The plan to change the approved food guide for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children under the Department of Public Health would benefit local farmers in the CNMI.
WIC clinic manager Dianne Esplin, RD, said the change in the guidelines, which will be implemented in October this year, will feature less milk and less juice. Instead, there will be more fruits and vegetables.
“I think this would benefit local farmers in the process. It is a real boost for them,” she said.
She said the plan will also reduce the cost of foods that WIC program clients can buy in designated stores, especially with the current economic situation.
Esplin explained that this would not just be implemented in the CNMI but in all U.S. states and other territories.
“It has been over 30 years since the last change in the [guidelines]. Dietitians and nutritionists have been requesting for the change for a long time,” she said.
Esplin said that New York is already using a new guide but the federal government has not yet approved the proposed packages.
The guidelines suggest what WIC program participants can buy in designated stores. The food guide includes cereals, infant cereals, infant formula, milk, juice, eggs, peanut butter, dried beans, cheese, tuna and carrots.
It also tells clients how to make choices at the store like checking the valid dates on food instruments, sizes and brands that are approved by WIC program, and other things.
WIC is a nutrition program that helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well, learn about nutrition, and stay healthy.
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