Beginning August 3, participants in the state’s Women, Infants and Children nutrition program will have healthier food options available on their food packages.
Beginning August 3, participants in the state’s Women, Infants and Children nutrition program will have healthier food options available on their food packages.
The food package is the list of foods covered by the WIC program. The new list will include whole wheat bread, soft corn tortillas, brown rice, soy milk, baby foods including fruits, vegetables and meats, and fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables.
These will be the first major changes to the program since 1980. When WIC began in the 1970s, the food packages were developed based on deficiencies in the diets of its participants, which included Vitamin A and C, iron, calcium and protein.
The deficiencies in the diet and nutrition of the participants have since changed, WIC officials recognized.
The new package lists address concerns of childhood obesity and chronic diseases.
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