To Better Serve Participants, States Should Maximize Choice and Flexibility in the WIC Food Package 

As part of a family that thrives on a plant-based diet of nutritious foods, the groceries I’m able to get with my WIC benefits have made a huge difference in both my life and my children’s lives. I especially value how the variety of foods expands our horizons and how having more options allows me to choose the foods that are best for our family. 

The fruit and vegetable benefit is especially helpful, and I appreciate that I can use these cash-like benefits for any fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. For other items, where WIC provides specific foods in specific amounts, WIC allows substitutions, which are also important for my family. For example, I choose a dairy-free alternative to standard milk based on personal preferences. I’m also able to choose dry or canned beans, and whole grain foods, such as whole-wheat bread or tortillas (either corn or whole wheat).  

Having choices in WIC means my kids and I get to try foods from other cultures that are good for us, such as fruits and vegetables we didn’t grow up with. And it’s not just about nutrition. It’s also watching my kids get excited about mango or trying plantains for the first time. Those moments expand our palates and teach us there’s more than one way to eat healthily. It helps us become well-rounded, curious people at the table and in life.  

The WIC food package is designed to provide nutritious food to supplement the diets of participants at key developmental stages. WIC-authorized foods include breakfast cereal, whole grains, milk, yogurt, eggs, beans, fruits and vegetables, juice, infant foods, and infant formula. To ensure that WIC-authorized foods are aligned with the latest nutrition research and dietary guidelines, USDA is required to update the food packages at least every ten years.  

A 2009 overhaul of the food packages added the fruit and vegetable benefit for the first time, along with whole grains, reduced-fat milk, and milk substitutes including regular cheese, yogurt and tofu. Research found that WIC participants receiving the revised food packages purchased and consumed more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. In addition, researchers found possible positive impacts on pregnancy outcomes and children’s vitamin D, iron, and saturated fat intake. Finally, the food package improvements have contributed to healthier food environments in low-income neighborhoods.  

In 2021 Congress accelerated implementation of a science-based recommendation to increase WIC’s fruit and vegetable benefit, which has now been made permanent. The increase is meant to provide half the amount participants need according to dietary guidelines for expecting and postpartum parents and toddlers. Research following implementation of the 2021 increase shows that it expanded the amount and variety of fruit and vegetables purchased and consumed.  

Many WIC participants appreciate the fruit and vegetable benefits like I do. According to the National WIC Association’s 2025 Multi-State WIC Participant Satisfaction Survey report, the top reason for participating in WIC was the fruits and vegetables participants received in the WIC food package, with 97 percent of respondents listing the fruit and vegetable benefit as one of the reasons they participate.   

USDA issued a final rule revising the food packages in 2024, and state WIC agencies have been implementing these revisions for the past two years. The food package update includes a wider range of foods, which are more appealing to people from different racial and cultural backgrounds, and is based on evidence on how to improve the nutritional value of WIC food packages.  

While federal rules prescribe the types and quantities of WIC foods available to participants, state WIC agencies determine which brands and package sizes to approve. States also have some flexibility with regard to which substitutions for cultural or family preferences to allow, and how to offer these flexibilities to participants.  

To ensure that WIC continues to make progress in meeting participants’ needs, state WIC agencies should offer the full array of food package substitutions and authorize foods that respond to participants’ preferences. When I can choose between different foods instead of being stuck with one product, it changes dinner at home. I’m not forcing my kids to eat something they don’t like just to use the benefit. I get to build meals that fit our tastes, our culture, and our health. With more options, we can cook the foods that mean home to us — such as curry, stews, tacos, pasta sauce, dips, and desserts. Those are the recipes we pass down. That’s how we keep our traditions alive.   

WIC is taking steps to make substitutions they offer more accessible by allowing parents (rather than doctors) to choose and by clearly explaining the options available to participants. For example, in Tennessee, we used to have to get a letter from the doctor for certain substitutions (such as non-dairy milk). Too many of us felt like we had to explain, justify, or prove why a certain product was better for our kids — whether it was for an allergy, a cultural need, or just what our family would actually eat. Under new federal rules, we are no longer required to obtain a doctor’s note for substitutions (aside from infant formula), which gives us more choice over the foods we eat without having to justify our needs. It’s important for WIC to continue pursuing policies that accommodate the diversity of participants’ needs. My household isn’t the same as the next family’s, and that’s okay. Trust us to know what our households need and ensure we have a voice and a choice in the foods we bring home. When we have choices that work for us, we’re more likely to use our benefits and feel good about the program.

It is also important for state and local staff to make sure substitution options are explained to participants in detail. Some participants may not know exactly what to ask or what substitutions are available. At my first WIC appointment, the information felt overwhelming. If I hadn’t had a patient nutritionist, I would’ve been lost. I didn’t even know what I could ask for. A simple one-pager of substitutions — especially plant-based options — in the shopping app or printed out would’ve helped me visualize what options were available.  

Families need authorized foods that reflect their preferences, and a range of accessible substitutions, for important reasons such as allergies, dietary restrictions, food sensitivities, and culture. This isn’t about special treatment. It’s about making sure WIC works for the people it’s meant to serve. When states fully implement these flexibilities, they’re telling families, “We see you, and your health matters.”

Ashley Blair is a Community Health Advocate.