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Proposed Criteria for Selecting the WIC Food Packages A Preliminary Report of the Committee to Review the WIC Food Packages (2004) / Chapter Skim
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6 Proposed Approach for Selecting the WIC Food Packages
Pages 75-82

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From page 75...
... For older WIC participants, the WIC food package is intended to increase dietary quality by improving intakes of the target nutrients, as well as meeting some of the food energy needs. Finally, the WIC program is conceptualized as a supplemental nutrition program designed to improve health outcomes.
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From page 76...
... Criterion 1: The package reduces the prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes and of excessive nutrient intakes. Nutrients of particular concern have been identified by considering two types of information: intake distributions that indicated that many people in the target groups were at risk of either inadequate or excessive intake of a nutrient (Chapter 3)
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From page 77...
... · nutrients of concern with regard to excessive intake: zinc, preformed vitamin A (vitamin A from fortification of foods or from foods of animal origin) , sodium, and food energy · Adolescent and adult women of reproductive age · nutrients of concern with regard to inadequate intake: · highest priority to calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, and fiber · also consider vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B6, and folate · prioritize fruits and low-fat or nonfat dairy products as foods to provide some of these nutrients · nutrients of concern with regard to excessive intake: sodium, food energy, and total fat (See note about added sugars in criterion 2 below.)
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From page 78...
... Criterion 5: The foods in the package are readily acceptable, commonly consumed, are widely available, take into account cultural food preferences, and maintain the incentive value of the WIC food packages for families to participate in the WIC Program. Information on common foods will be taken from publications such as NFS Reports No.
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From page 79...
... . However, the recommendation to limit trans fatty acids from processed foods in the diet is presumed to apply to all individuals regardless of age.
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From page 80...
... Other potential benefits that will be considered in developing alternative WIC food packages include improved adherence to the Dietary Guidelines and other nutrition recommendations, which would ultimately result in improved health and development. Additionally, potential risks will be characterized as increases in the prevalence of inadequacy of nutrients other than the priority nutrients, increases in the risk of excessive nutrient intake levels, or failure to reduce the present apparent risk of excessive nutrient intake.
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From page 81...
... If a goal is to reduce the prevalence of inadequacy to lower levels, a revised WIC food package might aim to include foods high in these nutrients. If the foods added to the WIC food package are consumed by WIC participants, then the distribution of usual nutrient intake will shift upward and the prevalence of inadequate intake will decline.
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From page 82...
... The WIC supplemental food packages should be selected to help achieve diets that have a low prevalence of inadequate or excessive intake and that meet other dietary recommendations associated with good health. To achieve these goals, the IOM Committee to Review the WIC Food Packages has conducted an analysis of usual intake distributions for WIC-income eligible populations, identified priority nutrients and priority food groups for participant groups, and developed a set of criteria to guide selection of foods to be proposed for inclusion in the WIC food packages.
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Key Terms

  • wic food
  • food package
  • food energy
  • excessive intake
  • wic program

  • inadequate intake
  • usual nutrient
  • wic participants
  • usual intake
  • intake levels

  • alternative wic
  • priority nutrients
  • reproductive age
  • alternative food
  • supplemental food

  • adult women
  • wic foods
  • nutrient intake
  • preformed vitamin
  • food preferences

  • proposed priority
  • low prevalence
  • targeted individual
  • dairy products
  • animal origin

  • revised food
  • existing distribution
  • account cultural
  • saturated fat
  • committee proposes


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