Picky eaters don’t get any less picky just because you’re on vacation—just ask my youngest ones (Rachel is two and Jacob is six, and both of them want everything just so at mealtime). My family loves to camp, and I learned a long time ago that you need to pack camping food for children so you’re sure to have something they will want to eat.

Before you start packing for your camping trip, think about what your picky eater (and everyone else in the family, for that matter) is eating right now. What are some of the family’s favorite foods? How can they be translated into good camping food for children?

You might not be able to make a pizza (Jacob’s current fave) on the campfire, but you could include pepperoni or salami in your larder. Bring along single-serve pouches of macaroni and cheese or soup that only requires boiling water to serve. These handy little meals are great for not-so-picky eaters, too.

Throw in some bagels, toaster pastries and little boxes of cereal (Rachel will almost always eat cereal). These items are great for breakfast, snacks, or even dinner for someone who doesn’t want what everyone else is eating.

If you have access to refrigeration, planning a campsite cookout is a great way to feed kids of all ages. Who doesn’t love a burger or a hot dog cooked on an open fire? This is a quick and easy way to get everyone fed, especially if you make your burger patties in advance.

Camping seems to really be all about snacking. Whether you’re hiking, biking, fishing, or just taking it easy, it seems like a constant stream of food makes everything more fun. Bring meal replacement bars and energy snacks if you don’t feel like mixing up your own granola or trail mix.

If you choose to make your own trail mix, you can add anything your family likes (and leave out anything the picky kids won’t eat). You can even start with a basic blend of oats, flax seed and nuts and then add things like raisins, coconut, dried fruits and more to customize each person’s snack. No coconut for my husband, Kevin, no raisins for Matthew, my oldest, and extra cranberry raisins for Cassidy (my 12-year-old is blessedly on a health kick).

The easiest way to make your own trail mix is the “cuppa” method. Take a cup of each thing you want in the mix and mix them all together. For instance, a cup of Chex Mix or Cheerios, a cup or M&Ms, a cup of raisins and a cup of peanuts. Or a cup of prepared granola, a cup of pretzels, a cup of mixed nuts and a cup of coconut.

The idea of trail mix is that it should give you a little protein, a little sugar, and a little fat, but if you’re not hiking or biking an incredibly intense trail, the nutritional aspect will become less important than just trying to make everyone in the family happy.

Other great additions for kids are fruit leathers (or fruit roll-ups), powdered milk or non-dairy milks in aseptic containers (meaning they don’t need to be refrigerated before being opened), juice boxes and other small snacks like pretzels and nuts.

You just can’t camp without having some variation of s’mores. The classic, of course, is a melted chocolate bar, a roasted marshmallow, and a graham cracker. But who says you can’t smear some peanut butter on your cracker for extra protein and a little of that “you got your chocolate in my peanut butter” fun? Or why not use a chocolate mint instead of a plain chocolate bar? Experiment with using cookies as your base, adding jelly, or whatever you feel like. Make it a vacation for your taste buds as well as your body.