I am so glad you wrote this and let us know about how to make WIC actually work toward making families healthy. I'll bet very few people using public assistance are able to advocate for change like this, and now I really want to find out what kind of food is made available to families in my area and see what can be done to improve access!

I'm on WIC after several people suggested it to me and I have to say, at least where I live in WI it's not bad. Yes, we don't have a ton of food choices but it has helped us to stretch our food budget a little farther in a time that is really tight for us. I also like how pro-breastfeeding my WIC office is - I was able to take a breastfeeding class with them and while I'm still pregnant, I found it really helpful. Overall, I can't really say I have complaints with them. I know not everybody likes the food but that food is pretty helpful to me. 

I am a WIC nurse in Illinois and I felt the need to comment.  FIrst I want to start by saying that I'm very sorry that you had such a bad experience with your WIC office.  The way they called you to offer formula could get them in serious trouble if the state finds out (we were tagged once because a nurse had a mouse pad from Similac Neosure that she recieved at a training on premies).  We are not allowed to mention formula unless the family does, we are not supposed to ask if they plan on formula feeding or breastfeeding - we are to assume everyone breastfeeds unless the client says otherwise.  We have 3 breastfeeding peer counselors that make home visits before and after baby's arrival and go to the hospital if mom needs help.  All nurses here are CLCs.  We do everything we can to help moms have a positive breastfeeding experience. 

As someone else stated, the foods we provide are based on USDA guidlines because WIC is a federally funded program that is ran by each individual state.  We have certain guidlines that we have to follow, or risk losing our funding.  These include having clients come to education (classes, individual appointments with nurses, for some clients they can do their education online), having face-to-face contact with clients at certain intervals and they look at breastfeeding rates and immunization rates.

I beleive they offer jarred baby food because not all of our clients are knowledgable to make their own food  -I once had a client tell me she was making her own baby food, I was excited until she said she was taking things like "Hamburger Helper" and pureeing it.  Jarred baby food is much healthier for baby than Hamburger Helper!  

As far as the WIC office not giving you correct information about the stores that accept WIC - the local WIC offices have NOTHING to do with the stores, so the only way we know what stores accept the coupons are by word of mouth.  We have a similar paper we give clients that list all the stores in our county that accept WIC and we have had clients call to say a store has stopped accepting WIC.  The store has to be willing to carry 1 accepted item in each category, not all accepted items.  Sometimes that makes it difficult to get the items you want because they don't have to carry all the items - the store may only carry the brown rice that is accepted, not the oatmeal or tortillas. And the stores in are area are famous for not entering things into their computer system the right way, so it tells the cashier that it's not accepted when it really should be.  And again, there is nothing the local office can do about that. 

As far as Link (food stamps) just giving a debit card - you're right, you can get ANYTHING you want with it as long as it's edible.  Some choose healthy foods, others choose things like Dorritos and coffee (a woman I was behind in line a while back at the store) or soda and snack cakes.  I have often said that I wisk Link was more like WIC and would monitor the foods that I pay for with my tax money. 

I agree with the statement that WIC could be better.  Until 2 1/2 yrs ago there were NO fruits and vegetables offered, and they offered tons more juice.  That was the first change they made to Illinois WIC since the program was started more than 20 years prior and I hope more changes will come.

We moved from Utah to VIrginia back in August so my husband could go to law school. I'm pregnant with baby #2. In Utah, I used WIC because the vouchers were pretty decent ( you could get a lot of nice, name-brand foods, though same problem with the canned baby food, no organic options, etc). So, despite some of my frustrations with WIC and negative experiences with the employees, I kept going. But I just recently decided to completely stop using WIC here in VA. We get SNAP benefits here in VA, and it's so nice to have the flexibility to buy the healthiest options for your family, instead of thinking, "I really don't want to consume high fructose corn syrup, antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides in everything I eat, but gosh I have to since It's free." The WIC vouchers here in VA are very sparse, and only the cheapest food is allowable. Plus, doing the WIC checkup was really stressful for me and my toddler, and I was starting to feel like I was paying for food with his physical suffering. That was a really terrible feeling. I would rather be more frugal and careful with my SNAP benefits (which don't have this oppressive, watch-dog type monitoring) than buy milk with his pain, screams, and tears. 

I was on WIC for about a year, and it is awful and problematic in all the ways that are covered by your post and by the people in the comments.  I think one "creative solution" is--when/if possible--to shop at stores that accept returns with no receipts and issue store credit, and then return the items that are possible to return and use the store credit to buy more appropriate brands and products for one's family (multigrain instead of plain, organic instead of regular, fish lower in mercury than tuna, whole milk, whatever).  people shouldn't have to do that, but at least it's a way of getting around the conditionality of WIC and the subpar or unhealthy foods you are allowed to buy with the allowance. 

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, especially since it could have been prevented. First of all, WIC is not a State-run program. It's run by the federal government. And you are eligible to use WIC coupons at the local farmer's market:

What is the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program?The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, popularly known as WIC.  The WIC Program provides supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education at no cost to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding post-partum women, and to infants and children up to 5 years of age, who are found to be at nutritional risk.

The FMNP was established by Congress in 1992, to provide fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants, and to expand the awareness, use of, and sales at farmers’ markets. 

Thank you for writing about this! My husband recently quit his job and went back to school- our income is basically nill. I was pleased to see we qualified for WIC. And while there are so many good things about our WIC- almost every grocery store around is WIC qualified and here in Arizona they AMAZINGLY positive and pro breastfeeding- I have some of the same disappointments as you.

Why would they only offer low-fat milk for my three year old daughter? Why not offer whole or at least 2% also and then council with you to determine what is best for your kids. And why so much juice! Between my two daughters and I we get like 5 64oz bottles a month! Who drinks that much juice!!! And the only bread they cover has high fuctose corn syrup as like the second ingredient! We get 16$ a month for fresh fruit and veggies but that only covers one week of f&v in our home!

WIC is a great program, I just wish they would make some changes to it. I don't like that my family is now eating WORSE than we ever have just because our income is LOWER!

As for the babyfood (which I agree with you about) I use some of the fruit blends for snacks for my 3 year old and then donate the rest to a food bank becaus my baby REFUSES to eat it.

I live in Georgia and was on WIC for an EXTREMELY brief time. I was pregnant with our daughter at the time. When we decided to start trying to have a baby, my husband and I both had good jobs and were all caught up on the bills. However, 1 month after I found out I was pregnant, my hours got cut to less than part time and my husbands income started to shrink as well. We were in Savannah at the time and my mother actually runs a WIC store in the Atlanta area. She suggested I look into it. So I dragged my pregnant butt down to the WIC office, filled out a million forms, brought in tax returns, paycheck stubbs, and a bunch of other crap, got poked, proded, weighed, and waited around for half the day. I was there for literally HOURS. When I finally got out of there, I noticed the same things about the vouchers that Gina did. What the crap was I going to do with all that milk? Why does every single voucher say NO ORGANIC on it? Why do I want to drink sugary juice, especially when the WIC nurse told me to limit it? Seriously only $10 for fresh fruits and veggies? What is this crap? Since my mom was on the other side of the WIC program, I new a bit more about how it works, and the politics, than most. It was extremely disappointing and I absolutely HATED going to the store. I had a pamphlet of WIC approved items that made no sinse to me and had to absolutely hunt down everything, then go through that long process to check out. It was just rediculous and embarassing. I gave up after the first month because the health of myself and my unborn child were too important to me to be on WIC. That is just sad. I really wish they would get their priorities straight.

I am so disappointed that this is how Illinois WIC is promoting their services. I know many WIC staffers who would be VERY disappointed with that approach. As in any organization there are people who are more and less supportive of BF but many WIC staffers are! To give some perspective - not necessarily an excuse - on the foods WIC offers:  WIC was started as a program in the 50s when US gov't agriculture subsidies literally involved pouring excess milk into the ocean! At the same time people were beginning to recognize how crucial prenatal and young child nutrition was to later health. So, excess products from ag subsidies (dairy, eggs, wheat, etc.) would go to people who needed it. Logical, if not exactly the greatest nutritional plan, but a way to supplement diets with extra protein and calories (why the name is "supplemental nutrition program".) When you got WIC, you used to literally go to a warehouse and get your loaf of bread, your eggs, your block of cheese, etc. Eventually they started giving coupons for those items so you could buy them in the grocery store. To become a WIC provider, a store has to be willing to sell every single item that WIC offers - that's why not all stores are WIC providers. As there has been more recognition of the importance of whole grains, less processed foods, etc. WIC has tried to make these transitions but having come from this model of very prescribed foods (not to mention the ag lobbies, as you pointed out) it has been a slow process. The WIC coordinator for my state gave a talk to my MPH cohort - she talked about how she tried to convince grocery store owners to make a "WIC package" of exactly 1 lb of bananas - they looked at her like she was crazy - they couldn't do that. A $10 coupon for fruits and veggies isn't much, but it's a huge step compared to the old food package. They have also taken big steps in terms of making the packages for breastfeeding moms more enticing -- meat in a jar isn't exactly appetizing, but it's one of the things you only get if you're exclusively breastfeeding, along with a lot of extra food for mom. As an LC, I am so appreciative of WIC for offering the breastfeeding peer support that they do - again, not every office has peer counselors or is breastfeeding-supportive,  but many low-income women have literally no other access to breastfeeding counseling and support. Referring our WIC eligible-patients to the peer counselors is a big relief! Again, I think there's a lot WIC needs to fix but I'm happy with the progress they've made and am grateful that they are becoming a breastfeeding resource.

Wouldn't it be a possibility to buy those gallons of milk and give it to a family who usually buys? So a kind of exchange thing, especially for healthy things you can buy more than what you eat, like whole grain in some states?

I wanted to comment on this from two perspectives:

1. Having been a cashier, those WIC checks are like the worst kind of fine print coupons - the ones that claim 10% off the entire store, and then have a huge list of items that it doesn't apply to in microprint on the bottom. They are a huge pain to match up correctly to make sure they go into the system the right way. Also, since each coupon is good for such a small number of things, there are a lot of coupons to go though and match up, just as there would be for someone who's an extreme coupon user. Cashiers are measured on items-per-minute and scanning accuracy goals, so having to do all the matching at the register makes the cashier look like a bad worker.

2. This article talks about urban food deserts where the only stores that sell food are the gas station marts (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-novick-okeefe/education-in-the-desert_b_1067176.html). So, it makes sense that if WIC thinks most of their recipients live in such locations that they would avoid giving money specifically for fresh produce. They're trying to grant the money for things that people can actually buy at the stores available to them.

My post just deleted...ARG! Testy computer! 

The short of it was...Bad choices from political string-pulling.  Overweight counselors giving me condescending advice about my family's nutrition and medical care, no breastfeeding support and immense hassle in line at the store. 

I live in SC and I can't tolerate WIC any longer.  Just because I am receiving some help doesn't mean I should be asked to ignore my standards.  the food isn't free.  The costs are paid by everyone, paying taxes in America and beyond.  The global economy is hurt by government making choices behind the scenes for individuals.es

My partner and I own a new business, pay taxes and employees, and try to make choices that are healthy for our family and world community.

I hate that people wanting better for themselves, for the system, for our country are pitted against one another as givers/takers.  We are all living in this system that doesn't value poor people, women, ethnic minorities, children and the environment.  WIC is proof, in my opinion.

Hi,

Although I'm in the UK and we don't have anything similar to the WIC programme here, I have recently come across the following and thought perhaps you'd find it interesting:

"The WIC infant formula 'market' is the largest in the world. It is probable that WIC, as much as hospital practices and promotion, has assisted in the decline of breastfeeding. [...] WIC also provides a package of family foods that reflect the nutritional priorities of the 1950s, ie predominantly high-protein, high-energy foods. [...] It is likely that the WIC nutritional programme has contributed to the epidemic of overweight and obesity."

From Gabrielle Palmer: Complementary Feeding: Nutrition, Culture and Politics. Pinter & Martin 2011

Her sources for the extracts quoted above are

1) Kent, G. (2006) 'WIC's Promotion of Infant Formula in the United States', International Breastfeeding Journal 198:1-14

2) www.fns.usda.gov/fns

First off... Wic is a supplement program only... it is not food stamps. You are not going to get enough to survive the whole month, only add a little to your household for help. You may want to check online... I'm pretty sure that Kroger stores, Spartain stores, Walmart and Meijer stores all are nationwide acceptors of Wic. I also know that Kroger and Meijer don't allow hormones in the cows that supply their dairy. So, with a little digging... you may not be buying organic... but it is close. I get Wic in Michigan... and the foods offered on my ticket are the same as on yours... Multi-grain cheerios are allowed because they contain added sugar... but the other cereals offered don't have added sugar and you can also get plain oatmeal. You can get cheese, eggs, and dried beans. Don't want any juice... don't get it. You're not being forced at gunpoint. Don't want the canned baby food? Don't get that either. We used the $10 dollars in fresh fruits and veggies to buy fresh things to make our baby food... but we also used the jarred baby foods to add to his other foods when he refuses the freshly made stuff. I keep some on hand to add some carrots to his mac and cheese because he picks the real ones out and throws them to the floor. He doesn't notice the orange tint to the sauce from the pureed ones. So... yeah, poor people do deserve help... and they deserve nice things.... but this program is pretty nice... if you take it for what it is and not what you've falsely expected it to be.

Well yes, yes I have. When you're on it while pregnant, they load you up with tuna fish (read: mercury) and peanut butter (back when women were being told not to eat peanut butter so as not to sensitize the fetus to peanut protein). You can get plain Cheerios but not multi-grain Cheerios, and god forbid you make a mistake about the size of the box. One loaf of bread - the cheapest and most filled with high fructose corn syrup - per month, and you used to be able to get organic milk but now you can only get hormone-filled junk. And yes, $10 for fresh fruits and veggies, as though that would last any time at all. But that's a new addition that apparently they had to lobby to get - it used to be NO fresh produce at all, only frozen juice concentrate. And you only get supplemental food as a breastfeeding mom for the first 6 months. After that I guess they assume you wean or create breast milk out of the ether. What really pisses me off is they have such a carefully and bizarrely curated list of what you can have - the clear implication being that poor people are too lazy and/or stupid to make their own food choices, so lawmakers and social workers have to do it for them. But the things they select for you are neither healthy nor inexpensive. It's very bizarre. I could feed my family much better for much less money. And the BEST part is the hairy eyeball the checkers give you when you whip out those checks. If you lived nearby, I would happily walk over with eggs from our backyard hens - which lay many more than we can eat, for much less than what we'd pay in the store (and no, I'm not on WIC any more - I was for my 1st pregnancy and about 4 months postpartum with baby #1 in 2004, and for a couple months of my husband's unemployment in 2009). 

I have used WIC on and off in Texas.  Fortunately they know have a debit card type thing to put it on.  We do not have the WIC only store though.  I totally agree with a lot of what you are saying.  It is sad that the cereals available are super high in sugar, but considered acceptable because they contain folic acid.  Many times when you go to the store you have trouble finding just the right one that is allowed.  Some stores are good about now sticking a bright pink WIC sticker on, but not all of them do.  I have had to hunt around before only to be told that I grabbed the wrong one.  Fortunately the last WIC office is awesome about encouraging breastfeeding.  In Texas, they now make you take a video class at each appointment. They usually contain basic health information that everyone should know.  Each time they would ask me if I learned anything.  Um, no.  Is there anyone who does not know this stuff?

Oh, and my favorite was after being told that my 4yo was underweight for his age, being made to watch a video on how to not let your child overeat. 

I had the same experience and stopped using the WIC program. It is a total joke. Not to mention that I need to drive 45 minutes to get to the "nearest" WIC office once a month. How exactly do people with no car get anything out if thid program if the taxi ride costs more than the "food" (and I use that term loosely).... ugh. This is one example of many things that clearly explain how the wealthy squash the under privileged.

As a teacher in an urban setting with 40% + poverty, many of our students receive free/reduced school lunches.  This might be the only way to ensure they are getting at least two meals a day.  LIke your experience with WIC, I find school lunches in this country to be lacking a lot of whole foods as well.  They are getting better at providing fresh produce, but the only choice for beverages in my elementary school is milk.  I am sure this is due to the lobbyists for the dairy industry as well.  I wish our school offered more appetizing choices that are healthier and less processed.  I think it would be cheaper as well if they added even more produce and less processed foods.

Wow!  That is like the complete opposite of my experience!  WIC has been great--super supportive of breastfeeding snd healthy foods for me(I even get awards like gift cards and t-shirts for my continued breasfeeding).  Little to no mention of formula has been made to me, WIC is accepted many places here, WIC peanut butter is not the HFCorn syrup one here (I at first disliked their HFCS wheat bread but they've since changed that), I get more than $10 fresh fruits and veggies every month (although I wouldn't muind some more!) and while they do offer a lot of jar baby food, they send home all kinds of pamphlets about cooking healthy meals, etc.  (I made my own baby food too and found the jars only encouraged me not to sometimes).  It was sometimes frustrating at some stores finding things, but that's the store's fault, not WIC's.  I've also found many grumpy cashiers, but again, not WIC's fault.  Your experience is very different from where I live and that of my friends.  Yes, it'd be great if they did anything organic, but I'm not surprised they don't and am very grateful for all I do get--especially the beans, cereal, milk, eggs, fruits and veggies, oatmeal, well, just about everything.

I completely agree with this blog post. I hate going wic shopping the only thing we really ever use is the eggs and tortillas or rice not bread and the fresh fruits and veggies. I wish they offered more then $10 of the fresh foods. I had a whole cupboard of jar food we didn't even use that much that was given and I loved pureeing my own. I don't use the peanut butter although dj likes it pus being that it is these checks that we have to sort the food to fit it gives me a heart attack every time because I get people behind me that are in a rush and it gets so annoying to sign each check. I do feel this program is more politics then actually trying to help us. I hear there are some states that went to the debit card and give more freedom I think it should go nationally to a debit card with more freedom. sorry wic but its true.

Somebody pointed out on my page that the reason so many of the foods that are on WIC are packaged is because the companies have deals they have made with WIC in which they sell their food far below the store price.  This may be why doing fresh foods would actually cost taxpayers MORE, not less.  What the government pays for baby food through WIC is not the package price-

I am a new WIC participant and at my recent visit, I asked why there's so much jarred food allowed for babies.  Am I supposed to be feeding my 7 month old this much baby food?  The personnel responded that because I am breastfeeding, it is double the amount given.  WHAAA??  If I am breastfeeding, why would I need double?!  Wish there was more available for fresh produce...$10 gets us maybe 1/4 of the way through our first grocery visit needs in fresh items.  I think I am going to drop WIC as it has done nothing but complicate my grocery shopping and makes me feel sad for how crumby the food choices are for the program.  Why can ppl using food stamps receive a dollar amount and get what ever they need while mother's with babies are so seriously restricted?

I've been on WIC for about 2 1/2 years.  The shortcomings in the food options you talk about are the same that I have encountered.  I haven't even bothered to use the baby food checks for my 8 month old b/c she has refused the purees the couple time we've tried them and I'd also rather give her fresh, whole food.  The amount of milk they give us is quite excessive for us.  I would love to get more fresh fruit, as my kids LOVE it.  We never use all the checks that they give us, but for what we do get through them, it is very helpful.  I will say, the difference in my experience is that they have never pushed formula for us (we have gotten formula checks from them, when my son was a baby, even though I was breastfeeding b/c I couldn't pump enough to keep up with him).  They have been super encouraging with breastfeeding and congratulate and compliment me every time we go for an appointment.  My peer counselor checks in with me monthly and helped me get a free manual pump when mine broke after 5 years.  Regarding breast pumps though, I was pretty frustrated when a friend of mine got a very nice Medela double electric pump, because she was a full time student, and they couldn't give me one, even though I was working part time.  The difference was, she was doing a distance/online program, so she was not separated from her baby.  But I was, regularly, and my manual pump wasn't efficient enough for me to be able to keep up with my baby's consumption.  So we had to use formula to supplement those times I was away from him.  I don't begrudge a full time student getting a pump, but it seemed there could have been a more fair criteria for deciding who gets a pump like based, based on the separation from the baby, not just the full or part time status.

You would love WIC in Vermont.  We get our food delivered to us, no checks, no digging around (I've gotten WIC in other states and know EXACTLY what you mean).  We get a very healthy, locally made bread with all whole ingredients, locally made tofu, locally made cheddar cheese-all without any preservatives or artificial crap.  We also get natural peanut butter, ingredients: peanuts, salt. Like yourself, I was less than thrilled with my cereal and milk options and I completely refused the jarred baby foods and cereal.  The $16 a MONTH we received for produce didn't get us very far, either (I usually spend $35 a WEEK in fresh produce).  The WIC offices up here are VERY breastfeeding friendly and even offer make your own baby food classes, which include a free food mill.  though I no longer need WIC to survive, i am very grateful to the program and was very impressed with my options in Vermont.  

I work for WIC and while it has some problems I can say that our county and state is way better than what you experienced.  The foods covered are regulated by the Federal Government.  WIC lobbied hard to get those fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the whole grain options.  It used to be much worse. 

I work as a breastfeeding counselor and am one of 4 in our office, 2 of which have obtained IBCLC. 

I took wish some things were different but I am glad that some states value breastfeeding and provide free counseling to low income families.

WIC in MIchigan is pretty limited, too- we don't have the paper cheques anymore, ours is a special bridge card that has WIC emblazoned on it.  We can get one pound of bread, certain brands only, three boxes of cereal (one type only that doesn't have BHT in the box), two of the little bags of dried beans OR a two jars of peanut butter, a crapton of milk (which I can't use), six blocks of 8oz cheese, some eggs (I don't know how much, we can't eat them), six cans of salmon or tuna a month, three 48oz containers of juice (Juicy Juice, V8, and one brand of pineapple juice are the choices I can use) and $10 of fresh produce.  Nothing but the produce can be organic.  I don't think I'm missing anything.  I can't even use the cheese right now because Lucy gets sick whenever I eat non-organic cheese.  I buy it anyway so I can shred it and freeze it to try again once she's older and not just eating breastmilk.  I can't drink nonorganic milk, it makes me really sick.  I don't eat fish (or any meats), so the salmon and tuna are worthless (and I wouldn't do the mercury in the tuna, anyway).  Eggs are out of the question- my husband has a deadly egg allergy and it seems to be genetic.  We don't know if Lucy has inherited it and I don't want to find out by trial and error.  What is useful to me is one loaf of highly processed bread (I get the Aunt Millie cinnamon swirl because it has no dairy in it), the dried beans, the juice, the cereal (sort of- you can only eat Kix for so long before you feel like you never want to see it again- there's a stockpile in the pantry), and the produce.  It's not exactly a happy situation and I'm not sure what I'm going to tell them when I have my next appointment.  They know I'm vegetarian and they know I'm breastfeeding (though they ask each time if I still am).  My classes are all online, so at least I don't have to go in each month.  I'd just go off the program except that we're in pretty dire straights right now and it is helping a little- we actually made them write on the sheet that the only medical test they would do on Lucy (because their paper was so vague that it seemed to consent to any pricks and pokes) was the iron heel prick at seven months.  They prick my finger for iron whenever we go in, and that I don't mind- it's a lot less awful than what I've accidentally done to my fingers with a sewing machine needle. I wouldn't be on it if the state hadn't put the asset test on food stamps and kicked us off of those for owning a second lot that we try to grow veg on in the summer.  

The system is hugely broken, the choices clearly show who is lobbying for what and who is really in charge of the food assistance programs.  I wish there were better options, especially for those with food allergies.  When we get to the point of them offering jarred baby food, I'm not sure what we're going to do.  I guess I'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old and am currently receiving WIC vouchers.  In my experience, our office really pushes for breastfeeding to the point of requiring that pregnant women attend nutrition classes in order to receive their vouchers(I live in WV).  I've sat across from women in those classes a couple of times now and have yet to meet another breastfeeding mother in those classes.  The defeat is written all over the lactation counselors face.  They have been very encouraging and always available for me through bf issues, and i was able to borrow a hospital grade pump to get me through those times.  However, there are definitely problems with the approved foods.  I can't even substitute regular old-fashioned oatmeal...yet the instant in individual packages that are more expensive are approved.  They allow for way too much cereal, but there are a couple of healthy choices.  I agree that it would be better if to get quality over quantity in milk allowances.  And of course I would rather have more fresh fruits and veggies and less of something else.  What really kills me is the checkout process...especially if you happen upon a cashier with disdain for the WIC customer.  In our state, people who receive food stamps are able to buy things like Mountain Dew and Pringles to feed to their children.  It tears me up inside to see these things happening(I've seen a mother put Mountain Dew in her toddler's bottle and then get angry at him for being hyper)...I digress...My point is that citizens receiving food stamps are issued an EBT card in order to avoid discrimination, and there are little to no stipulations on what can be bought with that money.  I point this out because it correlates with WIC in that it makes no sense...these government assistance programs must have their hands in the pockets of "food" corporations.  It's so obvious, its embarrassing.

I agree with what you're saying. The money that goes into WIC could be used more efficiently on healthier foods. I was grateful that it provided some needed protein in my diet but the choice of foods is definitely influenced by politics/lobbying.

My local WIC was very breastfeeding-friendly (they always asked "how is breastfeeding going" rather than "are you still breastfeeding", even at 10 or 11 months of age). I was confused as to why my 6 month old baby would suddenly need around 70 jars of food a month...shouldn't solids be introduced gradually and milk (breast milk or formula) make up the majority of the diet for the first year? I ate a lot of apple-blueberry sauce myself and used the sweet potatoes in baked goods. Mostly I just didn't buy the number of jars I was allotted. 

Wow, interesting. I'm not, nor have I ever been on WIC, but I have been behind some shoppers in the grocery store who are. And I have observed the same things! It is ridiculous to me the approved items, right down to the specific size you need to get. I made both our kids' food and I have no doubt I saved us hundreds of dollars in pre-packaged crap/bland food. It's sad how low the allowance is for fresh produce. I didn't know it was that low.

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i'm so sorry you have had such issues... in mn they are so bf friendly... they have lactation consultants free pumps/supplemental feeders and seem to prefer bf..we get goats milk, organic baby food (i use it for my wee one to dip stuff in), fresh produce (which can be gotten at the farmers market) natural peanut butter, oatmeal and so on.. its a pitty not all states are so nutricion minded...

Our family is on the WIC program. In AZ it's not nearly as bad as you're describing. It's certainly not optimal (for example, they only offer full fat milk to children under 2- and being pregnant I'm granted however many gallons of 2% or lowfat milk, which I can't really use anyway, since I'm sensitive to dairy). For myself (pregnant), my 4 year old son and my 2 year old daughter, we get $22 per month for produce (that wasn't offered a couple years ago at all- I think in some situations, you could get carrots and that was about it- so there have been some major improvements recently). That $22 can be used at pretty much any grocery store as well as selected farmers markets. Now you can get organic, and you can also choose from frozen or canned fruits/veggies (as of October, I believe). The peanut butter options are better as well, I always get the Laura Scudder's brand that has to be refrigerated. (That's not available at every store, mind you, but now even our local Walmart carries that and another similar brand). I pretty much pick and choose what I use from their program. At this point, it is not a *need* but more like a supplement as we're transitioning to a better financial situation. I don't ever get the milk (both my kids are dairy allergic, and they will give you an option between soy or goat's milk if you have a dr's note, but we don't do soy, and nobody likes goat's milk, so I don't want to waste it). We like the juice, as I normally get the orange juice, but that is getting more and more ridiculous with the size restrictions- it *has* to be 64 oz. It can't be 59 oz like most brands have changed to. There are many restrictions, as far as size, and until you get used to it, it can be a headache. Also, for our family and others with food allergies, and sensitivities, it can be sort of useless. Honestly, I would use it just to get the extra produce budget. It may not be much, but it's something, and when you're in a bad financial situation, it's a good thing.

I was on it previously when my daughter was an infant, and I had no use for any of the foods for babies. She didn't even start solids until about a year. So that could definitely stand to be improved. I like that they offer extra food for breastfeeding moms, but only up to a year.

Other than that, I find that I'm usually the one educating the "nutrition counselor" (or whatever they're called), one recent example is that I had to explain the difference between a dairy allergy and lactose intolerance (the woman basically insisted that it was the same). I heard from my sister that has a daughter with Prader-Willi syndrome (her eating has to be constantly monitored since she's *always* hungry and will basically eat until something awful happens- there's more to it, of course), that the counselor asked if it was like having a tapeworm. (Granted, it's not a very common condition, but asking if it's like having a tapeworm seems a little insensitive to me).

I like that they offer extra help to breastfeeding moms, like the peer counseling (I've never used), the breast pumps (also never used, since I've never needed it), and other things (for example, a friend of mine got a nursing tank).

Anyway, there are a lot of things that could be improved, but I believe that they are working on it, and making a lot of changes to accommodate people. We've been off and on it for close to 5 years now, and I've seen major improvements.

Our WIC in NW FL, despite offering the same foods, is much more supportive of breastfeeding. Expectant moms are invited to a breastfeeding class nearing their due date, and BF posters are posted in the offices. In addition, they make sure to let you know you get more food if you BF, and that if you choose formula, you don't get a choice of brand. 

Getting down to the baby food. I totally agree, I would prefer fresh food for my son. Buying the jarred food has helped however. At our Winn Dixie Grocery store, there is a loyalty program specifically for baby items. Using our reward card when we purchase the baby food with WIC gives us points, which in turn gives us $10 to spend on anything in their store. That is incredibly helpful for us. We also are allowed a wide variety of PB. 

A TRICK I LEARNED: To see a greater variety of WIC approved items (since many stores just have little "WIC approved" signs attached to certain brands) check the bar code for the item on the shelf. There will either be the word "grocery" (or an abbreviation) or "WIC" and this helps us pick out more things. 

I work for WIC in Utah, and I must say we would NEVER call a mom and offer formula!! In fact, we call all of our pregnant moms two weeks before and two weeks after and check on breastfeeding. We never mention formula unless they do, and then we strongly encourage breastfeeding. There is a lactation consultant in our clinics every day, all day in our main one and then part-time in the outlying clinics. Our nutritionists encourage breastfeeding, and we have some of the best rates in the state. We also teach breastfeeding, baby-wearing, infant massage classes for free at the health department, and we have hospital-grade pumps and personal user pumps (Medela Pump-n-Style) for our moms that have medical needs or are going back to work/school. We have free hand pumps for all our moms (Medela Harmony) and tons of other breastfeeding supplies. 

I agree with you on the baby food, we just chose not to get it and feed it to our son. Later on, I started grabbing the fruits and veggies and throwing them in green smoothies with spinach and frozen berries. I don't get all the milk, but we definitely love the dried beans, eggs, whole wheat bread, and veggies. My husband loves sugary cereal, so we get him the Frosty Mini Spooners and he eats them while we opt for yogurt/granola or eggs for breakfast for me and the toddler. I've loved being on WIC as well as working here, but I know that it is a totally different experience state-to-state! (for instance, we can't get soy milk here, though I got it when we lived in DC... they also give you vouchers for the farmer's market there too, which was AWESOME). 

I'm happy you did such a thorough analysis, I think it's good to question the system, but like others have said below, WIC isn't ALL bad and definitely varies. And yes, I find it slightly annoying when our moms complain that they can't get name-brand cereal and juice anymore (we just changed it last month).

I was at the grocery store today and I was noticing the WIC approved items. Because I've been thinking about this a lot since your original Facebook post. The items which were WIC approved did not seem to be very healthy, wholesome or natural. I could not agree with you more. We deserve better from the food industry, we deserve better choices, healthier foods made with health and nutrition in mind, not profit margins. And I agree completely that people who use WIC are just as entitled to healthy, wholesome not-processed foods as I am.

Oh and a note on food benefit cards, why is it people can use it to buy soda and candy but I can't buy tea? I mean pregnancy and lactation teas are really expensive and it would be nice to use those funds for something healthy, meanwhile people are using it for junk! *shakes head*