Increasing fruit and vegetable access for young children and families: the critical impact of WIC policy

Abstract

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has ensured access to healthy foods for participating low-income pregnant and postpartum women and children under age 5 for over 50 years. Serving ∼6.8 million individuals monthly, WIC-eligible foods align with dietary science and only include foods rich in nutrients known to be deficient in US diets. Fruits and vegetables (FV) were introduced to the WIC food package in 2009; the $8-$10/month for FV were associated with small increases in consumption. In 2021, WIC FV benefits increased to provide 50% of the recommended daily allowance for FV ($24/month for children). This marked a critical policy shift supporting FV access for young children, and was associated with statistically significant increases in FV intake and household food security for WIC families. Despite these positive impacts, federal policymakers are considering reducing these to as little as $10/month. We present a brief history of the WIC food package; describe the impacts of the 2021 increase in FV benefits that align the WIC food package with dietary recommendations; and add new quasi-experimental analyses that suggest the expanded benefit for FV led to increased redemptions of FV and reductions would likely reduce FV access for WIC families.