Running Out Of Food, Too Many Snack Times

[Unregistered]

Protein, protien is the key. Give them foods like yogurt, cheese, ham n cheese roll ups are good. Try and minimize the starches, in my experience they dont satisfy hungary. Also I have found that when my dc had a morning snack they werent eatting there lunch, so eventually I cut the morning snack and just made sure they got enough lunch. Im on the food program to and you can only claim one snack anyways if you do brk, lunch and one snack. Heres a funny fact/tip. apples are known to help with hungar, my kids love them and they dont complain about there tummies, and there pretty inexpensive too.

[Unregistered]

Heres another thought: you could have the parents pack a snack to help take the burden off of you some. Ofcourse then who knows what kind of foods would they bring in.
Also I have a provider friend that gives each one of her parents things to buy, for example: she makes a list and divides it up among the group. Just an idea! Have you tried serving fruit smoothies? My group loves them!

[mrsp'slilpeeps]

They aren't hungry if they have time/energy to be choosy. Feed them what is reimbursed on the FP and nothing more. Don't offer crappy snacks like chips etc, that is a waste of your money and terrible for little kids to eat anyway. I would be mad if my provider offered that to my child while in care.

I dont feed my dck's chips. I dont have a food program either. Read again if you must.

[erinalexmom]

Do you have farmers markets there? because I have heard that if you go at the end of the day (like the last hour) that many times they will make a deal to not have to pack it all up.

[Unregistered]

Protein and fiber. Cheese/egg/meat with a muffin that you sneak bran or flax into. Blueberry muffins are easy to add fiber to. Sneak fiber into your cookie recipes. Yogurt with triscuits. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches on as whole wheat bread as they will eat. Or, put the food out there, tell them this is snack/lunch.. and that's that. If they complain of being hungry tell them they had their chance. Use the Catteli "Smart" pastas.. they're white but have more fiber. Home made mac and cheese doesn't have to be expensive and is healthier than the Kraft version. Hide veggies in pasta sauce. (Puree them)

Use whatever fruits and veg are on sale that week. Kiwi's aren't usually expensive. Grab grapes, apples, carrots.. whatever is on sale. Tuna on celery is good and filling. Give them a yogurt dip for their veggies and fruit.