Federal Government Expands Access To Healthy Food For Low-Income Moms And Babies

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/02/28/3344211/wic-update-healthy-food/

By Tara Culp-Ressler on February 28, 2014

A government program that gives federal food assistance to an estimated 9 million women and children is getting revamped for the first time in more than three decades. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — more commonly known as WIC — will now provide low-income Americans with more options for culturally specific food, as well as increase funding for some healthy options.

WIC is a nutritional assistance program intended to help women and their babies afford healthy food. It diverges from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps, because it’s specifically targeted at improving healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes. This year, the program marked its 40th anniversary.

And to coincide with that milestone, the U.S. government is finalizing new rules that update WIC’s fairly limited list of foods that can be purchased under the program. Now, women will be able to use their WIC vouchers to buy a wider range of whole grain options; yogurt products; and fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables. They’ll also have more leeway to purchase foods that meet their cultural needs. And the amount of money allocated for babies’ fruit and vegetables will be boosted by 30 percent.

-----