Planning Thanksgiving Recipes Helps Make Holiday More Fun

Turkey Day is almost here. There is so much to be thankful for this year. It may be the first time in a  couple of years we can more safely gather with family and friends. Bringing back some of our familiar holiday traditions will be even sweeter this year. 

Getting ready for the day can be less stressful if planning in advance. Here are some tips to help make the day full of fun. 

PLANNING IS THE KEY

The most important step is planning in advance. Plan your menu, plan your shopping and plan what you can make in advance. Remember, simple is usually better. 

Get all your shopping done as early as possible. One way to save time and money is by getting all your WIC foods at JC Food Mart early in the week. Click on our blog post here for our special Thanksgiving Week hours. WIC Shopping

Use your expanded WIC fruit and vegetable allowance to pick up produce for your Thanksgiving sides: bread, potatoes, onions, carrots, frozen vegetables, cheese and fruit just to name a few. Beans, another WIC-approved food, also make a great Thanksgiving Day side. 

Use ingredients you have to plan your menu. You can make a list on your phone or the old-fashioned way with paper and pencil. Making a list will help you make sure you have everything you need, and help plan out your recipes. 

There are so many recipes options for creating a Thanksgiving Day menu, and they don’t have to be complicated or use 100 ingredients. Simple is usually better. If you are looking for a few places online to find healthy, simple recipes check out these websites:

Texas WIC: Texas WIC has some great healthy recipes using WIC foods. Here are some of our favorites for Thanksgiving: Apple Crisp, Sweet Potato Balls,  Citrus Glazed Carrots,  Fruit Salad & Fruit Dip and Carrot Bread

Cooking Matters: This website is full of great, healthy recipes. Here are a few your family might like for Thanksgiving: Banana Pudding, baked apples and tips for cooking beans.

USDA: This website offers several recipes for Thanksgiving Day and they even have recipes for your leftovers. 

SIMPLE IS BETTER

Does the thought of cooking turkey stress you out? You don’t have to cook an entire turkey. Make a small turkey breast or turkey tenderloin. They are much less intimidating and usually cost less than cooking an entire bird. Or, roast a chicken. You could also skip making a traditional Thanksgiving and opt for making your family’s favorite meal. 

If you are making a turkey, check out the USDA’s tips for cooking a bird here.

ENJOY ALL THE MOMENTS 

Spending time with your kids, family and friends is the best part of the day. After your meal, find time to play outside or go for a walk. It’s a great activity for the whole family.  Everyone at JC Food Mart wishes you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving. All of our locations will be open regular hours on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Find a location here. We also accept SNAP. Hope to see you soon.

 

By |2021-11-22T10:42:43-05:00November 22nd, 2021|Categories: JC Food Mart, Meal Planning, Recipes, San Antonio, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping|0 Comments
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Let’s Celebrate National Hispanic Month

We have rounded up some great articles, history and family events to check out in celebration of the rich history that is spotlighted this month. Click on the links below to explore some of the best the web has to offer about the history, culture and food in honor of National Hispanic Month.

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum “join in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society” on this site: https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/

The USDA spotlights some of the best of the culture’s foods here: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/09/25/need-reason-celebrate-national-hispanic-heritage-month-here

The US Department of Interior offers this great history video on YouTube.com, which is great for kids and adults alike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEVXm2l1jQ

By |2021-09-16T09:52:48-05:00September 16th, 2021|Categories: Recipes, San Antonio|0 Comments
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Texas WIC Extends Help To Displaced LA WIC Families

Texas WIC Helps LA WIC Families

Texas WIC is extending a helping hand to Louisiana WIC families displaced by Hurricane Ida.

“Wherever you find yourself in Texas, WIC can help transfer your benefits, replace your lost foods and assist with breastfeeding during this time of need,” according to social media posts by WIC agencies. 

To find contact information of a Texas WIC office near you, enter the zip code of your current location at https://find.texaswic.org/?wicType=Clinic&lge=a8Jwz9Jlia. Breastfeeding assistance is available 24/7 for all moms at 855-550-6667.

PRIMARILY WIC GROCERY STORES 

If you would like to redeem your WIC benefits in an easy, hassle-free store you can find primarily WIC grocery stores by visiting the links below.

Primarily WIC grocery stores aim to provide quality WIC-approved products in an easy, hassle-free shopping experience, allowing WIC clients to pick up all your WIC groceries in one convenient stop. SNAP also accepted. Find a primarily WIC grocery store near you with the links below.

AUSTIN

Visit LoneStarFamilyMarket.com, a chain of 6 primarily WIC grocery stores in Austin with locations also in Round Rock and San Marcos. Visit WICaustin.net for a list of WIC clinics and primarily WIC grocery stores.

DALLAS

Visit GroceryServicesNorth.com, a chain of primarily WIC grocery stores with locations in Dallas and Waco. Visit WICDallas.net to find WIC clinics and primarily wic grocery stores in Dallas. 

SAN ANTONIO

Visit JCFoodMart.com in San Antonio, a chain of primarily WIC grocery stores in San Antonio. Visit WICSanAntonio.net to find WIC clinics and primarily WIC grocery stores in San Antonio.

WACO

Visit WICWaco.com for a list of WIC clinics and primarily WIC grocery stores. You can also visit GroceryServicesNorth.com

You can also visit TexasWIC.net to find primarily WIC grocery stores and WIC clinics in Texas.

Thank you Texas WIC for helping LA WIC families!

By |2021-09-16T08:50:27-05:00September 16th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, JC Food Mart, Recipes, San Antonio, Texas WIC|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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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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WIC Babies Grow Healthy & Strong

WIC Helps Mothers Achieve Baby Milestones

As babies grow from infants to toddlers they graduate dozens of baby milestones, from eating purees, finger foods and walking. Your baby’s pediatrician can help you learn if your baby is on track. Being aware of major developments can ensure your tot is staying on track. Texas WIC can also help your baby stay on track to grow healthy and strong.

Bringing a newborn home from the hospital can be overwhelming. There is so much to learn and process – how to feed, making sure they are safe and loved, learning to decode their baby language. As you get to know your baby and all the traits that make them uniquely them, you will also start picking up on your baby’s developments. It’s something you can observe and watch from Day 1. It’s also one of the biggest joys of being a parent, watching your baby grow and learn.

There are endless resources online about baby milestones, but don’t get overwhelmed and remember they are just a guide. Your baby’s doctors are the ultimate resource. Plus, any resource you use (online, book, etc.) are only tools to help you ask the right questions to your doctor. 

One great online resource is, Texas WIC. Their experts have outlined some of the milestone highlights of a baby’s first year online.

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By |2021-06-15T10:12:18-05:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: Recipes, San Antonio, Texas WIC, Uncategorized, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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