WIC-Approved Foods

The WIC program offers supplemental foods to low-income women, infants, and children. This study compared consumption patterns of WIC children with those of three different comparison groups: eligible nonparticipating children living in non-WIC households, eligible nonparticipating children living in WIC house-holds, and children living in households whose income is too high to be eligible for WIC. The study provides strong evidence that participation in the WIC pro-gram increases consumption of at least some types of WIC-approved foods. Although WIC-participating children consumed significantly more calories from WIC-approved foods than children in the two comparison groups of eligible non-participants, there was no significant difference in total calories consumed. The results suggest that WIC foods replace non-WIC foods in the diets of children participating in WIC rather than adding to their food consumption. This is the first study to examine in detail children’s consumption of WIC-approved foods by WIC status. Understanding WIC’s effect on the consumption of foods con