5 Little Monkeys...why do you not claim the leftovers??? Almost all of my dc lunches are leftovers...but I cook extra at dinner time so that I will have enough for the daycare the next day. I calculated $6 per day per child last year, but I will up it to either $7 or $8 for 2013 because I started serving some organic and more expensive foods in general...removed many of the few processed foods I used to serve (like flavoued yogurt) and replaced with whole foods. It costs more. I don't think $8 is unreasonable if you have reciepts and menus and have costed it out. Even if the kids don't eat it...if it is served and ends up thrown away, it is still an expense because you had to make it for them.