Running Out Of Food, Too Many Snack Times

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

I am finding myself quickly running out of food. My dc kids are here anywhere between 6am - 5:30 pm and i offer breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks.
I feel that this is obviously not enough cause an hour after they eat the main meals they are hungry again.

How often and how many snacks do you all serve?

BTW I almost always make my own snacks like, muffins, cookies, jello, ect and i am running out of options.

Any advice will be helpfull. TY

[sharlan]

Are they older kids eating out of boredom?

[kidkair]

I feed them every 2 hours and follow the federal food guidelines so I know they are getting what they need. I do breakfast at 8, snack at 10, lunch at noon, and snack at 3:30 after nap.

[sharlan]

One of my girls' providers kept a bag of regular carrots in the fridge and the kids could have those at any time. She would have them washed and trimmed ahead of time.

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

I have tryed the having access to fresh veggies and fruit all the time but "they dont like those".

MY meals times are breakfast between 6-8:30am, snack at 10:30am, lunch at 12:30pm, and another snack at 3:30pm and home time varies between 4:30-5:30pm.

I guess it doesnt help that one dc kid eats a big bag of ripple chips for lunch at home, but that will never be served here!

They say they are constantly hungry all the time and I am broke and I have no extra food to serve.

Also the kids ages are 3, 5yr olds, 2, 2yr olds, 1, 3yr old and a 9 yr old. The 9 and 5 yr old belong to me.

[littlemissmuffet]

I am finding myself quickly running out of food. My dc kids are here anywhere between 6am - 5:30 pm and i offer breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks.
I feel that this is obviously not enough cause an hour after they eat the main meals they are hungry again.

How often and how many snacks do you all serve?

BTW I almost always make my own snacks like, muffins, cookies, jello, ect and i am running out of options.

Any advice will be helpfull. TY

Personally, I not do think it's how often you are feeding - it's what you are feeding... cookies, muffins, jello...
These have little to NO nutritional value. They are carbs (SUGAR!!!), so of course they are hungry. Why are these the options you turn to?

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

They are home made muffins and cookies made from scratch with whole wheat flour. Jello is a treat, I also serve fresh fruit, veggies, cheese, yogurt, hence the ect....

If you dont mind me asking, what do you serve your dc kids?

And if anyone hasn't noticed carrots and other good food isnt that filling either!

[sharlan]

..........I have tryed the having access to fresh veggies and fruit all the time but "they dont like those"................

Sometimes we have what you like, sometimes we have what I like. This is your choice, there are no alternatives. The next snack/meal is..........

cheese/apple slices
yogurt w/ fresh berries
waffle w/ peanut butter
tortilla w/cheese
mini banana nut muffins
banana or applesauce w/ graham crackers

[sharlan]

I offer the carrots when they have eaten the previous meal and are "so starving" that they won't make it to the next meal.

I find that if they are starving in between meals and snacks, that it's more of a boredom issue than a hunger issue. Once one starts the hunger mantra, the others quickly follow suit.

[littlemissmuffet]

They are home made muffins and cookies made from scratch with whole wheat flour. Jello is a treat, I also serve fresh fruit, veggies, cheese, yogurt, hence the ect....

If you dont mind me asking, what do you serve your dc kids?

And if anyone hasn't noticed carrots and other good food isnt that filling either!

-Boiled Eggs (Deviled Eggs as a treat) w/ side of veggies
-Almonds/Walnuts w/ side of fruit
-Low Fat (SUGAR FREE!) Yogurt w/ side of fruit/veg (I add flax to the yogurt)
-Cottage Cheese w/ side fruit/veg
-Apple Slices w/ Peanut Butter
-Cheese Cubes w/ Whole Wheat Crackers
-Tuna w/ Whole Wheat Crackers
-Ham and Cheese sandwhich on Whole Wheat

etc...

I HUGELY limit sugar intake here and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS serve a protein (just milk doesn't count here) at every single meal/snack... my kids stay full and they're all very active, happy and healthy!
Muffins and cookies made with whole wheat flour still typically have a ridiculous amount of sugar - so that wouldn't fly here and still isn't considered "healthy" or nutritious to me.

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

In all honesty i try to serve very healthy meals and snacks. I have 1 kid that refuses everything i make ( the chip boy). I make my own waffles and pancakes, i try to make all of my own food to save money and not buy processed or prepackaged food.

I try to keep them as busy as possible aswell.

They always act like i never feed them and when mom or dad come they all act like i starve them to death.

I Just wanted to know if others go through this with the kids and to get a few more food ideas.

It's funny that almost all of the food Sharlan and littlemissmuffet listed, chip boy hates!

[SilverSabre25]

ditto littlemissmuffet on serving protein to help with fullness. Since I had to stop eating dairy I have the hardest time staying full and find myself snacking frequently. High protein intake makes a BIG difference. Carbs, even those that are made from scratch with whole-grain flour, are still carbs, and they burn off fast.

[MNmamaOf4]

Posting so I can have ideas too!

I only serve one snack a day and it's usually homemade banana bread, applesauce and graham crackers, goldfish crackers, yogurt, cottage cheese, raw veggies w/ lite ranch dip, peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread. I try and keep it as nutritious as possible but occasionally have a special treat 1x a week or every 2 weeks.

[mom2many]

I feed them every 2 hours and follow the federal food guidelines so I know they are getting what they need. I do breakfast at 8, snack at 10, lunch at noon, and snack at 3:30 after nap.

I do the exact same thing!

[littlemissmuffet]

In all honesty i try to serve very healthy meals and snacks. I have 1 kid that refuses everything i make ( the chip boy). I make my own waffles and pancakes, i try to make all of my own food to save money and not buy processed or prepackaged food.

I try to keep them as busy as possible aswell.

They always act like i never feed them and when mom or dad come they all act like i starve them to death.

I Just wanted to know if others go through this with the kids and to get a few more food ideas.

It's funny that almost all of the food Sharlan and littlemissmuffet listed, chip boy hates!

I have had picky eaters over the years, but I continue to serve the same snacks and meals as usual - chip boy or candy bar girl just have to go without until mom and dad take them home and feed them crap. I refuse to do it. I don't have enough time in a day to have two or three menus and prep/cook diffrent foods to cater to a particular child. My parents know this, and fortunately the majority of the children who have come and gone through my daycare are either great eaters to begin with or inevitably change their eating habits during their care with me.

Chip boy is probably a carb addict -- so serving as few carbs as possible (this is probably ALL he gets at home) is essential. You HAVE to find some proteins he does enjoy and serve those up to him - even if the variety is lacking, it's important that he have them and it WILL help with his hunger issues!

Kudos for making most foods from scratch - pre-packaged foods are an absolute nightmare!! But like Silver said, a carb is carb, home-made or not.

Best of luck!!