Labor Less This Holiday Weekend
Make Ahead Recipes Perfect For Enjoying Time With Your Family
All moms need a break.
Labor Day is the perfect time to take a break from all the extra things you normally do – like extra cooking – and enjoy a special moment with your family.
Feeding your family can sometimes seem like an all-day event. Mom’s know that kids always seem hungry, and if you aren’t making breakfast, it’s a snack (or two) and then dinner. Mom’s also need a break. That’s why we have come up with a super easy holiday weekend menu that lets moms take a break and enjoy the holiday.
Pick a few of these recipes below to make ahead of time, giving you extra time to spend with your family. They are super easy recipes the entire family will enjoy.
ONE PAN CHILI MAC
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt to taste
2 cups water
1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
8 oz. whole wheat elbow macaroni
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese or other cheese of your choice
Heat oil in a pan. Add water, tomato sauce, pasta and seasonings, cook on medium-high to bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring until pasta is tender. Sprinkle cheese on top and put the lid on the pan until the cheese is melted.
CEREAL BAR SNACK
4 cups of WIC-approved cereal of your choice
¾ cup peanut butter
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
Line a square pan with foil or parchment paper. Spray foil with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, heat peanut butter, honey and butter until mixture is boiling and slightly thickened. Place cereal in a bowl. Stir heated peanut butter sauce over cereal. stir until evenly coated. Using the buttered back of the spoon, press the mixture very firmly in a square pan. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm enough to cut. Make and place in the refrigerator for up to a week.
This recipe makes 4 snack boxes you can store in the refrigerator for up to a week. They are great for snacks or lunch.
SNACK IN A BOX
Boil 4 eggs
Cheese slices
1 peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread
Cut fruit
Boil four eggs in hot water for about 7 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Peel eggs and slice in half. Slice cheese into bite sized pieces. Make a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread and cut into 4 pieces. Sliced fruit. Assemble snack boxes and put in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
Easy, Fast Breakfast Or Snack With WIC Foods
Seems like we are always in a rush. Looking for a quick and easy breakfast or snack? This one is perfect for you or your littles. It is made using only WIC foods: cereal, peaches and yogurt. Add a little dash of cinnamon for extra taste.
PEACH PARFAIT
1 cup Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds (or any WIC cereal of your choice) 
1 snack size peach cup
1 cup of peach yogurt
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Pour ½ cup of cereal in a cup. Smear ½ cup of yogurt on top of cereal. Add ½ of the peach cup on top. Repeat layers of cereal, yogurt and peach cup. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!
GET MORE SNACKS USING WIC FOODS
Get these and all your other WIC foods at JC Food Mart, a grocery store chain that caters to WIC clients. Find a location near a WIC clinic near you here.
WIC Breakfast Foods
Breakfast Recipes With WIC Foods Good Enough To Eat All Day
Some might say breakfast is the best meal of the day.
Texas WIC offers many healthy breakfast foods for pregnant women and children to help get the day off to a great start. But it is also a great way to end a day.
Here are some examples of healthy WIC foods that make the best breakfast ingredients, no matter when you eat them.
Eggs , Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Tortillas, Fruit, Vegetables, Cereal, Oatmeal, Milk, Fruit Juice, Cheese, Yogurt are all part of the Texas WIC program.
These foods are healthy and great served individually. Combine to make some of the best breakfast foods: omelets, tacos, breakfast sandwiches, smoothies and more. But changing it up is always fun. Here are a few WIC breakfast foods with a twist your family will love
BREAKFAST QUESADILLA
2 Whole Wheat Tortilla
2 large eggs
¼ cup shredded cheese
1 teaspoon butter
Cooking spray
Salsa
Sliced Avocado
Crack eggs in a bowl and whisk. Spray skillet with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Put eggs in a pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Put eggs on a plate. Wipe pan clean. Lightly butter one side of the tortilla. Place butter side down in the pan. Put ½ of the scrambled eggs on top of the tortilla and add half of the cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Cook on each side until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Repeat to make a second tortilla. Serve with salsa and sliced avocado.
PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA OVERNIGHT OATS
½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Sliced bananas
Add oats, milk, yogurt, maple syrup and salt and ½ tablespoon of the peanut butter into a container with an air-tight lid. Stir. Place in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove the lid. Stir oats and add a splash of milk. Top with remaining peanut butter and slice bananas. Overnight oats can remain in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container.
For all your WIC groceries, visit any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio. JC Food Mart caters to WIC clients by providing an easy shopping experience and format to get all your WIC foods in one easy stop. SNAP also accepted. Find a location near a WIC clinic near you, jcfoodmart.com/locations.
Food From Texas WIC: Little Hands, Little Bites
Starting The Baby Food Journey
Babies grow up fast. Each month they hit new milestones and make even more progress toward becoming little toddlers. Food from Texas WIC can help them grow healthy and strong.
One of the biggest milestones is graduating from bottles to bites. After months of breastfeeding and bottles, your little one might be ready to transition to table food.
It may seem daunting, but this can be a really exciting time for parents and kids to start exploring the world of food.
There are so many flavors, textures and food adventures around the corner. As stressful as it may seem, this stage can be a lot of fun. Don’t worry if it seems you have gotten into a food fight with your toddler. It’s all part of the learning process. Here are a few tips to help you navigate this next phase.
READY, SET GO – FIRST BITES
Are you wondering if your baby is ready to try table food? Make sure to discuss any feeding transitions with your Texas WIC nutritionist or doctors before making this big change.
In general, Texas WIC experts set out these first year milestones to give you a general idea when babies are ready for milestones, but every baby is different.
Once you get the OK from a professional, let the fun begin. Wondering where to start? Popular first food choices are baby cereal, apple sauce, mashed bananas or even avocados. Make sure the food is soft and has a “paste” like consistency.
In the beginning it is best to stick to introducing only one new food at a time. This makes it easier to know which foods your baby may have had trouble tolerating. Whether you are starting with baby cereal or baby food, try introducing one flavor at a time.
Remember, babies have tine appetites and only require a few teaspoons at a time, WIC experts recommend.
HITTING SPEED BUMPS
If your baby doesn’t like a certain food at first, try, try, try again. It isn’t uncommon for a little one not to like a food when it is first introduced, but to come around to it later.
Once you know your baby tolerates certain foods, different flavors can be mixed together to make bites a little more interesting. A few good combinations are sweet potatoes and peas, apples and bananas or scrambled eggs.
CAUTION AHEAD
Be on the lookout for food allergies, which can occur between two minutes to hours of feedings, according to Texas WIC. Some of the most common to cause reactions, but experts warn any foods can cause allergies: dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, nuts, fish and shellfish.
Hives, red skin and face swelling are a few signs of reactions, but Texas WIC offers even more details about food allergies online. If your baby is having several signs of reaction or is having trouble breathing, call 911, according to Texas WIC.
Also, do not give babies foods that may cause them to choke like nuts or grapes.
TEXAS WIC CAN HELP
Texas WIC has resources to make feeding your baby easier. Everything from counseling to online classes can help along the way. Be sure to reach out if you have questions. Be sure to talk to a professional about any concerns or questions about your specific situation and baby.
Get all your WIC groceries in one easy stop at JC Food Mart in San Antonio. There are 10 locations located near WIC offices. Find a location near you today.
Texas WIC Offering Free Online Story Time, Classes
Texas WIC is offering a fun online story time for kids Tuesday, Aug. 16th from 9:30 am to 10 AM.
Kids will learn basic counting and color skills, how fruits and vegetables grow in a garden and how fun it is to try new foods. The story time is all part of Texas WIC’s free online classes for parents and kids. You can watch the program on a mobile device or computer. To register, visit the link here.
There are more FREE WIC classes coming up.
Check these out:
Live Discussion on breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding. This class will be held from 3 to 4 PM, August 16. Register here.
Live Discussion on Introducing your Baby to Foods. This class will be offered from 11 AM to noon August. 17th. Register here.
Live Discussion and Activity on Cool Drinks for Kids. This class will be held online from 11 AM to noon on August 18th. Register here
Texas WIC is a free nutritional education program for qualifying mothers and their children up to age 5. If you would like to apply, visit TexasWIC.org/apply.
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Sometimes we all need a treat, and this one is perfect for a weekend snack or breakfast. Let your kiddos help you with this one in the kitchen. They can help mix in a few ingredients, stir the batter or just spend time with the family in the kitchen. This special treat also has a few WIC ingredients (milk, egg, and berries).
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
2 cups of blueberries, fresh or frozen (You can also substitute a mix of berries of your choice)
1 stick of butter
1 lemon
½ cup milk
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup, 1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 375. Zest a lemon over a stick of softened butter. Add one cup of sugar and beat together until light and fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla extract and beat again until mixed. Toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk remaining flour into the batter along with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, while alternating with the milk, and beat until creamy. Fold in the blueberries gently with a spatula. Transfer the batter into a lightly greased 12 piece muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add remaining sugar on top of each muffin. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned on top and sugar has caramelized. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes then serve. Makes 12 muffins
WIC INSPIRED RECIPE FROM JC FOOD MART
Get all your WIC groceries in one easy stop at any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio. Bilingual clerks personally help you get all your WIC foods without all the hassle.
Did you make this WIC-inspired recipe? Let’s be friends. Tag us on Instagram or Facebook using @jcfoodmart
WIC Inspired Recipes – Ratatouille
Cuddle up with the family and watch the Disney movie Ratatouille while having some ratatouille for dinner! This recipe is an easy comfort food that includes lots of veggies and goes perfect with garlic bread.
Ratatouille
4 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 small onion (chopped)
1/3 cup shredded carrots
14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 small eggplant (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
1 zucchini (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
1 yellow squash (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
3 Roma tomatoes (thinly sliced, about ⅛ inch thick)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Try to use the freshest produce possible, not those tomatoes that look like you should use them up before they go bad. You want the ratatouille to have a nice, even texture and the vegetables are easier to slice when they are fresh. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash & tomatoes as evenly as possible to ensure they cook evenly in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 375F. In a large nonstick pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the onion, garlic, and carrot and cook about 5 – 7 minutes until tender.
Next, add in the crushed tomatoes and seasonings, simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Once the sauce has thickened, pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
Arrange the sliced vegetables in a circular pattern standing upright in the dish over the sauce. Brush with the remaining olive oil.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until vegetables are tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese evenly on top and serve immediately.
Tasty Tip: Garlic bread is a perfect addition to this recipe!
WIC INSPIRED RECIPE FROM JC FOOD MART
Get all your WIC groceries in one easy stop at any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio Bilingual clerks personally help you get all your WIC foods without all the hassle.
Did you make this WIC-inspired recipe? Let’s be friends. Tag us on Instagram or Facebook using @jcfoodmart
Expanded WIC Fruit, Vegetable Benefits Extended Thru September
Texas WIC has extended it’s expanded fruit and vegetable benefits thru the end of September.
According to Texas WIC the new benefits offer the following:
- Children get $24 each month
- Pregnant, postpartum and some breastfeeding clients get $43 each month
- Fully and partially breastfeeding clients get $47 each month.
For example, if you are pregnant and have two children (ages 1-5) receiving WIC, you will get $91 ($43 mom + $24 child + $24 child = $91) each month in April, May and June to buy fruit and vegetables, according to WIC.
WIC clients should contact a local WIC office if they have questions about these benefits.
The expanded WIC produce benefits are expected to return to $11 for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and $9 for children Oct. 1.
WIC clients can get all their WIC groceries in one easy stop at any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio. JC Food Mart caters to WIC clients and locations are located conveniently to WIC offices to help customers get WIC in one trip.
Pregnant & Need Help?
Are you pregnant and need help with your pregnancy, but not sure where to start? Start with Texas WIC.
The program is open to pregnant women that are Texas residents. The free program can begin as soon as you learn that you are expecting a baby. To qualify, expecting Texas mothers must meet the following income requirements, which are provided by Texas WIC:
Households with the following gross yearly income per member:
- 1 household member can qualify making up to $25,142 gross yearly income per household;
- 2 household members up to $33,874 gross yearly income;
- 3 household members up to $42,606 gross yearly income;
- 4 household members up to $51,338 gross yearly income;
- 5 household members up to $60,070 gross yearly income and
- 6 household members up to $68,802 gross yearly income.
Texas WIC provides FREE resources to help you along your pregnancy, including nutrition counseling and FREE healthy food packages to help ensure you and your baby have a healthy pregnancy.
To see if you qualify for the program, apply online at texaswic.com/apply.
JC Food Mart is a service provider for the WIC program, not a part of the WIC program.