In VV5, there are several additional options that you didn't have with previous VV games. You can have the children collect relics to re-charge or increase the powers that you have available. You can use the Hand of Bloom to spawn a bunch of mushrooms on the ground that the children can pick up and store in the food bin. You can also make it rain, so that mushrooms will show up, but I find Hand of Bloom much more effective at producing some quick food. Good luck!