Children’s Diet Quality Improves with Changes in Federal WIC Program

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food package was revised in 2009 to include a shift to low-fat milk rather than whole milk, and the addition of more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This resulted in an improvement in the quality of the diets of low-income children, according to  study  in Pediatrics.

 

The sweeping changes to the WIC program, the first that had been made in decades, were based on recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, according to the analysis, “Revised WIC Food Package and Children’s Diet Quality.”

 

In particular, the study showed significant improvement for consumption of green vegetables and beans in these children. The other areas for which WIC has put in important efforts – increased consumption of whole fruits rather than fruit juice, increased whole grains – all show trends in the right direction.

 

The findings, to be published online April 7, suggest that changes to the WIC program were associated with a significant improvement in diet quality among children ages 2 to 4 nationwide. The results are consistent with earlier findings suggested by regional studies, according to the report.