Research is increasingly pointing to the critical role that adequate nutrition during pregnancy and early childhood plays in children’s long-term health. When pregnant and lactating women or families with young children face income challenges or food insecurity, meeting nutrient needs and maintaining adequate health status may feel unattainable.
Recognizing this, for five decades, the U.S. government has worked to protect and improve the health and nutrition status of low-income, nutritionally at-risk women, infants, and children up to age five. Started in 1974, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) now serves more than 6.6 million individuals each month across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 33 Indian Tribal Organizations, and 5 U.S. territories. The WIC program is run through close collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who manages the program at the federal level, and state WIC agencies, who oversee implementation and local-level coordination.
Recent WIC Updates We’re Tracking
In 2024, USDA announced updates to the WIC food packages for the first time in a decade. These changes were made to ensure that the food packages closely aligned with the latest scientific evidence, drawing from multiple authoritative reports, including the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as nearly 1,800 unique public comments.
The updates were quite comprehensive, and some of the major changes included:
- Substantial increases to the fruit and vegetable benefits;
- Greater flexibility and more options for dairy and dairy alternative products;
- Authorization for states to approve nut and seed butters as a replacement for eggs and/or peanut butter; and
- Expansion of whole grain options to better align with individual and cultural preferences.
These changes will be gradual, and the NID team is certainly following how the new administration’s goals may affect the update process. States currently have until June 2026 to implement most of the food package updates, and they have the flexibility to decide if and to what extent to implement some of the changes. Many states are actively in the process of updating their Approved Product Lists to reflect these changes.
Having worked with state WIC teams, we appreciate the nuances of engaging and educating them on a local level, considering the special needs of their populations. Contact us at [email protected] if you’d like to connect about ways your organization can ensure your product(s) are considered by the state WIC teams implementing updates.
NEW Resource: WIC Updates
We recently created a fact sheet that outlines:
- WIC’s proven impacts for vulnerable women, infants, and children;
- Key WIC food package updates and supporting rationale;
- Timeline for state WIC agencies to implement these changes; and
- Potential implications and engagement opportunities for the private sector.
You can read, download, or share the fact sheet here.
Recent Comments