First New WIC Food Choices in 34 Years

Massachusetts has revamped its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program to reflect the latest science on healthy diets and to address obesity. This is the first major change in food offerings to low-income women, infants and children in 34 years and will offer whole grains, low-fat milk, baby foods, fruits and vegetables, as well as stronger support for breastfeeding moms and babies.

“This exciting change advances WIC’s preventative public health nutrition role. WIC’s participation has been proven to reduce the national health care bill,” said Judyann Bigby, M.D, Secretary, Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services. “In Massachusetts alone, for $1 invested in WIC, up to $3 is saved in Medicaid costs.”

Since 1974, the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children has helped combat childhood hunger, low birth weight, under-nutrition and iron deficiency anemia so that WIC participants have better health outcomes. However, the foods provided by WIC have not changed significantly since its inception in 1974, despite new dietary recommendations to eat less fat, more fiber, fewer calories, fewer sweetened beverages and more vegetables and fruits.

The New Foods available to WIC are whole grain cereals, whole grain breads, canned or dried beans, brown rice, tortillas, tofu, jarred baby foods and cash-value checks to purchase vegetables and fruits. Among the other changes are:

• Low-or non-fat milk only.   All women and children over the age of 2 now have a choice of non-fat (skim) or low-fat (1 percent) milk. Whole milk will only be issued to children who are between 12 and 24 months of age. These changes reflect WIC’s commitment to obesity prevention and provide a consistent message about healthy eating.
• Vegetables and fruits added.  Participants will be able to purchase fresh, frozen or canned vegetables and fruits. Baby vegetables and fruits are also being added.
• Juice amounts adjusted.  The amount of juice provided to women and children will be adjusted to reflect a recommended daily juice intake of no more then four ounces per day. Juice for infants has been eliminated. Excessive juice intake has been strongly associated with overweight and obesity.

In total, the new WIC foods are lower in fat and higher in fiber, and some substitutions are available to meet cultural preferences, with more options possible in the future.

“Nearly 40% of all babies born in the Commonwealth access WIC services at some point in their infancy” said the WIC Director, Judy Hause. “The Massachusetts WIC Program is a national leader in nutrition innovation and we are confident that the needs of the 217,811 WIC participants we serve annually will be met by offering WIC families a wide variety of healthy, culturally appropriate and family friendly food choices”

WIC is a nutrition program in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health that provides nutrition and health education, free nutritious food and access to health care to low- to moderate-income pregnant women, infants and children under five. For more information about WIC visit www.mass.gov/wic.

How does WIC work ?

You will get WIC checks to use each month. Printed on the checks is a list of foods you may buy with them (this varies depending on factors such as the age of the child(ren) and whether the mother is breastfeeding). The dollar value of the food varies, but averages about $35 per month per person in Massachusetts.

What foods can I buy with my WIC check?

Only certain kinds of foods are approved for WIC. WIC chooses healthy foods that have the nutrients that women and children need.

Each WIC check lists the items you may buy with that check. For some types of food, you must buy a particular size or brand.

Your new WIC list may include the following foods:

• milk: least expensive brand; fat-free or 1% (other types of milk with approval- such as for children under age 2)
• soy milk: shelf carton or refrigerated; plain
• tofu 
• cheese: packaged American, Colby, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, or Muenster  
• eggs: least expensive; brown or white 
• peanut butter 
• dried beans, peas
• canned beans 
• 100% fruit juice: frozen or bottled 
• iron-fortified adult cereal 
• fresh fruits and vegetables: whole or cut, including bagged salad mixtures 
• frozen and canned vegetables
• frozen and canned fruit: no added sugar
• whole grain bread
• corn and whole wheat tortillas
• brown rice
• baby food jars: fruits, vegetables, meats 
• infant formula
• infant cereal
• for breastfeeding women only: canned tuna fish, pink salmon, and sardines

For more information about the new WIC food choices for Massachusetts residents, see the WIC Food List or the  Massachusetts WIC Approved Food Guide (PDF) on the Massachusetts WIC web site. You can get a copy of the food guide at any WIC office.

In addition, you can use your WIC farmers' market coupons to buy fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer at farmers' markets. Ask for a list of farmers' market locations at your local WIC.

-From: “Patrick-Murray Administration Announces First New WIC Food Choices in 34 Years; Whole Grains, Fruit, Vegetables, Tofu, Brown Rice, Baby Foods Among New Items for Nutrition Program for Pregnant and Postpartum Women and their Children Under Age Five”, Press Release, October 06, 2009, http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2pressrelease&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Eeohhs2&b=pressrelease&f=091006_wic&csid=Eeohhs2 retrieved 2/22/10 and “ February News Update from MassResources.org”, e-mail from MassResources.org, February 22, 2010, links to http://www.massresources.org/pages.cfm?contentID=10&pageID=3&subpages=yes&dynamicID=325, retrieved 2/22/10.

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