Women and children who rely on the government's WIC program may be getting a few more menu choices. The U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
"The updates to the WIC food package make pivotal improvements to the program and better meet the diverse nutritional needs of mothers and their young children," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a USDA news release. "The foods provided by the WIC program, along with education that focuses on the critical role of breastfeeding and proper nutrition, help to ensure that every American child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong."
The WIC program provides food to 53 percent of infants born in the United States, according to AllGov.com. It provides low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children up to age five with nutritious, supplemental foods. It also provides nutrition and breastfeeding education and referrals to health and social services. While it provides food to so many, though, the program is somewhat outdated; it hasn't received any real changes in more than 30 years.
The new food choices could be a huge improvement to the program. Fresh, frozen and canned vegetables, yogurt, whole grains and tofu have been added to the list of items that can be purchased. The fresh fruits and vegetables in particular should help parents who have older infants; it's a change from the jarred infant food. There will be a more than 30 percent increase in the dollar amount for children's fruits and vegetables purchases.
The new changes could mean better opportunities for those dependent on the program. That said, the rules still restrict what foods can be purchased with WIC vouchers in order to ensure that participants still are receiving the healthiest food. For example, only breads made with whole-grain flour all allowed.
