WIC Foods - Questions

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On this page:
Fruits & Vegetables | Whole Grains | Cereals | Milk, Cheese & Yogurt | Eggs | Beans, Peas & Lentils | Peanut Butter | Juice | Soy Beverages | Tofu | Canned Fish | Infant Cereal | Infant Foods

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Fruits & Vegetables

Why should I eat fruits and vegetables?

Fruits and Vegetables can lower your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. They are rich in many important vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and potassium. Plus, most fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber!

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How many fruits and vegetables should women and children eat?

The amount that you need depends on your age and level of physical activity. The following are general guidelines:

• Children (1 year old): 2/3-1 cup of vegetables and 1/2-1 cup fruit daily.
• Children (2 and over): 1-2 cups of vegetables and 1-1 1/2 cups fruit daily.
• Women: 2-3 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 cups of fruits daily.
• Pregnant or Lactating Women: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups of fruit daily.

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What are some way to eat more fruits and vegetables?

Here are some simple ideas:

• Add raisins, berries, bananas or other fruits to cereal.
• Add green peppers, onions and other vegetables to your pizza.
• Add grated carrots to tuna or chicken salad.
• Use applesauce as a dip for cut up fruit or for graham crackers.
• Color your salad with added fruit.
• Build your sandwich with lots of lettuce and tomatoes.
• Chop up left-over vegetables and add to quesadillas.
• Grill sliced veggies. Brush veggies with canola oil and grill for only a couple of minutes on each side over medium heat.
• Toss tomatoes, carrots, peas and corn in soups and stews.
• Top pasta with cooked vegetables.

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My kids don’t like many different types of fruits and vegetables. How can I help them to eat more fruits and vegetables?

It's normal for small children to refuse a new food. It usually takes 7 to 10 tries before a child likes a new fruit or vegetable. Here are some other ideas:

• The kids are watching! Set a good example by eating fruits and vegetables.
• Involve children in the selection of fruits and vegetables at the store.
• Clean and cut up fruits and vegetables and keep them handy for children to eat as snacks. If they are cut-up and easy to access, kids will eat them!

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Whole Grains

Why should I eat whole grains?

Whole grains are a good source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, and fiber. Whole grains help:

• Protect against many types of cancer and other diseases.
• Lower your risk of heart disease
• Reduce constipation

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How many whole grains do women and children eat?

The specific amount of whole grains that you need depends on your age and level of physical activity. The following are general guidelines:

• Children (1 year old): 1 3/4 - 3 ounces of grains a day (half would be whole grains).
• Children (2-4 years old): 3-5 ounces of grains a day (half should be whole grains).
• Women: 5-8 ounces of grains a day (half would be whole grains).
• Pregnant or Lactating Women: 6-10 ounces of grains a day (half should be whole grains).

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What is a whole grain?

Whole grains are just that – whole! Whole grains are the entire seed of a plant. The seed includes: the bran, the germ and endosperm. Nothing has been added or taken away. When whole grains are processed, the bran and germ are removed along with some of the fiber, protein and other important nutrients. A processed grain is called a refined grain.

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Which foods are whole grain?

Here are some examples of whole grains (items with * are available from WIC):

• Brown rice*
• Barley and bulgur
• Whole grain crackers
• Whole cornmeal
• Whole grain oats, oatmeal*
• Whole grain bread*
• Whole wheat pasta*
• Whole grain tortillas*

NOTE: Some WIC cereals are also whole grain.

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What are some easy ways to eat more whole grains?

Here are some easy ways to add whole grains:

• Make sandwiches with whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Use the whole wheat bread available from WIC. If you purchase other breads, look for 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain on the package label.
• Add brown rice to a casserole or soup in place of white rice. Regular brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice so add extra time for cooking.
• Choose whole wheat pasta. The taste of whole wheat pasta is different from refined grain pasta. Add a tomato flavored sauce, such as marinara sauce to help adjust to the different flavor of the whole wheat pasta.
• Use corn or whole wheat tortillas in place of flour tortillas.
• Jazz up cooked oatmeal with chopped nuts, dried fruit and a dash of cinnamon.
• Try overnight oats. The variations with this are endless! Start with mixing rolled oats with milk in a mason jar or other resealable container. You may choose to add yogurt, vanilla, or cinnamon for additional flavor. Stir and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, add toppings such as fresh fruit, nuts, or nut butter.
• Choose whole grain crackers for snacks. Make sure the label says whole grain. Foods labeled with words "multi-grain", "stone-ground", "cracked wheat", "seven grain", or "bran" are usually not whole-grain products.
• Let's get cooking! For recipes featuring whole grains from WIC, check out our recipe section.

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Cereals

Why should I eat cereal?

WIC-allowed cereals are low in sugar and have a lot of nutrients (like vitamins and minerals) both naturally and added to them. Folic Acid helps to decrease spinal birth defects before and then during the first months of pregnancy. It has also been shown to lower your risk of heart disease.

Iron helps carry oxygen in the blood to every part of your body; this helps you to have energy. Iron also helps protect you from infections.

NOTE: When your blood is low in iron (iron-deficiency anemia), you may feel tired and weak, catch colds, and get sick more easily. Children may also have trouble growing and learning. WIC-allowed cereals must have iron.

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Which cereals are better choices for women to eat?

While all WIC-allowed cereals are healthy choices, women have a special need for folic acid during their childbearing years. The WIC-allowed cereals that have 90-100% of your daily need for folic acid are marked with a FA on the WIC Shopping Guide.

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Milk, Cheese & Yogurt

What nutrients does milk provide?

• Calcium helps to keep your bones and teeth strong and hard and prevents bone disease (Osteoporosis). Calcium also helps your heart and muscles to work well and may help to prevent high blood pressure.
• Protein is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps fight infection and disease.
• Vitamin A helps keep your eyes and skin healthy, and your bones to grow.
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• Vitamin D is added to milk. Vitamin D helps your body use the calcium it needs to build strong bones and keep them hard.

How much dairy should women and children have each day?

The number of servings of dairy foods you should eat each day depends on your age. The following are general guidelines:

Children (1 year old): 1 2/3 - 2 cups each day.

Children (2-4 years old): 2 - 2 1/2 cups each day.

Example for one day:

• 1/2 cup milk with cereal at breakfast, and
• 3/4 oz. cheese in half a grilled cheese sandwich at lunch, and
• 1/2 cup yogurt with fruit as a mid-day snack, and
• 1/2 cup milk in a cup at dinner.

Pregnant women 18 years old and younger need 4 servings (4 cups daily).

Example for one day:

• 1 cup milk in a fruit smoothie for breakfast, and
• 1 carton (8 oz.) of chocolate milk at lunch, and
• 1 1/2 oz. cheese with crackers as a mid-day snack, and
• 1 cup yogurt with granola and fruit for dessert.

Women, including pregnant women 19 years and older, need 3 servings (3 cups daily).

Example for one day:

• 1/2 cup milk with cereal at breakfast, and
• 1 1/2 oz. cheese on a deli sandwich at lunch, and
• 1/2 cup yogurt with fruit as a mid-day snack, and
• 1 cup of milk in a glass at dinner.

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What if milk upsets my stomach?

You may have trouble digesting the natural sugar in milk; this is called lactose intolerance. Common symptoms of lactose intolerance that can occur after drinking milk are: nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea. Some ideas that may help you digest milk better are:

• Drink small amounts with meals (instead of on an empty stomach). If you are able to do this without upsetting your stomach, slowly increase the amount of milk you drink over time.
• Try Lactose-Free milk. This is available from WIC.
• Try hard cheese, yogurt or ice cream. They have smaller amounts of lactose.

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What if I don't like milk?

Milk is an important part of your diet because it is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D. If you don't like the taste or texture of milk, try these ideas to help you include milk in your daily diet:

• Use milk to make pudding and custards.
• Add milk to fruit smoothies and milkshakes.
• Cook soups and rice with milk instead of water.
• Make hot cereal and hot cocoa mix using milk instead of water.
• Add some chocolate or strawberry flavoring to your milk.

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Why choose low-fat dairy?

The only differences between fat-free skim, low-fat (1%), reduced-fat (2%), and whole milk is the amount of fat and calories. Skim milk has all of the cream removed while increasing amounts are left in 1%, 2%, and whole milk. All milk has the same amount of protein, calcium, and vitamins A & D.

The fat in milk is saturated fat. Too much saturated fat can increase your risk for both heart disease and cancer. For adults and children, three 1-cup servings of whole milk provide more than the recommended limit of saturated fat for a whole day (and that's without counting all the other foods that have saturated fat that you may eat like meat, cheese, butter and fried foods).

Most children and adults often eat more calories and fat each day than they need. Skim milk has about 1/2 the calories and none of the fat that whole milk has.

If you don't like the taste of skim milk, first try 2%, gradually switch to 1%, and eventually try skim.

NOTE: To help ease the change from one kind of milk to another, try mixing the two milks (like 2% and 1%) for a week before completely switching over.

1 cup or 8 oz. of Milk	Calories	Fat	Saturated Fat
Skim Milk	80 calories	0 grams	0 grams
1% Milk	100 calories	2-3 grams	1-2 grams
2% Milk	120 calories	5 grams	3 grams
Whole Milk	150 calories	8 grams	5 grams

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Why does WIC provide whole milk for toddlers under 2 years of age?

Toddlers (up to 2 years old) grow very fast and their brains are continuing to develop. Extra fat and calories are needed to support this growth.

Whole milk is an easy way to be assured that your toddler is getting enough to grow well.

Follow your Health Care Provider's recommendations for the type of milk to serve your toddler.

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Why should toddlers drink milk from a cup instead of a bottle?

At the age of one most children should be drinking liquids from a cup and no longer using a bottle. Milk in the bottle can cause problems because:

• Your child's teeth can become damaged ("baby bottle tooth decay") by the constant wash of milk, which has natural sugars in it, against his teeth. This can cause problems with his adult teeth.
• Your toddler needs a wide variety of foods and that means milk is just a small part of his diet. Children are more likely to drink too much milk if it is put in a bottle.
• Your child may gain too much weight.
• Your child may suffer from ear infections (especially if given at night or when napping).

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Why shouldn't babies (under 1 year of age) drink milk?

During your baby's first year of life, the main source of fat, calories, vitamins and minerals should be breastmilk. If mom is unable to breastfeed, iron-fortified formula should be the main source.

• Cow's milk and goat's milk are not the same as breastmilk or infant formula.
• Milk does not provide all the fat, calories and nutrients (especially iron) that your baby needs in order to grow well and be healthy.
• Milk has too much sodium for your baby.
• The protein in milk can hurt your baby's tummy.

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Eggs

Why should I eat eggs?

Eggs are an excellent source of Protein, which is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps you fight infection and disease.

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Should I limit the number of eggs I eat or serve to my family?

Eggs are high in cholesterol, so eating eggs too often can cause your family to have a diet that is high in cholesterol. Eggs can be part of a healthy diet, especially if you limit the amount of fat and cholesterol you receive from other foods. Limit high-fat foods like whole milk, cheese, processed meats, and ice cream.

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What is the best way to store eggs?

Eggs should be stored in the refrigerator as soon as possible after they are bought. Keep eggs in their carton to help protect them from absorbing odors in your refrigerator; this helps to keep the eggs fresh longer.

Store your eggs in the middle or lower shelves where the temperature is more constant.

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How long will an egg keep?

Eggs stored in their carton on an appropriate shelf in the fridge are OK to use up to 2-3 weeks past the carton's "sell by" date.

Hard-boiled eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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Is it safe to eat raw eggs?

Eating raw eggs can put you at risk for Salmonella poisoning, a type of food poisoning. It is better to avoid foods that contain raw eggs (like cookie dough).

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Is there a difference between white and brown eggs?

Brown and white eggs are the same; different kinds of hens lay different colored eggs. However, you cannot buy brown eggs with your WIC benefits.

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Beans, Peas & Lentils

What nutrients do beans provide?

Protein is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps fight infection and disease.

Folate helps to decrease spinal birth defects the months before and then during the first weeks of pregnancy. It has also been shown to lower your risk of heart disease.

Iron which helps carry oxygen in the blood to every part of your body; this helps you to have energy. Iron also helps protect you from infections.

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How do you soak and cook dry beans?

See Cooking dry Beans

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How do you substitute dry beans with canned beans in recipes?

• In most recipes, one form of beans can be substituted for another.
• 1 pound dry beans = 2 cups dry beans OR 6 cups cooked beans
• Substitute one 15 - 16 oz. can of beans for every 1 1/2 cups of cooked dry beans.

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Is it necessary to rinse canned beans before using the beans in a recipe?

Canned beans are usually higher in sodium than dry beans. Drain and rinse canned beans in a colander or strainer under cold running water before using them in recipes. This may help lower the amount of any added salt and may help remove some of their potential gas-producing properties.

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Why do beans sometimes cause discomfort?

Beans have both fiber and complex sugars that your body has to work hard to digest. One of the by-products of the digestion process is gas. Some things that may help:

• Soak your dry beans to help dissolve the complex sugars, making it easier for your body to digest them.
• Discard the soaking water as frequently as possible.
• Eat small amounts of beans over time to help your body become used to them and cause less discomfort.

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Peanut Butter

What nutrients does peanut butter provide?

Protein is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps fight infections and disease.

Folate helps to decrease spinal birth defects during the first months of pregnancy and has been shown to lower your risk of heart disease.

NOTE: The American Heart Association recommends to limit saturated fat and trans fat and replace them with better fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fat food sources include nuts and seeds and their oils, like peanut butter.

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Is it OK to feed peanut butter to my young child?

Peanut butter is available from WIC once a child turns one year old. Peanut butter has a lot of nutrients and makes a great snack.

Parents often wonder if it is ok to give peanut-containing foods to young children, due to concern about peanut allergies. Peanut-containing foods should be introduced when other solid foods are introduced to an infant's diet. Introducing peanut-containing foods in the first year reduces the risk that an infant will develop a food allergy to peanuts. Check with your child's health care provider first if your baby is at high risk for a peanut allergy.

However, young children often swallow without chewing, and sticky foods like peanut butter can increase the risk of choking.

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What is "natural" peanut butter and can I buy it with my WIC benefits?

Natural peanut butter is made from ground peanuts and usually a little bit of salt or peanut oil with no added sugar. It does not contain hydrogenated oils. This means the oil and peanuts may separate.

You can buy natural peanut butter with your WIC benefits!

Why can't I buy reduced-fat peanut butter with my WIC benefits?

Reduced-fat peanut butter spreads do not meet the Standard of Identity for peanut butter, which is why they are called "spreads".

Reduced-fat peanut butter spread is often made by replacing some of the fat with corn syrup solids. Corn syrup solids are a type of sugar and add lots of calories.

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Juice

What nutrients does juice provide?

Small amounts of juice can be good for you because it has vitamin C. Vitamin C is necessary to create collagen, a protein that is essential for skin, cartilage, bones, muscle and blood vessels. It also helps fight infection, may help to decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease and helps your body to absorb iron. Orange juice is a good source of folate.

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How much juice should my baby drink each day?

Children 1 to 5 years old can drink 4-6 ounces per day (as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics).

Put juice in a cup without a lid. Cups with lids and bottles:

• Can make it hard for you to tell how much juice your child may be drinking.
• Can cause tooth decay.
• May slow down speech development.

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Can too much juice cause problems for my child?

Juice has a lot of natural sugars that may be hard to digest. Drinking too much juice can cause:

• Bloating
• Stomach aches
• Diarrhea

Children who sip on juice constantly throughout the day are at risk for tooth decay and dental caries from the steady wash of juice over their teeth.

Also, children who drink too much juice may not be hungry for other foods or gain too much weight.

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How can I get my child to drink less juice and more water?

• Offer water between meals and when your child is thirsty.
• Keep a bottle or pitcher of tap water in the fridge to keep it cool and refreshing.
• Serve water in a child's favorite cup with a straw or in a sports bottle.
• Set a good example and drink water. Your child will want what he sees you drink!

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Is calcium-fortified juice a good source of calcium?

A cup of calcium-fortified juice has as much calcium in it as one cup of milk. Look for calcium-fortified juice with Vitamin D, which is needed for your body to use calcium.

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Soy Beverages

What nutrients do soy-based beverages provide?

Calcium helps keep your bones and teeth strong and hard and prevents bone disease (Osteoporosis). Calcium also helps your heart and muscles work well and may help prevent high blood pressure.

Protein is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps fight infection and disease.

What is soy-based beverage?

It is a beverage made from dry soybeans and water.

Why are only certain brands of soy-based beverage allowed by WIC?

Soy-based beverage must meet the WIC federal regulations. It must be fortified with specific amounts of calcium, protein, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin B12 to be similar to milk. The brands allowed by WIC meet these requirements.

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What are some ways to use soy-based beverage?

Soy-based beverage is often used as an alternative to milk. Soy-based beverage can be used as a beverage or as a milk replacement in cooking.

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Tofu

What nutrients does tofu provide?

Calcium helps keep your bones and teeth strong and hard and prevents bone disease (Osteoporosis). Calcium also helps your heart and muscles work well and may help prevent high blood pressure.

Protein is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps fight infection and disease.

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What is tofu?

Tofu is a cheese-like food. It is made by coagulating soy milk. Coagulating thickens the soy liquid into a semisolid mass. The resulting curds are pressed into blocks.

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Why are only certain brands of tofu allowed by WIC?

WIC-allowed tofu must be calcium-set and prepared with only calcium salts. It can have no added fats, sugars, oils or sodium. The brands allowed by WIC meet these requirements.

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What are some ways to use tofu?

Tofu has very little taste or smell on its own. It absorbs the flavors of the ingredients in the dish. Tofu can be seasoned or marinated to pick up the flavor of a dish. One easy way to use tofu – replace all or part of the meat in your next stir-fry with tofu.

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Canned Fish

What nutrients does canned fish provide?

Protein is needed for growth, development and repair of your muscles and other body tissues. It also helps fight infection and disease.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids have been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease.

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How much tuna and salmon are safe to eat in a week?

Tuna and salmon may contain very small amounts of mercury or PCBs, which can be harmful to fetuses and children. The Minnesota Department of Health recommends children under the age of 15, pregnant women and breastfeeding women eat no more than 1 meal a week containing canned "light" tuna or 2 meals a week containing salmon.

The amount of fish you can eat in a meal depends on your body weight. Here are some guidelines, based on the weight in ounces of uncooked fish:

• 6 oz. for a 110-pound person
• 8 oz. for a 150-pound person
• 7.5 oz. for a 190-pound person

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Why can't I buy tuna or salmon in foil packs?

Foil packs are not allowed due to the extra cost.

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Infant Cereal

What nutrients does infant cereal provide?

Iron helps carry oxygen in the blood to every part of your body; this helps you to have energy. Iron also helps protect you from infections.

Zinc helps form protein in the body and assists in wound healing. It plays a role in general growth and maintenance of all body tissues.

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Why is iron-fortified cereal often one of the first solid foods introduced to a baby?

The texture of infant cereal can be easily adjusted by mixing different amounts of breastmilk or prepared iron-fortified formula in the bowl with the cereal. When your baby first starts eating cereal, it should be mixed very thin. You can increase the thickness of the cereal as your baby becomes used to eating cereal and learns how to move food around in his mouth and eat from a spoon.

Infants need food sources of iron starting around 5-6 months of age. Infant cereals and pureed meats are good sources of iron.

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How do I know if my baby is ready to start solid foods?

Usually, your baby will start showing physical signs that he is ready to start on "solid" foods by 6 months of age. Some signs to look for are:

• Your baby is able to sit up with support.
• She holds her head up without help.
• He reaches for things and holds them.
• When you feed her, she watches the food, waits with her mouth open and then closes her mouth over the foods.

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How do I start feeding my baby iron-fortified cereal?

Learning how to do anything new takes time and patience! To learn more about how start solid foods like iron-fortified cereal, see Introducing Solid Foods.

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Infant Foods

What nutrients do infant vegetables and fruits provide?

Infant vegetables and fruits are rich in many nutrients. Here are just a few:

• Vitamin A keep eyes and skin healthy and helps protect against infections
• Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy
• Potassium helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body
• Folate helps produce DNA and form healthy new cells

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What nutrients does infant meat provide?

Iron helps carry oxygen in the blood to every part of your body; this helps you to have energy. Iron also helps protect you from infections.

Zinc helps form protein in the body and assists in wound healing. It plays a role in general growth and maintenance of all body tissues.

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My baby is older and ready for more textured foods. What are ways to use the infant vegetables, fruits, and meats available from WIC?

At around 9 months of age, most infants are developmentally ready for more textured, finely chopped table foods. Infants at this age usually prefer finger foods for self-feeding over pureed foods. It is important to offer finger foods to help baby learn new feeding skills.

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