Non stop eatting

[jec]

I have two little guys who are eating me out of my budget! These little monkeys are constantly hungry and seconds are always on the menu

Anyone have some healthy menu items that are filling. I serve healthy, home made meals and banana bread, muffins are getting boring for them.
I find a lot of great ideas from Deceptively Delicious cookbook like the Mac and cheese that has cauliflower in it ~ healthy and filling but again, the kids are getting tired of it and was wondering if anyone has some of their own healthy lunch ideas that I might not have thought of and can share with my crew

[playfelt]

Foods that make them chew as compared to gobbling it down will help slow them down a bit. And it has been proven that when we take the time to chew our food that we eat less - or so the weight loss people tell us. Don't cut the food up any smaller than is necessary which makes them take bites and chew. Consider for example regular mac and cheese and cauliflower raw on the side with some dip - dipping takes time and the crunch takes time even though the mac and cheese goes down just as fast.

[Momof4]

I've had a boy in care for 3 years who eats more than the other 4 children put together. I've been telling his parents that I don't make any profit from them at all. He always eats 2 or 3 servings of meat, veggies and bread items and would eat all the fruit in my fridge daily if I let him. And he's a skinny little kid! Since I give him a very balanced diet daily I let him have extra bread and veggie items since they are not as expensive as the 4th servings of meat & fruit, you know? Although I serve all organically grown veggies and fruit so neither are cheap, but the fruit prices are insane. Also, I've cut him off after 3rds for the past few years. I think that's enough food for him and he is still growing and thriving.

[jec]

Sounds like the two little guys I have ~ they wouldn't stop eating if I didn't cut them off.
I buy some organic but, don't advertise that. I won't get organic banana's or oranges as the peel is thick but other fruit and veggies with thin cover I will. Having said that, if nothing I want is in the organic section, I will buy non organic. Crazy how expensive it is to eat healthy.
I've gone on the internet and found some great recipes that hopefully will help to fill them up and still keep me in budget ~ while keeping our meals healthy.

[Momof4]

jec, I read all the lists of things that should be bought organically grown and things that don't really matter. It's surprising. But I do advertise it and I'm proud of the nutritious, non-prepackaged, home-cooked meals I serve. At least the food we serve the daycare children is a tax deduction.

[Spixie33]

I have lots of kids who seem to have bottomless stomachs. Sometimes I cook food thinking it will last us 2 days and they clear it out in 1. I usually cook a big batch of food to feed my family and then use the leftovers the following day for the daycare but I am starting to think I may have to cook separately for my family and the daycare so there is enough to go around

My biggest eater is a 1 year old. This child can eat 2-3 bowls full of whatever lunch we are having plus tons of snacks.

I also try to buy organic stuff (probably half of what we eat) and some of the Earth's best crackers are over $3 a box and are gone from just 1 snack time

I have started serving the fruit/veggies that some serve after lunch as a before the lunch appetizer so that I am giving less of the actual meal and meat to their stomachs since everyone having 2-3 servings is really killing me. Some days I am not sure how to even keep reheating enough food for everyone because I am scooping left and right and hearing demands for 'more please'.

The best thing is to make sure there is protein in the lunch

[jec]

ummm....where did you get that list. I'd like to see it
I'm with you ~ I'm really proud of what I serve in my daycare. I don't serve any prepackaged foods and everything is home cooked as well ~ I make everything for my own family and my daycare family from scratch. I just don't advertise organic as I don't always buy it. I know strawberries are one of the worst fruit for pesticides but I'm of the thinking everything in moderation. I can't find any strawberries this time of year organic.

[Inspired by Reggio]

Oh I feel your pain ...because we have to save ALL our grocery receipts to be able to show what we spent on home verses daycare food it can be quiet depressing to see how much you spend on food!

I also share the desire to buy whole foods with a focus on organically grown where possible - and that is how I word my menu philosophy ... anyone who eats organic would know that at certain times of year 'certain foods' are not available organic and that in order to eat a 'variety' of foods sometimes you have to approach organic eating in moderation .... my crew LOVES strawberries and as a result I serve them all year long and buy organic when I can and when I cannot I try to serve them 'less' but my crew helps to PLAN the menu so if they keep requesting strawberries I try to explain they are not in season and point them in other directions however sometimes I say 'ok for a treat' and I do buy non organic ones but than serve them with another 'cheaper seasonal fruit' to fill up on so they are eating 'less of them' than at other times of year!

My crew are also very hearty eaters and often eat MORE than my spouse and I would eat at a meal .... I remember when I worked in centre care if we served chicken you got 2 ounces per kid doled out for your group cause that was a 'child size serving' .... seriously have kids who eat a WHOLE CHICKEN BREAST and because my meals are healthy i do not limit serving sizes of meat / veggies or fruit although I will limit 'carbs' if they have not eaten the balanced meal of their meat / veggies / fruit yet ... sadly my budget for daycare meals is $6.50 a DAY

Last year I spent nearly $20,000 on food between home and business .... and our children are grown it is just my spouse and I whom I have to feed after hours

Today my 4 kids ate THREE packages of raspberries at morning snack and TWO containers of yogurt ... plus 5 kid is a babe who could not have this so he had homemade oatmeal and purred blueberries. So morning snack alone cost me $5.00 in raspberries which were on 'sale' 3 for $5 and I had 'intended' to use some of them for pancakes on the weekend, $8.00 in yogurt plus $2 for the babies oatmeal and blueberries cause one package of blueberries at 2.99 once pureed only makes TWO servings of fruit for him! So $15 just for morning snack plus had to feed them lunch and afternoon snack as well .... lunch was two packages of Gnocchi with a homemade cheese sauce, 3 grilled chicken breasts, French Beans and kiwi so easily another $20 cause the chicken alone was $8.69 plus the cheese is not 'cheap' to grate into the sauce and afternoon snack we had homemade zucchini muffins and watermelon and they ate the WHOLE MELON ... so today was easily a day where I spent MORE than $6.50 a child on FOOD alone!

So when clients look at a $35 a day cost for their childcare and think we are 'rolling in cash' sometimes I think they FORGET that much of that goes to the cost of FEEDING their kids a healthy array of foods each day, program supplies and well not to mention the rising cost of utilities to keep them warm, wash-roomed and clean handed ... my sewage bill since I started doing daycare is INSANE from the hand washing and toilet flushing of all the 'waste' 5 children can produce!

[Spixie33]

So when clients look at a $35 a day cost for their childcare and think we are 'rolling in cash' sometimes I think they FORGET that much of that goes to the cost of FEEDING their kids a healthy array of foods each day, program supplies and well not to mention the rising cost of utilities to keep them warm, wash-roomed and clean handed ... my sewage bill since I started doing daycare is INSANE from the hand washing and toilet flushing of all the 'waste' 5 children can produce!

I emphatically second your thought !!! My sewage/water costs have skyrocketed and now that I have 3 kids toilet training I feel like I am using a roll of Toilet paper a day and burning through my household supply. In a way it is not fair because before the parent supplied wipes and diapers but now that the kids are training - all the cleaning supplies like the toilet paper and all the flushing/water costs are added to my plate.

Not to mention the kids go and help themselves to tissues and then flush them or decide to flush multiple times on their own.

I also agree that parents probably think we are rolling in the money and have so much money to spare but I have receipts that say otherwise. All the supplies are expensive, replacing a toy, the electricity, heat (we keep the house warmer with daycare than we would for ourselves) and the food are all big money.

I think for 2011 I did over $10,000 in groceries and I know a lot of it is the daycare. If it was my family ...I wouldn't be buying strawberries for $5 in the dead of winter or watermelon from Costco at $9.00

[jec]

When ever I've had someone make a comment of being more expensive than I always mention the cost of what I serve for meals.