The 2009 WIC revisions led to a substantial decrease in purchases of whole milk and cheese among WIC families in New England.
After the package change, usual energy intakes exceeded recommended levels for infants but fell below recommended levels for toddlers. Also after the package change, mean usual intake of vitamin D was below the EAR for toddlers, and mean usual intakes of vitamin A and zinc exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for all groups.
These findings demonstrate that positive changes in dietary intake and reductions in obesity followed implementation of the USDA-mandated cost-neutral revisions to the WIC food package for the hundreds of thousands of young children participating in the NYS WIC program.
After the WIC revisions, total purchases of 100% juice among WIC households declined by about a quarter, with little compensation occurring from non-WIC funds for juice and other beverages.
Overall, the survey results for Native American WIC children indicate a shift toward healthier eating patterns, including increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat/fat-free milk. Significant changes were observed for milk and grain products.
The 2009 WIC revisions significantly increased purchases of whole-grain bread and rice among WIC-participating families.
Eighteen months following the WIC food package revisions, significant decreases in total fat and saturated fat and increases in dietary fiber and overall diet quality were observed among Hispanic children only. No significant changes in nutrient intake or diet quality were observed for any other group.
This research suggests that recent policy change to the WIC food package improves WIC participant access to healthful food options without decreasing satisfaction
Compared to their African American counterparts, diets of Hispanic mothers and children were lower in percentage of calories from fat, added sugars, sodium, and sweetened beverages, but higher in vitamin A, calcium, whole grains, fruit, and total dairy. However, no groups met national recommendations for percentage of calories from saturated fat, fiber, sodium, whole grains, vegetables, and total dairy.
Results suggest the WIC policy revision contributed to modest reductions in F/V prices. WIC participants’ purchasing power can differ depending on the type and neighborhood of the WIC vendor used.
