What is the norm in your area? Do other providers provide food? You would have to look at that and then what they are charging. In my area almost all caregivers provide all the food for the kids and the rates reflect that. The parents you have may not appreciate the $5 a day as they may be spending less on the junk food they are packing and obviously don't place importance on healthy food. You may actually spend more than $5 a day per child to provide organic, local foods (I applaude this decision by the way). I have a rule that no child should bring food to my daycare because I don't want them bringing junk and having my kids and the others in my care wanting some of it.