WIC Benefits Last For Years To Come

There are more benefits than nutrition counseling, free healthy food packages, and breastfeeding support that participants gain from the Texas WIC program.

The WIC program is a government-funded nutritional program to help improve the health and nutrition for pregnant women and their children up to age 5. 

“WIC saves lives and improves the health of nutritionally at-risk women, infants and children,” according to the USDA. “The results of studies conducted by FNS and other non-government entities prove that WIC is one of the nation’s most successful and cost-effective nutrition intervention programs.”

The USDA outlines that participants get WIC benefits that may include:

  • Improved birth outcomes and health care cost savings
  • Improved diet
  • Improved infant feeding
  • Improved immunization rates and medical care
  • Improved growth rates
  • Earlier prenatal care
  • Better health outcomes for mothers 

And much, much more!

WIC participants also receive the following WIC benefits as part of the program: Supplemental nutritious foods as part of the free monthly food package. WIC clients get their food benefit lists loaded onto an EBT card. They can redeem their benefits when shopping for food. Learn more at TexasWIC.org.

WIC clients also receive nutrition education and counseling at WIC clinics and online. 

Better health and nutrition can last a lifetime. All of the WIC services can help ensure that pregnant women and their children have the best chance at a healthy life. WIC is an important program that should be taken advantage of by all who are eligible. 

Texas WIC experts can also help participants get connected to other health and social service resources. 

WIC is an important resource for parents, providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to give their children the best possible start in life. The program helps ensure that kids get the nutrients they need to grow up healthy and strong.

To apply to Texas WIC, visit online here.

By |2022-03-15T17:02:20-05:00March 22nd, 2022|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, Child Health, Mom Health, Pregnancy, Texas WIC|Tags: , |0 Comments
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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs Helps Moms, Children

March is national nutrition month, a time to focus on the importance of good nutrition. Eating nutritious foods is essential for maintaining your health and well-being. 

For many people, that means taking steps to improve our diets and eating habits. If you’re looking for ways to get your family on the right track,  Texas WIC can help. WIC is a free supplemental nutrition assistance program for expecting mothers, mothers and children up to age 5. 

And it’s been shown to be effective: women and children on WIC have improved birth outcomes and it “significantly improves children’s diets,” according to the USDA.

WIC, A NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,  HELPS CHILDREN’S & MOMS HEALTH

Free supplemental nutrition assistance programs like WIC helps mothers and their children get a healthy start in many ways, but here are a few ways the supplemental nutrition program helps create healthy eating habits:

  1. Helping to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber and nutrients, and they’re low in calories. They’re also a great source of antioxidants, which can help protect your body from disease.

Texas WIC is now offering more fruits and vegetable benefits than ever. Last year the program increased the program’s benefits to temporarily include even more fruit and vegetable benefits. Learn more about the expanded fruit and vegetable benefits here.

  1. Helping get fiber. 

Getting fiber is a great way to have a healthy diet. A great way to do that is to get whole grains and legumes into our diets. 

Texas WIC helps clients get even more whole grains in their diets. The WIC food lists for expecting mothers and older children include whole grains like whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta and beans, which are filled with fiber.

  1. Diets with less added sugar. 

The WIC program offers healthy cereals as part of its free food benefit packages, to help ensure pregnant women and children have healthy foods that are not filled with extra sugars. 

Sometimes the hardest part of the battle is just knowing which cereal to pick. Texas WIC won’t steer you wrong when it comes to picking a healthy cereal.

JOIN WIC,  FREE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

If you are interested in joining Texas WIC, start your application online today.  

Pick up all your healthy WIC foods – from formula to fruit, vegetables, cereal, whole wheat foods and more – visit JC Food Mart.  Most of the products at JC Food Mart are WIC approved.

By |2022-03-15T08:56:25-05:00March 15th, 2022|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, Child Health, Mom Health, San Antonio, Texas WIC|Tags: , , |0 Comments
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How To Eat Well With The WIC Program

If you’re a mom on a budget, you know how hard it can be to provide your family with healthy meals. But did you know that the Texas WIC program can help? Keep reading to learn how to eat healthy with WIC.

Texas WIC is a government program that provides financial assistance and nutrition education to low-income families. Learn how the WIC program works and learn a few tips for eating well on a budget.

1. What is WIC and what does it offer participants?

Texas WIC is is a nutrition education program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)  that helps moms provide a healthy start for their babies. The program provides free nutrition education, counseling, breastfeeding support, and free monthly supplemental food packages for pregnant women, postpartum women, and children up to age 5. 

2. How to apply for the WIC program?

If you are a Texas resident that is pregnant or are a mother of a child younger than 5 you can apply for the program by visiting WIC online to start your application or by calling 800-942-3678 to locate a WIC clinic to schedule an appointment to apply. 

3. What foods are available with the WIC program?

There are several free monthly food packages that are different for moms and children based on their age and nutritional needs. There is a specific food package for pregnant mothers that includes foods that, according to WIC, “are low in fat and high in fiber, provide nutritional variety and help promote a healthy weight gain for a healthy baby.”  Infants have packages that may include baby formula and older children have packages that include eggs, fruits and vegetables, cereals, and more.

4. How to use your WIC benefits

Texas WIC clients receive an EBT card that is loaded each month with their WIC benefits. Clients take their EBT to the store to redeem their benefits. Stores like JC Food Mart – which are PWIC stores that cater to WIC clients – help make it easy for WIC customers to get all their WIC products in one easy stop. 

5. Sample meal ideas to eat healthy with WIC

WIC-approved foods help make it easy to create healthy meals for your family. Use WIC-approved foods to make meals like omelets (which use WIC-approved eggs and vegetables), stir fry (using WIC foods like whole-wheat rice and vegetables), beans, and whole-wheat rice and pasta dishes use whole-wheat pasta and cheese. The options are endless and you know you are going to be eating healthier when you are cooking with WIC foods. Get more recipe ideas using WIC foods on our blog. 

The WIC program is a great way to get started on the path to healthy eating on a budget. With the help of JC Food Mart, it’s easy to find nutritious WIC-approved foods that your family will love.

By |2022-08-17T14:12:02-05:00February 25th, 2022|Categories: Baby Food, Child Health, Mom Health, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments
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Expecting A Baby in 2022? Let Texas WIC Help

If you are expecting a baby in 2022, Texas WIC can help you get off to a healthy start.

The program is open to eligible expecting mothers and mothers with children up to age five. To qualify, Texas residents must meet certain income requirements. (Learn more about the requirements below.) 

Texas WIC benefits are offered to qualifying expectant mothers in order to help them get proper nutrition and education while they are pregnant.  

Pregnant mothers can even get a free food package to help ensure they are getting healthy foods. Expecting mothers can access their FREE benefits with a Texas WIC ebt card, which allows clients to pay for their FREE monthly WIC food benefits such as eggs, cereal, fruits and vegetables and more!

The WIC program also provides important pregnancy education, including FREE online classes that help mothers to be on everything from how to plan for a healthy pregnancy and how to eat healthy while pregnant. Their education guidance also helps mothers know what to expect during pregnancy.

The program continues to help once the baby arrives by providing breastfeeding support and access to healthy nutrition for mothers and their babies.

Mothers can access all their WIC benefits in an easy, hassle-free shopping experience at any JC Food Mart store. There are 10 locations in San Antonio. All the groceries in the Primarily WIC store are WIC approved, and our bilingual clerks help make WIC shopping super easy. Find a location online at JCFoodMart.com/locations.

Are you Eligible for Texas WIC? Find Out If Texas WIC Can Help

To qualify for Texas WIC is open to Texas residents that are:

  • Pregnant women
  • Breastfeeding women
  • Infants
  • Families with children younger than 5 years old

Texas residents must also meet income requirements to join Texas WIC.

According to Texas WIC:  “If you are on Medicaid, TANF, or SNAP you meet the income eligibility guidelines for WIC. If you don’t qualify for these programs, you may still qualify for WIC by meeting the income guidelines for your household. The Recovery Rebate Credit, also known as stimulus checks, and the Child Tax Credit direct payments are not included when calculating your income to determine eligibility.”

WIC has provided these Gross Yearly Income guidelines from its website and was updated as of 7/19/22: 

Number of Household Members* Gross Yearly Household Income**
1 $0 up to $25,142
2 $0 up to $33,874
3 $0 up to $42,606
4 $0 up to $51,338
5 $0 up to $60,070
6 $0 up to $68,802

*A pregnant woman’s household is increased by the number of infants she is expecting. For more than 6 household members, or if you have any income questions, call 1-800-942-3678. This information is provided by Texas WIC, and is subject to change. Last updated 7/19/2022.

**Income can also be determined on a weekly or biweekly basis. For more information, call 1-800-942-3678. This information is provided by Texas WIC, and is subject to change. Last updated 7/19/2022.

Apply for Texas WIC online at TexasWIC.org/apply

 

By |2022-07-19T09:36:41-05:00January 21st, 2022|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, Child Health, JC Food Mart, Mom Health, Pregnancy, Texas WIC, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , |0 Comments
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FREE Texas WIC Classes Online Packed With Parenting Tips

Take Free Classes At Home From Phone, Computer

Texas WIC classes this month are packed with wonderful tips from experts. Included are classes from everything from how to make a recipe using WIC foods to storytime for your little one.  Use the link below to Texas WIC to sign up for the Free Classes.

Here is a glance at some of the FREE upcoming LIVE ONLINE classes that can be taken from the comfort of your own home: 

  • Introducing Your Baby To Foods – Oct. 13 – 11 AM to Noon  In this class, Texas WIC covers how to know if your baby is ready for solid foods and what foods to introduce at first.
  • Story Time with Zobey – Oct. 14th – 9:30 – 10 AM Texas WIC makes learning with your little one fun with a story told by Zobey. In this story, Zobey introduces how fruits and vegetables grow in a garden and explains why trying new foods is fun.
  • Discussion on Picky Eating – Oct. 18th – 10 – 11 AM Experts at Texas WIC explain how to encourage new foods and how to respond to picky eating.
  • Cooking with WIC Foods – Oct. 18th – 11:30 – 12:30 In this fun class, Texas WIC demonstrates how to turn WIC foods into a fun cooking activity, and to get your kids excited to try new foods.

To register for these events, and see additional WIC Click & Learn Classes visit Texas WIC online at:  https://texaswic.org/online-classes

By |2021-10-13T08:32:47-05:00October 13th, 2021|Categories: Child Health, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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Now Offering Organic Gerber Baby Cereals

Pick up organic Gerber baby cereal next time you visit JC Food Mart. 

All of our locations are now providing Gerber organic cereals to help you provide the best nutrition for your baby. Organic cereals will help your little one get a healthy start to eating solid foods.

It’s the #1 Pediatrician recommended brand for infant cereals and provides “essential nutrients – like iron, B vitamins, vitamins E and C, zinc and calcium,” according to Gerber. 

The organic cereal is commonly a first solid food for babies to try, and is usually recommended when your baby is a supported sitter from 4-6 months. 

Our stores will offer Organic Gerber Rice and Oatmeal Cereal in 8oz containers.

JC Food Mart is a chain of primarily WIC grocery stores in San Antonio that aims to provide quality WIC-approved products in an easy, hassle-free shopping experience. Pick up all your WIC groceries in one convenient stop. SNAP also accepted. 

By |2021-09-08T08:56:15-05:00September 8th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Child Health, San Antonio, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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Pregnant? Join Texas WIC

Get WIC Nutrition Help For Your Baby Before They Are Born

Are you pregnant, and need a helping hand with your baby? Get FREE nutrition help from Texas WIC. It’s a great resource for qualifying expecting moms and moms of children up to age 5.

The program provides nutrition education and free monthly food packages for expecting mothers. Once your baby arrives, they also provide breastfeeding support, nutrition counseling and even free formula for your baby.  If you would like to apply to the program, visit TexasWIC.org/apply to find out if you qualify.

Let JC Food Mart show you how easy WIC grocery shopping can be. The primarily WIC grocery store chain helps WIC clients get all their WIC groceries in one easy, hassle-free stop. Locations in San Antonio are located near WIC clinics for convenient access.  Find a location at JCFoodMart.com/locations. 

By |2021-07-29T11:09:01-05:00July 29th, 2021|Categories: Child Health, Pregnancy, Texas WIC, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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WIC Food Helps Raise Healthy Babies in San Antonio

Every San Antonio mom wishes for a healthy baby. A free Texas program – Texas WIC – is helping moms have healthier babies while from the time they learn they are pregnant. 

Pregnant moms who meet certain guidelines (see below for guidelines) can qualify for the Texas Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) program. The program is a free nutritional counseling program to help mothers get the nutrition their babies need to be healthy. 

The program offers free nutritional guidance, support and free monthly nutritional food packages. Each WIC participant receives an ebt card that is loaded each month to help mothers get healthy food packages that are customized to their needs.

 Pregnant mothers receive credits on their ebt card for certain foods – such as cereal, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, low fat milk whole grails and fruits & vegetables –  that help them get the right nutrition while they are expecting. You can learn more about these food packages on WIC’s website.

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By |2021-07-20T17:04:06-05:00July 20th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Child Health, JC Food Mart, Recipes, Texas WIC|0 Comments
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All About Peanut Allergies

Experts Give Advice About Peanut Allergies

The thought of peanut allergies may stir up some nerves for parents concerned about giving peanut butter to their little ones.  With a few tips and guidelines from pros, parents can be prepared to recognize any signs of an allergic reaction.

Texas WIC provides a great online resource about food allergies, including how to spot signs of a food reaction, like: hives, flushed skin or rash, tingling or itching in the mouth or other body part swelling in face or tongue, vomiting or diarrhea, stomach cramps, coughing or wheezing or dizziness or difficulty breathing.  

Even though parents may want to avoid exposure to peanuts out of fear of an allergy, experts offer some advice.

Early exposure to peanuts (around 6 months of age) might actually lower the chances of developing an allergy, according to research provided by The National Peanut Board. 

A great way to introduce peanuts to your little one is thinned peanut butter. Afterall you don’t want your little one to choke on peanuts, which are not at all recommended to be given to babies or toddlers.

According to Texas WIC: you most likely do not need to avoid the common food allergens while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Introducing a common food allergen to your baby after 6 months is okay, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Offering foods containing ground or powdered peanuts may even lower his risk of developing an allergy. It does not increase the chance of your baby developing a food allergy.

PEANUT BUTTER IS A WIC FOOD

Peanut butter, a Texas WIC Food, is full of nutrition, including more protein than any other nut and more than 30 vitamins, minerals, fiber and good fats, according to the National Peanut Board. 

To help offer up a few servings of peanut butter perfect for toddlers and adults here are a few recipes to try.

Yogurt Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dip For Fruit

The National Peanut Board offers great recipes online, including this one originally from rhubarbarians.com for:

FRUIT  KABOBS WITH YOGURT PEANUT BUTTER DIP

1 cup salted peanut butter*

1 cup plain yogurt

1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (Omit for children 2 and younger)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

10 large strawberries, hulled and sliced in half lengthwise

1 medium banana, peeled and sliced into 1″ slices

1/2 medium apple, cut into bite sized pieces

20 large blueberries

Stir together the 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you’d like the dip), and the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Form your kabobs by piercing the fruit with the end of a skewer and sliding the fruit on. Continue adding fruit to your kabobs evenly until you have 5 full kabobs of fruit.

Enjoy and have fun! Take pieces of fruit off of the kabobs and dip into the yogurt peanut butter dip.

Note: If using unsalted peanut butter, add a small pinch of salt to the dip.

 

Peanut butter is a popular WIC food. Here is one of our favorite recipes using peanut butter:

CINNAMON PEANUT BUTTER BANANA TOAST

1 slice whole-wheat bread, toasted

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 banana, sliced

Ground Cinnamon to taste

Toast bread. Spread peanut butter on one side of toast. Place sliced bananas on bread in single layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Get all your WIC foods at JC Food Mart locations in San Antonio. Our stores have bilingual clerks that gather all your WIC items during a one-stop shop without all the hassle of  searching for all your WIC foods.

By |2021-07-12T14:25:01-05:00July 12th, 2021|Categories: Child Health, Recipes|0 Comments
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3 Reasons To Join Texas WIC

WIC Program Helps Mothers Raise Healthy Babies

Texas WIC can be a mother’s best friend. 

Many moms and their children across Texas are benefiting from this nutritional supplement program aimed at getting babies off to a healthy start. It’s a FREE program for eligible mothers and their children up to age 5. 

If you haven’t heard about Texas WIC or aren’t sure of it’s benefits, we are giving you our top 3 reasons to consider applying for the program:

WIC Pregnancy San Antonio1. MOTHER’S HEALTH

There are few better ways to help a baby grow healthy than by helping an expecting mother with nutrition and health.  A healthy mother can help create a healthy baby. That’s why the program is open to pregnant women. 

 The Texas WIC program helps mothers with nutrition counseling and guidance along the way. There are so many health considerations to  make once you become pregnant:  What should I eat? Should I exercise? How much? Am I getting the right nutrients?  It can all be a lot to take in for any mother, but Texas WIC nutritionists can be there along the way to help you make healthy choices. 

One of the best parts is that Texas WIC provides free, nutritious food package supplements each month to help you eat healthy in order to give the baby (and you) the nutrition you need during pregnancy.

Once the baby arrives, they are also there for support. WIC experts help with breastfeeding guidance and nutrition support for your child up to age 5. That means there is help for so many of the concerns you have as a new mother, like: “Am I feeding my baby the right way and enough’ Texas WIC offers FREE counseling and guidance to so many of these health questions. 

2. YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH WIC Child San Antonio

Texas WIC is an amazing gift for your child. The program ensures that your baby doesn’t go without healthy nutrition.  Aside from breastfeeding support, Texas WIC even pays for baby formula (which can be very expensive).  If your baby needs a special baby formula, it will pay for that too with a doctor’s prescription.  As the child gets older, the free monthly food package changes with your child’s needs. 

Keeping your child fed with the right nutrition isn’t the only support you will get.  Texas WIC  also offers free counseling and guidance to help make sure your baby is growing healthy. There are even free online nutrition classes. 

WIC Free Foods3. JOIN TEXAS WIC FOR FREE NUTRITIONAL FOOD

There is no better benefit than free, nutritious food for you and your baby. Knowing your baby is getting the nutrition they need is enough to calm almost any anxious mother. The best part is that it’s free to qualifying mothers and their babies. 

Each month Texas WIC will load benefits onto an ebt card. WIC clients can use this card to redeem their benefits for WIC foods at stores.  The food benefits will change as your baby grows and has different needs. The food packages can cover everything from baby formula and baby food to milk, cheese, yogurt, beans, whole wheat bread, tortillas and pasta and fresh fruits and vegetables. 

To make it even easier, JC Food Mart locations are open near San Antonio area WIC clinics to help WIC clients redeem their benefits in an easy shopping format. JC Food Mart stores are not affiliated with WIC  – but are a Primarily WIC grocery store – which means they mostly carry only WIC-approved items.  At JC Food Mart, WIC clients don’t have to go searching for WIC items in the store. Instead, they simply walk up to a counter where a staff member will walk them through the shopping process for getting their WIC groceries. It’s a super easy and convenient way to get your WIC groceries. 

JOIN TEXAS WIC TODAY

Want to find out if you qualify for Texas WIC? The program is open to pregnant women, breastfeeding women, infants and families with children under age 5.  There are also income requirements to qualify for the program. If you would like to join Texas WIC, you can start your application today by visiting: https://texaswic.org/apply

You may soon learn what so many families already know: Texas WIC can be a mother’s best friend.

By |2021-06-15T10:03:26-05:00May 26th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, Child Health, Mom Health, San Antonio, Texas WIC, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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