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The New WIC Way: Foods and Focus

Wisconsin WIC Implementation
of the New Food Package Rule

Print this information in fact sheet format. 
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Beginning in 2009, the New WIC Way: Foods and Focus will bring changes that better meet the needs of WIC participants. 

The new food packages and educational messages align with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. They promote WIC as the premier public health nutrition program, with a strong focus on breastfeeding as the normal way to feed babies.

Major Changes to the WIC Foods

• New foods

  • Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned).

  • Whole grain cereals and breads.

  • Baby foods: fruits and vegetables for all infants, and meat for exclusively breastfed infants.

• New alternatives

  • Soy beverage for milk.

  • Brown rice, barley, oatmeal or soft corn tortillas for whole wheat bread.

  • Canned beans for dried beans.

  • Canned salmon and sardines for canned tuna.

• New quantities

  • Quantities of milk, eggs, juice and cheese are reduced for women and children. Juice is eliminated from infant packages. Quantities of infant formula are reduced for breastfed and older infants.

• Estimated economic impact to Wisconsin

  • The overall purchases of WIC foods will stay the same at over $85 million annually.

  • There will be a shift in purchase to the new foods -- fruits, vegetables and whole grains -- from milk, cheese and eggs.

Major Changes in the Focus of Education

• Consistency with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 

  • Shift from the prevention of nutrient deficiencies to more promotion and support of breastfeeding, and the prevention of obesity and other chronic diseases. 

  • Consistency with American Academy of Pediatrics and other professional infant feeding recommendations.

  • Additional foods for exclusively breastfed infants and breastfeeding mothers. 

  • Introduction of complementary foods at six months of age instead of four months of age.

  • Modification of formula amounts based on the age of the infant. 

• Focus on current public health issues

  • Increased education on the selection of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

  • Stronger incentives for continued breastfeeding, including less formula to partially breastfed infants and additional quantities and types of food for breastfeeding mothers.

• The New WIC Way: Foods and Focus

  • The new foods are more consistent with the nutrition education messages provided to WIC participants:

    • eat more fruits and vegetables,

    • lower your saturated fat,

    • increase whole grains and fiber,

    • drink less sweetened beverages and juice, and

    • babies are meant to be breastfed.

• Cultural diversity 

  • More participant choice, including tortillas, brown rice, soy-based beverage (when made available retail), canned salmon and sardines, and a wide choice of fruits and vegetables.

• Wisconsin WIC implementation

  • Wisconsin WIC’s Food List Authorization Group will refine the food item selection criteria to assure that the foods on the Wisconsin list are available, acceptable, affordable and easy to select. The group is made up of local, regional and state WIC Project experts, and representatives of the Wisconsin retailer community. 

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Last Revised: May 01, 2008