A new policy brief highlights a study showing how longer participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, is associated with higher diet quality among children ages 2 to 5. Using a national sample, the study showed that children who stayed enrolled in WIC for longer periods had diets more closely aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Researchers analyzed data from the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study–2, following nearly 1,000 children across 27 states. Diet quality was measured using the Healthy Eating Index–2020 scores.
Children with high WIC participation duration had significantly higher overall diet quality than those with shorter participation. They consumed more WIC-approved, nutrient-dense foods—such as dried beans and peas, unsweetened breakfast cereals, and low-fat milk—and less sweetened cereals and reduced-fat milk. Findings underscore the importance of supporting both enrollment and continued participation in WIC. Ensuring the WIC food packages align with the most current dietary guidelines and reducing barriers to sustained participation may help reduce nutrition disparities among children in households with low-income.
The brief was authored by Lauren E. Au from the University of California, Davis, Hannah R. Thompson and Lorrene D. Ritchie from the Nutrition Policy Institute, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Brenda Sun, Thea P. Zimmerman, Amanda Reat, and Christine Borger from Westat, Shannon E. Whaley from PHFE WIC, and Kavitha Sankavaram from the USDA.
This research was supported by funding under USDA contract number GS-00F-009DA. The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or US Government determination or policy.