Just how healthy is the 'WIC'-approved diet?

Question

Somebody here mentioned that "When you buy food using the WIC vouchers, you are restricted to certain brands."

I *think* I remember once being in a US supermarket (I'm not American) and seeing some groceries tagged as WIC-eligible. If it was WIC I'm thinking of, I remember wondering why it only seemed to be lousy stuff.

The cheapest, most preservative-laden bread. Processed cheese. Etc.

There's a list here:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/benefitsandservices/foodpkgregs.htm

but it's a bit confusing. Are carrots really the only vegetable? No fruit?? Why's tuna on the list when pregnant women routinely worry about mercury levels in fish? (Being vegetarian, I haven't really looked into it...) And, no other meat. "Pasteurized Process American" is allowed, but allowable cheese "Must be real cheese (as stated on product label)." Huh?

I could see not allowing junk food, or heavily processed food, but that list seems to be cutting out a ridiculous amount of nutritious stuff --

most notably, fruit and vegetables. What's the deal with "only certain brands" as mentioned? Do a few large food processors have the gov't in their pocket or something?

No flour, sugar, baking supplies, etc, are mentioned, which seems to cut out making one's own bread and the like.

It looks like a food bank diet, not a notably healthy one. Is it meant to sustain the extremely poor, or really give women, infants, and children a healthy diet? If the latter -- given the cost of produce vs the cost of dried beans -- it is not, apparently, doing a great job. Why not?

(Apologies for the length of this.)

Answer 1

I agree, things are not as nutritious as I feel they should be either.

But to the person above me that is slamming anyone that is on WIC. Wake up! Don't you realize that sometimes a woman can be in a normal, stable, happy as hell marriage and then BOOM things change and she ends up widowed, or divorced? There are people that need the help. You may need help someday. So get off your high horse.

Answer 2

WIC is ment to be a supplenment program to help those who need some help. It is not ment to be the only food that the person gets. As for the foods, before they give you anything they do a nutritional evaluation and try to fill in the gaps, If they think you need more calcium the give you milk. Yes it is the cheapest stuff but it is better than nothing. As for them not having enough fruits and veggies they are aware of that, so they are working on adding more fruits and vegatable to the approved food list. They are a goverment run orginization so these things take times,

Oh also to the person who thinks that people should get nothing, Let me tell you something. When I got pregnant both my husband and I had good paying jobs, however my husband is now disabled do to an accident that was not his fualt. He can not work and fighting disability takes a long time. I had complications that made me have to leave my job at 4 months pregnant. You are ignorant and do not think. I really appriciate the help that wic and other programs have given us while we get back on our feet

Answer 3

WIC is not really a diet in itself. It is a program to help women, infants, and children keep food on the table. Most WIC families take advantage of the cheese, the breakfast cereal, the milk, the juices, and the PB and then buy the rest of their food or qualify for food stamps to help them do so.

Answer 4

The program is meant to be a supplement to the Food Stamps program which would cover the other foods you are talking about. As far as the cheese goes, "Pasteurized Processed American" cheese is "real cheese" as compared to cheese made from oil and water and cheese foods, which aren't cheese at all. Just because something is processed doesn't mean it's not real.

Answer 5

The one thing you dont mention is the main reason for getting WIC in the first place -the formula and milk. WIC is not the same as food stamps you dont get what you want you get what they are willing to pay for. Formula, milk, cereal, cheese juice -I dont see any thing so bad for us there. When you dont have enough to eat this helps to keep the child healthy.

Answer 6

Maybe I'm just really good at reading comprehension, but I get the impression that this person isn't even in the U.S. Otherwise, she would have been inside a U.S. supermarket more than once.

Anyway, beggars can't be choosers. And as far as I'm concerned, the government could be giving these people slop for all I care. If you can't afford to feed a child, then maybe you shouldn't have, oh I dunno, gotten pregnant!

The reason they get cheap stuff is because, here in America, there are a lot of people that receive WIC. We have a trend of young, poor, and uneducated girls doing nothing with their lives but having babies. So do you think that decent, hard-working citizens want to pay anymore than what they are now for these people? Nope. That's why it's cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel stuff.

They shouldn't be receiving anything in the first place.

Answer 7

Its mostly based on nutritional systems in place since 1955....they allow eggs.,..but wont spring for organic eggs...they allow milk, but wont spring for 'noBGH' (and if your vegan you have to buy the milk and eggs either way!) they do a once per summer stipend for a farmers market at some local WIC offices....but not every community has a farmers market....WIC started as a way to get teen mothers, underweight mothers and starving mothers SOME nutrition for themselves and their baby....the program tries (you cant buy Count Chocula...but you can get Kix and plain Cheerios)
But its an outdated, clunky bureacratic system....not fixed overnight!

Answer 8

If your complaining and your not from the US why don't you take your but back to your own country and stop trying to get something for free for you and your baby. By all the expensive brands and don't worry about trying to save a buck or two i'm pretty sure you can afford it.

Answer 9

It's not a perfect system, but some aid is better than none, right?

Answer 10

It`s supposed to help out, not be your only source of food..