the day if they are refrigerated at night. Obviously an ice chest would be  needed if just tent camping. We do have a very small cooler a little bigger than a six-pack that we take with us each day.
 
A note on water (liquids) in relation to cooking when out and about in the park or even at camp: liquids cannot be tossed just anywhere. All water, canned food liquids, toothbrush spit, anything really, has to be dumped in an outhouse or discarded in a bear proof container – nothing on the ground. We carry a garbage bag with absorbing wood pellets (horse bedding pellets) for all our liquids. I mention this because it’s helpful to plan food that does not create a lot of excess liquid ;-). 
 
Easy ideas, we eat repetitiously:
Hot dogs
Pancakes
Pasta with canned spaghetti sauce
Canned fruit and veggies
Boxed or canned soups
Sandwich makings
Condiments
Snack bag to keep in van
Lots of Paper Plates, bowls, and plastic silverware

Ice Cream: I believe each store serves ice cream, some with more selection than others. Ice cream can also be found in Canyon Village Lodge (not the hotel) and is called "The Ice Creamery." It's a little cheaper than the store and usually carries different flavors, though fewer. Our favorite ice cream shop is "Stop the Car" in Silver Gate out the NE entrance. It's not cheap, but it's fantastic! While you are there, visit the "goats" at the little store across the street (you'll see what I mean ;-).  Now, the following link is to the Cook City Chamber of Commerce, but Stop the Car ice cream shop is indeed in Silver Gate. Be sure to ask them how they got their name and a 25 cent royalty is granted the name creator. 
https://cookecitychamber.org/member-directory/stop-the-car-trading-post