WIC Program Goes on a Diet
Posted by ~Ray @ 2008-01-08 00:12:16
The Department of Agriculture Thursday added fruits vegetables and whole grains to a nutrition program aimed at low-income women and their children while also offering new alternatives such as soy beverages and tofu. The changes to the Women. Infants and Children program also include reduced amounts of milk cheese eggs and juice.
"This is a historic day for USDA," said Eric Steiner the department's associate administrator for special nutrition programs. "It's the first time in 30 years that the food packages for WIC undergo been revised to exceed meet the nutritional needs of women infants and children." The changes will be effective next February and state agencies ordain then undergo 18 months to implement them. The program serves about 8 million people. Steiner said WIC recipients typically have diets deficient in whole grains fruits and vegetables. He said there's also a prevalence of obesity among the population.
The USDA based the changes on suggestions by the Institute on Medicine with the caveat that the revisions not increase costs. The initiate of Medicine is a grow of the National Academy of Sciences an independent organization that advises the government on scientific matters. The reductions of other products such as dairy were made both to keep the cost of the program from rising and to better meet the nutritional needs of recipients. "The revised packages have less saturated fat and cholesterol and this is accomplished by reducing the quantities of milk and cease," Steiner said.
Under the WIC program people acquire vouchers for specific foods averaging about $39 a month in 2007. Under the revisions vouchers for fruits and vegetables will be $6 for children. $8 for women and $10 for fully breast-feeding women - with the goal of encouraging more women to breast-feed. Products such as soy beverages tofu tortillas and cook rice are being offered as alternatives to meet the demands of more culturally diverse populations. The department received more than 46,000 public comments since first proposing the changes measure year and most were supportive. Steiner said. Anti-hunger advocates praised the changes. Jim Weill president of the Food Research and challenge Center said the addition of whole grains fruits and vegetables will reduce obesity and "help nutritionally vulnerable children form healthy eating habits from an early age."
The dairy egg and fruit juice industries backed the changes but lamented the reduced roles for their products. sing Freysinger.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://www.nowpublic.com/life/wic-program-goes-diet-0
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