Most Cost Efficient Meals/Snacks...Yucky Medical Bill :(

[Blackcat31]

I'm sure I do give 2nds and 3rds of foods way too often. I'm a sucker about that. I never give 2nds of fruit until they have at least made a dent in their veggies and main dish but I'll dish veggies and other sides out until they are completely gone.

For lunch today they went through a whole large tub of organic yogurt and a large bag of frozen organic corn and that was in addition to a large cantaloupe and whole wheat pasta with ground turkey veggie sauce. They are just all big, big eaters.They have water bottles available to them all day so I know they are drinking some H2O but could probably drink more. I think I'm just going to start making more and more heavy/whole wheat muffins/breads/tortillas to pair with other things to keep those little bellies full!

Wholly cow....that is alot of food! I make the correct amount of portions needed and if anyone is still hungry they can have a slice of ww bread with pnb or butter. We do a good hearty breakfast and a P.M. snack so I know that no one is starving, but if I allowed them to eat however much they wanted, they would all have 2nds and 3rds.

Personally, I just don't think 2nds and 3rd are necessary. If I have some food left over, I gladly let who ever asks have them, but I do NOT cook anything with the intention of having enough for 2nds or 3rds. School lunches don't give out seconds and the kids don't get anything until snack after school so I don't feel like I am doing anything out of the ordinary.

I think you would save a ton if you cut portions down to only what is required

[Pammie]

I'm sure I do give 2nds and 3rds of foods way too often. I'm a sucker about that. I never give 2nds of fruit until they have at least made a dent in their veggies and main dish but I'll dish veggies and other sides out until they are completely gone.

For lunch today they went through a whole large tub of organic yogurt and a large bag of frozen organic corn and that was in addition to a large cantaloupe and whole wheat pasta with ground turkey veggie sauce. They are just all big, big eaters.

They have water bottles available to them all day so I know they are drinking some H2O but could probably drink more. I think I'm just going to start making more and more heavy/whole wheat muffins/breads/tortillas to pair with other things to keep those little bellies full!

I'm sorry - but if you had 6 daycare kids that ate all of that for lunch today - that's simply overeating - not big eaters! I strongly encourage you to educate yourself on healthy portions and begin teaching your dc kids about healthy portion eating. You're currently doing your dcks and your family budget a huge disservice if you always serve the quantities that you did today.

If you're not on a food program, you can still follow their guidelines for # of servings and serving sizes. For a 3-5 year old child, their lunch today should have looked like:

6 oz fluid milk
1/2 cup corn OR 1/2 cup vege sauce on their pasta
1/2 cup cantaloupe
1/4 cup pasta
1.5 ounces of turkey in their sauce OR 6 oz yogurt

The previous poster was correct that when these kids get to school, their school lunch will follow the same USDA guidelines (age adjusted). No seconds or third servings on school lunches. There's really no reason that a child should eat to that excess.

And remember that a snack is a snack - not a meal. There are great guidelines from the USDA for snack servings and portions too.

Just my very most humble opinion.

[nannyde]

I do homemade bread and that helps a bit but snacks get me because I always serve some sort of grain/protein with fruit and these kids are bottomless when it comes to fruit. Also my organic milk is from a local farm so that is close to $25 - $30 a week just in milk. I've done homemade granola bars and they usually go for those unless I make them uber healthy .

I'm definitely going to check out hillbillyhousewive.com and I also need to learn how to make homemade tortillas. We do so much with tortillas during the week for lunch and snacks so if I could make those from scratch the could save me a bit too.

Do you do cheesy veggie bread or fruited breads?

You can pack a LOT of nutrients in a slice of home made bread. I even puree sunflower seeds and pop them into the mix. Parmesean cheese goes wonderfully with sunflower seed puree.... sounds gross but they gobble it up.

You can get their bellies full with some delicious bread and a glass of milk for snack. Sneak in some veggies and cheese and they won't even know it's healthy.

[momatheart]

serve them only the portion for their age. Children need to learn portion control.

There is a site out there somewhere that says what each age gets for servings. I was just on it yesterday.

Make your meals up for the week from the adds in the paper and buy only those items. I know my gorcery store in town I go to their website and they have recipes for items that are on sale.

Coupons sometime are also for the items on sale and shop on double coupon day.

[ammama]

I don't know about overeating - my dck's and own kids eat A LOT of food (we could go through what Sunflower mentioned as a lunch in one meal too), but they are all very active children, at a very healthy weight. I serve seconds and thirds of snacks and meals all the time, but ONLY if they eat ALL of their firsts, including veggies and anything else I give them.

[momatheart]

here is a site I get on my fb. http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/02/ho...k-cooking.html

http://moneysavingmom.com/31-days-to-a-better-budget-series

[My Daycare]

I'm sure I do give 2nds and 3rds of foods way too often. I'm a sucker about that. I never give 2nds of fruit until they have at least made a dent in their veggies and main dish but I'll dish veggies and other sides out until they are completely gone.

For lunch today they went through a whole large tub of organic yogurt and a large bag of frozen organic corn and that was in addition to a large cantaloupe and whole wheat pasta with ground turkey veggie sauce. They are just all big, big eaters.

They have water bottles available to them all day so I know they are drinking some H2O but could probably drink more. I think I'm just going to start making more and more heavy/whole wheat muffins/breads/tortillas to pair with other things to keep those little bellies full!

Is it pre-bottled water? Can you drink tap water in your area?

[SunflowerMama]

What are the ages of your daycare kids? Yours definetley seem eat way more than mine. A large tub of yogurt here lasts at least 2 weeks, and I do give seconds.

I have one almost 2 year old and the rest 3.5 - 5.

[SunflowerMama]

I'm sorry - but if you had 6 daycare kids that ate all of that for lunch today - that's simply overeating - not big eaters! I strongly encourage you to educate yourself on healthy portions and begin teaching your dc kids about healthy portion eating. You're currently doing your dcks and your family budget a huge disservice if you always serve the quantities that you did today.

If you're not on a food program, you can still follow their guidelines for # of servings and serving sizes. For a 3-5 year old child, their lunch today should have looked like:

6 oz fluid milk
1/2 cup corn OR 1/2 cup vege sauce on their pasta
1/2 cup cantaloupe
1/4 cup pasta
1.5 ounces of turkey in their sauce OR 6 oz yogurt

The previous poster was correct that when these kids get to school, their school lunch will follow the same USDA guidelines (age adjusted). No seconds or third servings on school lunches. There's really no reason that a child should eat to that excess.

And remember that a snack is a snack - not a meal. There are great guidelines from the USDA for snack servings and portions too.

Just my very most humble opinion.

I have 6 dcks and my 2 kids. Twice a week I have a part-timer (which I didn't count in my original post of 6 dcks). So yesterday I had 9 kids eat all of that. I am on the food program and my kids are all very active and all at healthy weights so I'm certain they are not eating more than healthy portions of everything.

So based on the serving portions you posted...

They each receive 1/2 c of milk that is refilled if they drink it (so at most they receive 8 oz)
32oz bag of corn - < 1/2 c each
32oz tub of yogurt - < 1/2 c each
1 canteloupe - 8 small servings (they each received 3 small peices)
8oz of pasta - made about 4 cups cooked and we had plenty of leftovers
26oz of veggie pasta sauce - same we had plenty of leftovers (and this is the pasta sauce with mushrooms so I don't count it as their veggie serving although I know I can)

1lb ground turkey was included in the pasta. On Sundays we cook the whole container of pasta with the whole jar of sauce and then the turkey. Our family eats it Sunday night, dcks eat Monday and then we have it again Monday night as a family. So there is no way dcks are going over 1/4 - 1/2 each.

So based on your numbers and what I served I think my servings were pretty close to accurate on all counts. With the exception of maybe an extra serving of veggies.

[SunflowerMama]

Is it pre-bottled water? Can you drink tap water in your area?

It's a pitcher from Shaklee with a filter. I have reusable water bottles for each kid with their name on it.

[heyhun77]

One thing I do that helps curb how much they are eating at lunch is to offer a protein at breakfast. This is actually coming down the pipe for food program requirements (in the next few months) so I started this in the Fall to get used to it early and make sure I could rotate enough options that we wouldn't get bored with it AND not just have eggs as the protein.

I also cut out morning snack this Fall and my afternoon snacks are again proteins and then a fruit/veggie or grain.

I hardly use snack crackers but do keep some on hand for hectic days when snack doesn't get ready in the afternoon. I buy things on sale that we use in our menu rotation to save money over the weeks. Most importantly I use a menu rotation so I can make meals ahead which saves time and money. I also make lunch which ends up our dinner than night as well (most nights) since my own kids are at school they don't even notice.

The other thing that I do when I need to reduce the food budget is to go back down to only the things required by the food program. For example, I typically serve 3 or 4 fruits/veggies at a meal and if I need to reduce costs I go back down to the 2 required.

[Candyland]

For lunch today they went through a whole large tub of organic yogurt and a large bag of frozen organic corn and that was in addition to a large cantaloupe and whole wheat pasta with ground turkey veggie sauce. They are just all big, big eaters.

:confused: Am I the only one who didn't think this was overeating for 8 kids and herself??

[dEHmom]

I have no idea what proper servings are!!!! Sorry I cannot answer.

I would assume those on the food programs would know what the proper servings and amounts are, but that is mainly for cost purposes IMO. That's to limit how much you are feeding so your profit goes up (so the govn't can tax you on more of your income, and reduce the amount paid out in food grants or w/e IMO!!!)


I've always been and always will be, eat till you are full within reason of course. If someone is being a piggy well then we need to stop that. But we also get enough water in daily, that we don't have the thirst and fill it with food.


Some days the kids eat a whole apple each, some days they eat 2 bites. I was taught children know when they are hungry and how much they need to eat. I don't allow them to fill up on garbage though, so many that's the difference.

[kidkair]

For lunch today they went through a whole large tub of organic yogurt and a large bag of frozen organic corn and that was in addition to a large cantaloupe and whole wheat pasta with ground turkey veggie sauce. They are just all big, big eaters.

:confused: Am I the only one who didn't think this was overeating for 8 kids and herself??

Candyland, I agree with you! She doubled protein and veggies. It might not be that they are overeating but I think she's going a little overboard on what she offers.

SunflowerMama, I think the easiest way for you to save money would be to stick to the food program a bit more strictly and not double up on anything. 3-5 year olds need a total of 1/2 cup of veggies and fruit not 1/2 cup of corn plus mushrooms in a veggie sauce plus cantaloupe. Cut back to what they need and let their parents feed them extra for dinner.

[dEHmom]

hahaha Candyland i just noticed you said "didn't" and not "did" I think my day has been much too long.


But I still go by what I said