Ya - balance and knowing your crew is key ... last year I had a picky eater who ate like a bird ... and some days they will eat 4 servings and the next day they eat next to nothing depending on how active they were or how they are feeling and I ended up with leftovers out the wazoo .... but between them all yes I spend a fortune in food ... I have Celiac so a lot of my food served is gluten free to boot so that I can eat with the kids at meal times ... to be honest between the daycare and personal groceries for my spouse and I - last year I spent just over $18,500 on groceries which is so depressing to see add up.