Wellness Bowl With Creamy Avocado Dressing

Bowl:

1 sweet potato

1 can chickpeas or bean of your choice

1 cup brown rice

2 zucchini squash

½ cup onion

1 ½ cup lettuce

1/2 avocado

1 lemon or lime

Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika

Makes 2 servings

 

Dressing:

½ medium avocado

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp plain yogurt

Juice of ½ lemon

1 garlic clove, minced

4 tbsp water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Blend ingredients together to make a tasty creamy avocado sauce to top off your bowl.

Cook the brown rice to package instructions and preheat the oven to 425. Wash and peel your sweet potatoes and cut into diced chunks. Add to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and seasonings and add to a baking sheet lined with foil.  Peel and chop the onion and zucchini squash into strips, then add onions to the baking sheet along with the diced sweet potatoes. Roast for about 25 minutes or until the edges of the potatoes are golden brown and they can be easily pierced with a fork. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add 2 tbsp oil, chickpeas, zucchini, and seasonings. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes. They are done when they’re slightly browning on the outside.

To serve, add brown rice to a bowl and add the roasted sweet potatoes, onion, chickpeas, zucchini, lettuce, and avocado. Drizzle your desired amount of dressing on top and garnish with cilantro if you like. 

Enjoy!

Love Texas WIC Program All Year Long

There are so many things to love about Texas WIC. 

For starters, it’s a great place for parents to turn for help. The pros at Texas WIC can also show parents the ropes for self love during pregnancy and after. Plus, nutrition tips and free healthy food packages help moms and babies eat healthy.

PRO PARENTING TIPS

Texas WIC is the perfect place to turn for your parenting questions. Whether you are pregnant and wondering what is safe for expecting moms to eat or you want help feeding your infant, Texas WIC has the answers. Plus, the program is free for qualifying Texas mothers. 

As your baby grows, Texas WIC offers tips and guidance about developmental milestones and how to care, feed your baby so they grow up healthy. 

SELF LOVE DURING AND AFTER PREGNANCY

Texas WIC also helps mothers stay healthy. A healthy mother helps create healthy babies. Texas WIC pros offer tips on how to eat, exercise and take care of you and your baby while you are pregnant and while breastfeeding. 

HEALTHY NUTRITION

Some might say the best part of Texas WIC is the free healthy food packages for WIC clients. The packages start when moms learn they are expecting. They are also adapted for children until they turn 5 years old.  So mom and babies can get free, nutritious foods like milk, bread, healthy cereal, baby formula, fruits and vegetables and so much more. The Texas WIC program is for qualifying Texas mothers and children up to age 5. To apply for Texas WIC, visit them online at Texaswic.org.

JC FOOD MART

JC Food Mart stores help WIC clients get all their WIC foods in one easy stop. Bilingual clerks help customers shop for their foods. Find out how easy WIC shopping can be, and visit a store today. JC Food Mart is a service provider for the WIC program, not a part of the WIC program.

Ways WIC Helps Moms, Babies

Mothers only want the best for their babies, and that usually starts with the news you are expecting. Luckily for qualifying Texas residents there is a program that helps mothers make sure their nutritional needs are being met to help ensure the best healthy start for their babies. Texas WIC offers nutrition education, free supplemental foods and support for moms and babies.

Here are some of the best ways Texas WIC offers help to expecting moms and moms with children up to age 5.

  1. WIC provides supplemental foods to qualifying pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women.
  2. WIC helps to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies. That includes providing baby formula to babies in need.
  3. WIC provides nutrition education and counseling to help participants make healthy food choices. 
  4. WIC helps participants access other social services. 
  5. WIC has been shown to reduce the incidence of low birth weight babies, according to studies on USDA’s website.

If you want to learn more about Texas WIC, visit their website at texaswic.org. You can also apply on online at texaswic.org/apply.

For easy WIC grocery shopping, visit JC Food Mart stores in San Antonio. Bilingual clerks help WIC clients get all their WIC foods in one easy stop. There are 10 stores throughout San Antonio. Visit today to find out how easy WIC shopping can be. Find a store near you at jcfoodmart.com/locations

WIC Produce Benefits Update

Expanded Dollar Amount For Fruit, Vegetable Benefits Offered Through Sept. 2023

Good news! Texas WIC’s temporary fruit and vegetable dollar amount increase is now being offered through September 30, 2023!  The increased dollar amount for WIC produce benefits (fruits and vegetables) are for the following amounts:

  • Children get $25 each month 
  • Pregnant, postpartum and some breastfeeding clients get $44 each month 
  • Fully and partially breastfeeding clients get $49 each month 

Texas WIC professionals provided the following example: if you are pregnant and have two children (ages 1-5) receiving WIC, you will get $94 ($44 mom + $25 child + $25 child = $94) to buy fruit and vegetables. 

You will see this new amount on your shopping list under your benefit amount, according to Texas WIC.

The fruit and vegetable benefits are expected to return to the normal amounts on Oct. 1, 2023.  WIC clients can use their benefits to buy fruits and vegetables that are fresh, frozen and in cans, glass jars and plastic containers.

USE WIC PRODUCE BENEFITS FOR THESE RECIPES

Pick up all your WIC foods at JC Food Mart. There are 10 San Antonio locations to help you get your WIC foods in one easy, fast top. Visit today to find out how easy WIC shopping can be. Here are a few recipes using WIC-approved fruits, vegetables you might like:

Two Recipes Featuring WIC Foods

Ratatouille Recipe

For even more recipes, visit our blog.

Texas WIC’s Expanded Fruit & Vegetable Benefits Extended Thru Dec. 16

The WIC Fruit, Vegetable Bump Extended Thru Dec. 16

Texas WIC’s extended fruit and vegetable benefits are now extended thru December! Congress approved the expanded benefits last week, which were set to expire at the end of September.

The new benefits are now available thru Dec. 16.

According to Texas WIC, “Participants who receive the increased benefits in December are able to redeem them throughout the entire month.”

According to Texas WIC, the new Cash Value Benefits (CVB) amounts for fruits and vegetables are:

  • $25 monthly for children
  • $44 monthly for pregnant and postpartum participants
  • $49 monthly for fully and partially breastfeeding participants
  • $73.50 for mothers breastfeeding multiple children

The expanded WIC fruit and vegetable benefits was expected to return to $11 for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and $9 for children Oct. 1.

WIC clients should contact a local WIC office if they have questions about these benefits.

WIC clients can get all their WIC groceries in one easy stop at any JC Food Mart ocation in San Antonio. There are 10 stores conveniently located near WIC clinics. Find a location online.