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Nutrition

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!:
Compared to Whole Milk, Lowfat 1% Milk has:
  • Same calcium
  • Same protein
  • Same vitamins & minerals
  • Less fat
  • Fewer calories
  • Same great taste
How much Calcium do you need?
The chart below indicates the amount of calcium needed for any age
Age Daily Milligram Intake (mg)
1 - 3 500
4 - 8 800
9 - 18 1300
19 - 50 1000
51 + 1200

STARTING OCTOBER 2009:
Women and children 2 – 5 years old will ONLY be able to buy Reduced Fat 2% Milk, Lowfat 1% Milk, or Fat Free Milk with WIC checks.



Make Half Your Grains Whole:

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.”


Choosing Whole Grains:

Look at the food label, not at the color of the food.

  • Look for 100% whole wheat on the front label when choosing breads.

  • Not all brown bread is 100% whole grain

  • Look for foods with a whole grain listed as the first ingredient.

Beware of tricky food labels:

  • “made with whole grain” means it contains some whole grain, but not much.

  • “100% wheat” does not mean 100% whole wheat. This just means the only grain used is wheat.

  • “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.

 

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