I've been running a backpacking camp for girls for fourteen years now, and by far the one thing all the girls remember most from their trips is the food -- both the good, the bad, and the dirty (someday I'll share the story of how Macaroni and Cheese became Macaroni and Trees). They don't remember the blisters, how exhausted they were, or even the fact that it rained every single day of their trip; what they remember is that the red beans and rice was disgusting but the turkey pasta was the bomb. So a little extra planning in the food department can go a very, very long way to ensuring that your kids become life-long packers.