More Fruits, Veggies, Grains Will Get to Kids Under New WIC Rule
By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, April 9, 2024 -- Changes to the federal program that helps pay for groceries for low-income moms and their young children means that soon these families will have access to more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.
The final rule changes for the program known as WIC make an increase in monthly cash vouchers for fruits and vegetables permanent -- a change first enacted during the pandemic. Shoppers can also add canned fish, fresh herbs and lactose-free milk to their carts, among other options. The voucher change will take effect by June, officials said.
“It places a heavy emphasis on fruits and vegetables, which we think is an important component of a healthy diet,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the Associated Press. “It’s designed to fill the nutrition gaps that are often in the diets of many of us.”
Under the new rules, fruit and vegetable vouchers in 2024 will provide $26 per month for kids ages 1 through 4; $47 per month for pregnant and postpartum women; and $52 for breastfeeding women. The changes also expand access to whole grains like quinoa, wild rice and millet and to foods such as teff and whole wheat naan. But they also remove or reduce monthly allowances for juice and cut back on allowances for milk.
The plan did not include a change requested by top allergists that would have added peanut products to foods allowed for babies ages 6 months to 11 months, to help prevent peanut allergies.
Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a pediatrics professor and child allergy expert at Northwestern University, called the omission “disappointing.” She noted that WIC enrollees often include minority children who are at higher risk of developing dangerous peanut allergies.
The decision “can only increase disparities we are already seeing in food allergy prevalence,” she told the AP.
Sources
- Associated Press
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2024
Read this next
Cream Cheese From Aldi, Hy-Vee Stores Recalled Due to Salmonella Risk
THURSDAY, May 16, 2024 -- Two major supermarket chains, Aldi and Hy-Vee, are recalling brands of cream cheese because of a potential risk for salmonella. No actual illnesses...
Could a Low-Cal Keto Diet Help Ease Acne?
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2024 -- In a small pilot study, some young women looking to lose weight on a low-calorie keto diet got an unexpected benefit: Their acne began to clear...
Smoking During Pregnancy Could Raise Baby's Odds for Obesity Later
TUESDAY, May 14, 2024 -- Women who smoke during pregnancy run a higher risk of their kids becoming overweight or obese, and researchers now think they know one reason...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.
