“....The recent revisions to the food packages are based, for the most part, on recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies.
Attesting to the program’s widespread adoption by families, half of the infants in the U.S. are enrolled in WIC, according to USDA.
Through WIC, participating families receive “monthly food packages” geared toward good health, growth and development. The foods are chosen based on USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and established dietary recommendations for infants and children up to five years of age.
The food packages are actually checks made out for specific food items (not for cash). Participants can go to participating stores and use the checks to “buy” those items.
In selecting foods for the WIC program, key nutrients such as Vitamins A, B, C, D and E, iron, zinc, calcium and fiber are an essential part of the equation. Among the foods the families receive are low-fat milk, whole-grain bread and cereals, tuna, salmon, beans, eggs, peanut butter, soy-based beverages, tofu and fresh produce.
In addition to healthy food, WIC provides nutrition education and services, breast-feeding promotion and education, and access to maternal, prenatal and pediatric health-care services.
The National WIC Association describes it as a “short-term intervention program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted high-risk population.”....
half of the infants in the U.S. are enrolled in WIC, according to USDA.
Now that’s scary.