How to feed 9 kids a well balanced meal

 During the day I have many hungry young kids that are always STARVING by lunch time even though they get a hearty breakfast and a snack in between breakfast and lunch & it is my job to ensure they eat a good, well-balanced meal with many options. I do monthly meal planning for my family for suppers along with lunches for my daycare kiddos. Once a month I do the monthly shopping for both the pre-planned supper & lunch men for both my family & my daycare. Let me start off by saying yes monthly meal planning is a lot of work in the beginning & may seem over whelming, but I believe it is SO WORTH IT in the end. And yes preparing the monthly shopping list for both my family & daycare is like running a marathon (well actually I don't run & have never & will never come close to running a marathon, but this is what I think it might be like) :) composing the list of all ingredients needed, seeing what is on sale to plan your menus around those items, & finding the best deals on things to save - every little bit helps to save.

I am a firm believer in giving kids options, having them try new things once, & making sure they have a well balanced menu throughout the day. Think of the rainbow when preparing a plate whether it be for yourself as an adult or for the kiddos, you may be surprised what they might eat! Today for daycare lunch is one of the kids' favorite meals - fish sticks, & although the fish sticks are necessarily healthy the kids love them & I supply many other healthy options for them to eat alongside the fish sticks. Each meal we have is consisted of a protein, fruits & vegetables & yes we  like love our cheese :)  So here is what they had today: 3 fish sticks, homemade purple coleslaw, fresh boiled peas, smoked Gouda & Colby Cheese, a pickle slice, & 1/4 of an apple served with milk. If the kiddos finish their plates they are free to have seconds of what I have left over.

So this is how I feed 9 STARVING young, growing, energetic kiddos with only one box of 22 fish sticks :)

Enjoy & remember to let the rainbow inspire you & always let your kids try new things - they might surprise you!