Jan. 9--New York's newly revamped menu of choices for its version of the national nutrition program for low-income women and children is such a refreshing change that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is advising other states to follow its model.
Earlier this week, state Health Commissioner Richard Daines announced New York is the first to change its WIC food choices, now emphasizing fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
It is the first time the food list has been changed anywhere nationwide since the program's inception in 1974. WIC, which simply means women, infants and children, is funded through USDA grants.
In the past, foods available with WIC vouchers for pregnant and postpartum women and children up to age 5, were cheese, whole milk and other fatty fare. Orange juice, though high in vitamin C, was on the old list but provided too much sugar, experts now say.
Nutritionists are applauding the change because it brings the WIC program into the era of the food pyramid.
"It's a wonderful thing. We're thrilled these changes have occurred," said Susan McKenna, the WIC public health nutritionist at the Nassau County health department. "This gives our clients the opportunity to purchase the same healthy foods that are being promoted for all Americans.
Statewide, 550,000 low-income women and children participate in WIC, 13,500 of them in Nassau County and 17,500 in Suffolk. The state pays $440 million on foods annually, and $130 million to administer the program.
Claudia Hutton, a spokeswoman for the state health department, explained that WIC was originally meant to combat problems involving low birth weight, poorly nourished mothers and undernourished children. In that era, childhood hunger and rampant iron-deficiency anemia were additional concerns. "When WIC was created, the aim was to get calories into those skinny, skinny kids."
But 50 percent of the calories in whole milk come from fat, McKenna said, and milk, like other foods in the old program, was more likely to lead to obesity, now a major health concern.
Shelly Schecter, director of the Nassau County health department's maternal and child health program, said WIC addresses the nutritional needs of families at the poverty threshold. A family of four with an income of up to $35,000 a year can qualify.
To get the new program off the ground, the state sponsored training programs -- including grocers -- to help WIC participants learn about healthier foods.
"Nutrition counseling is important when you are asking people to change their habits," said Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, Suffolk County's health commissioner.
Hutton added that New York's WIC program is in the vanguard of change. "When the USDA gets calls from other states about implementing a healthier program," she said, "the people there say, 'Call New York.'"
How it works
Provides vouchers that can be redeemed at grocery stores for food staples.
Eligibility hinges on income -- up to $35,000 a year for a family of four.
WHAT'S OUT High calorie foods from the previous WIC menu of choices, such as cheese, sugary fruit juices and whole milk for children over age 2.
WHAT'S IN Whole grain cereals and breads, canned or dried beans and jarred baby foods, fruit, vegetables, tofu and brown rice. One percent and skim milk will be available for women and children over the age of 2.
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