Maybe you have bicycle touring confused with being homeless on a bike. Do you have the slightest idea how long it would take to cook raw lentils on an alcohol stove? More than two hours! Undeniably healthy and a great source of protein and complex carbohydrates, but utterly impractical for bicycle touring.

As far as large stores go, it completely depends on where you are. In the western states, you can easily be 3-4 days between stores. The trick is to find something worth eating that is sold at gas stations.

I easily spend $40 per day. Pancakes and coffee at a truck stop is $10, a bottle of Gatorade is $2, a jar of peanut butter is $3, a loaf of bread is $2, a couple of bananas are $3, the campground is $20 - oops, I'm out of money and I didn't even get dinner.

Look, touring is expensive. If you insist on setting out with no money, its not touring - it's being homeless on a bike. Another hobby altogether.