One of the controversies of the fantasy genre is how to handle food and travel. Some say that it shouldn't be mentioned, as it slows down the story. Others stand behind the cry of "It's a journey, not a destination!". Where do I stand on the spectrum, you ask?

I think that food and travel can be mentioned if one or both of the following conditions are met.

1. The travel/eating serves as a backdrop to the main scene. Never underestimate the characterization opportunities of a quiet travel or food scene. If a character snaps at another to stop looking at the dragonflies instead of her when she's talking to him, it tells us that one character isn't very tolerant of rudeness (and has a very wide definition of such) and that the other may be easily distracted or aloof.
2. The travel/food is a problem. Let's say your hero is sent on an important quest by the king himself. It would be safe to assume he is well-stocked with food and would have a steed or a wagon to carry him. So just let the miles fly by, and just let the reader assume that they have enough food. Now, let's say the caravan is attacked. The animals and other people are killed and the wagons and supplies are torched. Now, if you just say, "He ate lunch at...", readers will think, "Hey, wait a minute. Where'd he get the food?" Did he hunt it? Buy it? Steal it? Say so! Same goes with travel, especially if it's over rough terrain.