My kids are 3 (preschool) and 5 (kindergarten). I wake them at 6:30ish and they dawdle down to get dressed and have breakfast, which is typically just some kind of fruit. I then take them to school where they have a morning snack around 9:30. School provides healthy snacks for the younger one -- fresh veg/fruit, crackers, cheese, etc -- and I provide for the elder. I pack lunches for both, and at their request they each get a pb&j on high quality bread, some kind of veg, some kind of fruit, and either yogurt or cheese. Occasionally I'll toss in a homemade dessert, something chocolate or trail mix. They have afternoon snack around 3:00/3:30. School provides something healthy for the younger, I provide something for the elder. Usually it's sliced fruit, but he has an ever-present granola bar in his lunchbox if he's still hungry.
The point is that, while this is moderately healthy food, it's still really basic, simple, inexpensive stuff.
For dinners (and leftovers for my wife's & my lunches), we make a big pot of soup/stew/chili on the weekend, and eat a ton of veggies. We're mostly vegetarian, and pasta, pizza, tofu, eggs, and salmon all make regular appearances during the week. None of it takes long to prep and I work from home so I can get started before picking the kids of from school around 4:30.
I would hate to have to work outside the home and not be able to start thinking about dinner until 6pm or later. We put the kids to bed by 8:30 and we're usually asleep by 9:30.
The point is that, while this is moderately healthy food, it's still really basic, simple, inexpensive stuff.
For dinners (and leftovers for my wife's & my lunches), we make a big pot of soup/stew/chili on the weekend, and eat a ton of veggies. We're mostly vegetarian, and pasta, pizza, tofu, eggs, and salmon all make regular appearances during the week. None of it takes long to prep and I work from home so I can get started before picking the kids of from school around 4:30.
I would hate to have to work outside the home and not be able to start thinking about dinner until 6pm or later. We put the kids to bed by 8:30 and we're usually asleep by 9:30.