Inspire a lifetime of healthy living with WIC

WIC provides the tools and guidance you need to help you and your family be your best at every stage of life.

Eating well for two

If you’re pregnant, eating the right foods is essential to give your baby a healthy start.

Nutrition During Pregnancy

Eating well for two

To help your baby form healthy eating patterns, introduce various foods with different tastes and textures early on.

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Here are some other great tips that go beyond the food that is put on everyone’s plate at mealtime.

  • Connect at mealtimes.
    Sit down together for a meal when you can. Turn off the TV and put away screens and devices so you can “unplug,” interact and focus on each other.
  • Plan your meals.
    Reduce stress at mealtimes by planning out meals before the week starts. Include quick and easy dishes or leftovers on extra busy nights.
  • Let everyone help.
    Kids learn by doing. Younger ones can mix ingredients, wash produce or set the table. Older kids can help with ingredients. Everyone can help clean up.
  • Serve a variety of foods.
    Include choices from each food group – fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy and fortified soy alternatives – in meals and snacks throughout the week.
  • Let kids choose.
    Get kids engaged with meal preparation at home. Serve “family-style meals” to encourage kids to be creative with their plates.
  • Offer non-food rewards.
    Foods aren’t the only rewards that kids like. Younger kids may enjoy gathering points toward a special outing, and older kids could earn extra screen time or an allowance.
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Nutritional Guidance

Women
Nutrition for women.

The human body requires many nutrients, but certain ones are significant for women’s health. In addition to eating a clean, balanced diet, women should prioritize these essential nutrients:

Give Your Body Every Advantage

Essential Nutrient Food Suggestions
Iron

Iron has many important jobs. It helps you make healthy blood, gives you energy and prevents sickness and infections.

Low iron levels are common in women, so it’s essential that women eat plenty of iron-rich foods.

Beef, chicken and pork

Dried beans, tofu

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach

Breads, pastas and cereals fortified with iron
Other ways to get more iron:

Eat iron foods with foods rich in vitamin C, like tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, oranges and broccoli.

Eat two iron foods together, like chicken and beans.

Cook in cast-iron pots or skillets.

Avoid tea or coffee with iron foods. These drinks make it harder for your body to use iron.
Calcium

Women of all ages need calcium to keep their bones healthy and strong, but most women don’t get enough.
After having a baby, getting enough calcium is even more critical since pregnancy may have lowered your body’s calcium.

Dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese and cottage cheese

Non-dairy alternatives like fortified soy milk

Black beans, black-eyed peas and dried beans

Firm tofu and tempeh

Fish with edible bones (canned sardines and salmon)

Breads and juices with added calcium
Fiber

Fiber is vital for a healthy digestive system. It helps prevent constipation and can make you feel full faster.
Add fiber to your diet slowly, and drink plenty of water.

Fruits and vegetables

Whole-grain breads and cereals
Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps your body make new cells. During pregnancy, it helps protect against brain and spinal cord birth defects (called neural tube defects).
Folic acid is needed in the first 30 days of pregnancy — usually when women don’t even know they are pregnant. All women should get enough folic acid to have enough in the early weeks if they become pregnant.

Broccoli, asparagus

Lima beans, dried beans and peas

Spinach and turnip greens

Oranges, tangerines and grapefruit

Nuts and sunflower seeds
Water

Water is a nutrient we tend to forget but is needed for good health. Your body needs more water in hot weather, if you are sick and when you are exercising.
Water does a lot to keep you healthy!

Keeps your body balanced

Keeps your temperature normal

Protects your body’s tissues

Gets rid of waste
Tips for drinking more water:

Drink water with every snack and meal.

Put fresh or frozen fruit in your water to add flavor.

Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk and in your bag.

Source: Adapted from Texas WIC

Infants
Nutrition for infants.

After exclusively feeding your baby breastmilk for the first six months—and when they are showing signs of being ready for solids—it’s time to introduce your baby to foods to encourage their curiosity and excitement about new options.

Give Your Little One a Healthy Start

FIRST

4–6

MONTHS

 For the first 4 to 6 months, breastmilk or formula is the only food your baby needs. After that, you can start introducing solid foods when your baby shows readiness.

Breastmilk

Formula

≈6

MONTHS
STARTING SOLIDS
When is my baby ready?

At about six months, infants will begin to show signs that they’re ready for solid foods. Every child is different. Here are some signs to look for:

Being able to control their head and neck

Sitting up alone or with support

Bringing objects to their mouth

Trying to grasp small things, such as toys or food

Swallowing food rather than pushing it back out
Introducing finger foods.

Your baby’s healthy eating habits now lay the foundation for their future.

Foods and Drinks to Encourage

Encourage your baby to eat the rainbow with various vibrant-colored vegetables and fruits, whole grains, meats, yogurt or cheeses. Examples include:

Fruits: bananas, strawberries, pears, oranges, melons, avocados

Vegetables: cooked spinach, carrots, beans, peas, lentils, yams, beets

Whole grains: whole-grain bread, crackers, pasta

Proteins: beef, lamb, chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, tofu

Dairy: pasteurized cheeses or yogurts, including soy-based yogurt
When your baby reaches 6 to 12 months old, you can offer water (4 to 8 ounces per day) and infant formula, if you choose to transition from breast milk.

Food and Drinks to Avoid

Healthy eating is all about finding a balance. There are plenty of delicious, nutritious foods and drinks available for your baby, and those that are best avoided or limited. Here are food and beverages that are unsafe or simply unhealthy for children under age one.

Honey before 12 months may cause a severe type of food poisoning called botulism. Before your child is 12 months old, do not introduce any foods containing honey, including yogurt with honey and cereals and crackers with honey, such as honey graham crackers.

Unpasteurized drinks or foods (such as juices, milk, yogurt or cheeses) may contain harmful bacteria that can cause severe diarrhea. Do not give your child unpasteurized drinks or foods such as juice, milk (also called raw milk), yogurt or cheeses.

Foods with added sugars or artificial sweeteners are not recommended. Children younger than 24 months old should avoid added sugars. Sugar-sweetened drinks like soda, sports drinks and juice contain added sugars—different than 100% juice.

Foods high in salt (sodium), such as some canned foods, processed meats (lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs) and frozen dinners, should be avoided.

Fish high in mercury, such as king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico) and bigeye tuna, should be avoided. Before serving fish caught by family and friends, check for fish and shellfish advisories.

Cow’s milk before 12 months old. It has too many proteins and minerals for your baby’s kidneys to handle and lacks the nutrients your baby needs.

Juice before 12 months old. Children should not drink fruit or vegetable juice before 12 months old. Juice after 12 months old is unnecessary, but 4 ounces or less of 100% juice daily can be provided.
Potential allergenic foods include cow’s milk products, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame. Medical experts suggest introducing these foods to your baby one at a time to identify any reaction.

Food Safety

Some foods are potential choking hazards for babies. To make first bites easier—and safer—for your baby to enjoy, try these tips for preparing food:

Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.

Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.

Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.

Cook food until it is soft enough to mash with a fork easily.

Before cooking, remove all fat, skin and bones from poultry, meat and fish.

Remove seeds and hard pits from fruits and then cut the fruit into small pieces.

Cut soft food into small pieces or thin slices.

Cut cylindrical foods like hot dogs, sausage and string cheese into short, thin strips instead of round pieces that could get stuck in the airway.

Cut small spherical foods like grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes into small pieces.

Cook and finely grind or mash whole-grain kernels of wheat, barley, rice and other grains.
In addition, feed small portions and encourage your baby to eat slowly. And always watch your child while they are eating.

6-8

MONTHS

 Here are some first foods for your baby to try:

Infant oat, grain or barley cereals mixed with breastmilk or formula (spoon-feed to your baby)

Sweet potato puree

Squash puree

Pea puree

Carrot puree

Mashed banana

Mashed avocado

Mashed or pureed beans

Mashed or pureed lentils

Pureed meats (beef, chicken or turkey)

As your baby grows and is ready to try even more foods, you might introduce some tasty combinations—remember to introduce one new ingredient at a time and combine foods that you know your baby isn’t allergic to. Here are a few pureed selections to try:

Spinach and white yam puree

Blueberry and beet puree

Avocado and banana puree

Butternut squash and pear puree

8-10

MONTHS

 As your baby gets older, you can start to offer more soft, solid foods. Just remember to cut everything into small pieces so the baby doesn’t choke. Foods to try:

Chopped soft, peeled or cooked vegetables and fruits (carrots, green beans, peaches, pears)

Ground beef, chicken, turkey or soft tofu

Chopped cooked egg

Cottage cheese or yogurt

Mixed foods, such as ground beef with rice or yogurt with fruit

10-12

MONTHS

 At this stage, it’s time to introduce some of the same foods you’re eating as a family. Adding chopped soft foods without heavy salt or spices is best. Start with soft foods, then try foods that are a little firmer. Go with foods your baby can pick up food with thumb and forefinger and chew well. Here are some suggestions:

Soft, cut fruits and cooked veggies like strawberries, melon, cooked squash, steamed broccoli

Soft, cooked meats (chopped) like chicken or turkey

Dry cereal and crackers

Small pieces of cooked pasta

Mixed foods like toast with avocado or tortilla with beans

Children
Nutrition for children.

Children need good role models for healthy eating—so lead by example with good behavior: Choose healthy, nutritious foods and then modify their plates and portions to meet their growing needs.

Raise a healthy eater

You can make a healthy plate using these simple tips:

Fill half your child’s plate with fruits and veggies.

Make one-quarter of your child’s plate grains, choosing whole grains most often.

Add a serving of protein. Choose lean protein like chicken, fish, lean beef or beans.

Offer fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk (instead of whole or 2% milk) to children once they are age two.

Raise a healthy eater

Superfoods For Toddlers

Growing kids need a balanced diet, essential vitamins, nutrients and minerals for healthy development. These are among the best foods to deliver optimal health benefits:

Bananas

Avocados

Sweet potatoes

Eggs

Carrots

Yogurt

Cheese

Chicken

Red meat

Butternut squash

Fish

Tomatoes

Peas

Broccoli

Pasta

Raspberries

Brown rice

Toddler snack ideas.

Young children are active and need snacks between meals to sustain their energy and growth. Offering healthy snacks can satisfy their hunger. Try to time your child’s morning and afternoon snacks so they still have an appetite for lunch and dinner.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests these healthy snack options for toddlers:

Snacks should include a healthy balance of foods — not processed or sugary treats.

Fresh fruits

  • Apples, bananas, peaches, nectarines, pears (thinly sliced for safety)
  • Cherries, grapes, plums (sliced or smushed and pitted)
  • Orange or grapefruit sections (cut into pieces)
  • Strawberries

Dried fruits

  • Apples, apricots, peaches, pears (cut up)
  • Dates, prunes (pitted, cut up)
  • Raisins, cranberries

Vegetables

  • Carrots, green beans (well cooked, diced)
  • Steamed cauliflower, broccoli
  • Yams, sweet potatoes (cooked, diced)
  • Peas (mashed for safety; a child can inhale whole peas)
  • Steamed, pureed spinach or greens
  • Avocado slices or small cubes

Dairy products

  • Cheese (grated or diced)
  • Cottage cheese
  • Yogurt, fresh or frozen
  • Milk, including non-dairy milk alternatives

Bread and cereals

  • Whole wheat bread
  • Whole-grain tortilla, pita or bagel cut into small pieces
  • Crackers (graham, whole-grain)
  • Whole-grain dry cereals

Lean proteins

  • Fish (canned tuna, salmon, sardines, whitefish)
  • Peanut butter or other nut butter (smooth, spread thinly on whole-grain bread or crackers)
  • Edamame beans or chickpeas (steamed or mashed) or hummus spreads
  • Cooked tofu cubes or tofu dip
  • Hard-boiled eggs

Food Safety

Big chunks of any food can be dangerous for children under age four and pose serious choking hazards. Take these common-sense precautions as you prepare food for your child:

Raw veggies and some fruits such as carrots, apples, whole cherry tomatoes, whole green beans and celery should be cut into small pieces and/or cooked to minimize the choking risk.

Avoid nuts, peanuts, popcorn and large amounts of sticky foods like peanut butter. Peanut butter is ok if spread thinly on other food like breads, bagels and crackers.

Because heavily processed foods tend to be low in nutritional value and high in salt and added sugar, these should also be avoided.

Food Safety
Healthy Eating Tips for Kids

The best way to encourage healthy eating is to eat well yourself. Your kids are watching so be a good model. Eating a balanced diet, including fruits and vegetables, and not overindulging in the less nutritious stuff will send the right message.

  • Eat vegetables or fruit at each meal—encourage kids to eat the rainbow.
  • Serve lean meats and other good protein sources, such as fish, eggs, beans and nuts.
  • Choose whole-grain bread, pasta and cereals so kids get more fiber.
  • Limit fat intake by avoiding fried foods and choosing healthier cooking methods like broiling, grilling, roasting and steaming.
  • Choose the right kind of fats. Try decreasing processed foods high in saturated fat, like bacon and hot dogs. Instead, choose healthy fats such as nuts, avocados and nut butters.
  • Drink water instead of soda or juice.
  • Give kids choices—let them help pick out and prepare foods for meals. Studies show that kids who prepare meals are less likely to develop diabetes and obesity and consume nutritious foods.

Hydration for kids.

Drinking enough water and staying hydrated is essential for children’s health. Because children’s bodies are not as efficient at cooling down as adults, they are more prone to dehydration which can lead to health complications such as diarrhea, vomiting, fever, fatigue, headache and fainting.

While the amount of water a child should drink varies depending on age, weight, activity level, weather conditions and other factors, Children’s Health suggests this general-rule formula:

Take half of your child's weight (up to 100 pounds) – and that's the number of ounces of water they should drink every day.

For example, an 80-pound child should drink 40 ounces of water.

Tips to encourage proper hydration in kids

Get a portable water bottle to promote drinking water on the go.

Mark lines on your child’s water bottle to show how much they should drink by a specific time.

Avoid soft drinks and limit juices.

Infuse water with fresh fruit to add flavor and variety.

Offer water in fun cups or with silly straws.

PHASE 1

Be a good example, and drink water throughout the day.

Source: Children’s Health