The U.S. Food and Nutrition Service (USDA) announced important updates to the products available for purchase for certain beneficiaries of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). This program is attached to the federal food stamp system (SNAP benefits), which gives funds to the neediest families who meet certain requirements.
The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, recently released a list of prescription foods for those participating in the WIC program, an exclusive federal grant for low-income women throughout pregnancy, the postpartum period and their children at nutritional risk. These updates arise as a result of the recommendations of scientific experts in the field of nutrition to the SNAP benefits system, so that no low-income minor has malnutrition problems.
New Products You Can Purchase with Food Stamps
The WIC program provides assistance to about 6.6 million mothers all over the United States, babies and young children, offering nutritious food, guidance on healthy eating habits, breastfeeding support and other health-related services.
For many Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, who also meet WIC eligibility criteria, this program is a valuable resource.
As per the statements made by the USDA in a press release issued on April 9, the enhancements in the WIC food packages are focused on promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables. This is achieved by an increase in both the quantity provided and the variety available for purchase. With these changes, beneficiaries are expected to receive up to four times more than they used to receive in terms of benefits for the purchase of fruits and vegetables.
We must remark that these modifications to the products available to WIC beneficiaries may not be immediate. The USDA says states have up to two years to implement these changes. Although WIC is federally funded, it is administered at the state and local levels, similar to how SNAP benefits are managed.
The List of New Products Now Purchasable with WIC
- New whole grains, including quinoa, blue corn meal and teff (a grain that is becoming popular, highly nutritional and loaded with minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants).
- The dairy category was updated to include flexibilities in package sizes and substitution options with non-dairy products, such as yogurts, cheeses and lactose-free plant-based milks (for lactose intolerant or vegan people).
- Now you can buy a variety of canned fish.
- Now you can buy several types of canned beans.
- More flexibility in the amount of breastfeeding formula each mother can buy.
“WIC has a half-century track record of caring for young families. USDA and the Biden-Harris Administration are committed to ensuring that moms, babies and young children continue to thrive through WIC,” said Vilsack. “These participant-centered changes will strengthen WIC by ensuring the foods participants receive reflect the latest nutrition science to support healthy eating and the brightest futures.”
After the allocation of $1 billion in funding for the fiscal year 2024, the modifications were carried out under the Biden-Harris administration.