NEW WIC FOODS IN OCTOBER 2009!
In 2008, WIC began a campaign called “Healthy Habits Every Day”, a series of California WIC Program activities designed to prepare WIC families for the upcoming food package changes by addressing increasing fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption, and decreasing milk-fat consumption.
Eat a Rainbow! (Fruits & Vegetables)
How many cups of fruits and vegetables do you and your family need to eat each day? The answer is in the chart below. It shows you a range of how much a person needs to eat, based on their age. (Keep in mind, a cup is about the size of one small apple.) Of course, reaching the higher amount is better.
| Daily Amounts of Fruits | Daily Amounts of Vegetables | |
| Kids 2 - 8 Years Old | 1-1.5 Cups | 1 - 1.5 Cups |
| Kids 9 - 18 Years Old | 1.5 - 2 Cups | 2 - 3 Cups |
| Adults | 1.5 - 2 Cups | 2.5 - 3 Cups |
Lose the Fat, Keep the Vitamins…Drink Lowfat Milk!:
- Same calcium
- Same protein
- Same vitamins & minerals
- Less fat
- Fewer calories
- Same great taste
| Age | Daily Milligram Intake (mg) |
| 1 - 3 | 500 |
| 4 - 8 | 800 |
| 9 - 18 | 1300 |
| 19 - 50 | 1000 |
| 51 + | 1200 |
STARTING OCTOBER 2009:
Make Half Your Grains Whole:
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When grains grow in the fields they have three edible parts: the fiber-rich bran, the heart healthy germ, and the starchy endosperm. Whole grains keep all three parts - even after they are ground up or processed – while refined or enriched flour or grain contains only the starchy endosperm.”
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Choosing Whole Grains:
Look at the food label, not at the color of the food.
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Look for 100% whole wheat on the front label when choosing breads.
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Not all brown bread is 100% whole grain
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Look for foods with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient.
Beware of tricky food labels:
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“made with whole grain” means it contains some whole grain, but not much.
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“100% wheat” does not mean 100% whole wheat. This just means the only grain used is wheat.
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“multigrain” means it contains more than one kind of grain but they may not be whole grains.
Click here for a recipe containing whole grain barley.