Nutrition Education
Per the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, which establishes the creation of the WIC program, Nutrition Education is described as...
"individual sessions … and the provisional material that are designed to improve health status and achieve positive change in dietary and physical activity habits, and that emphasize the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and health, all in keeping with the personal and cultural preferences"
...for pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding women, infants, and children under 5.
WIC Nutritional Assessment
WIC participants are given individualized counseling, appropriate nutrition education, and referrals are given if needed. Participants are also encouraged to set a goal to work and improve on in between WIC appointments. Supplemental food benefits are created and tailored to everyone's individual needs. These foods are chosen and regulated to provide all the important nutrients that each WIC participant needs.
A WIC nutritional assessment is completed to:
- Determine the eligibility of the individual
- Create a basis for current and future nutritional services.
Nutrition Goals
WIC promotes good nutrition advice to parents to help make healthier food and lifestyle choices to help guard the family against nutrition-related conditions and illnesses. Additional desired outcomes from WIC nutrition education and counseling is to help:
Improve
- Duration of pregnancy rates and positive birth outcomes
- Appropriate growth of nutritionally at-risk infants and children
- Diet and diet-related outcomes
- Cognitive Development
Reduce
- Iron deficiency anemia in children
- Low birth weights
- Fetal deaths and infant mortality
- Health care costs within the first 60 days after birth
Apply for WIC
Get access to free nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, education, counseling, and more.