WIC: Food Package
Updates to Wisconsin WIC food packages
In April 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated the food rules for WIC food packages. These updates are based on the latest guidelines from the Dietary Guidelines for
What’s new?
- More food choices based on the latest nutrition recommendations.
- Additional flexibility for special diets and cultural and personal food preferences.
- Better balance to address key nutritional needs.
- More support for establishing and sustaining breastfeeding.
Phase 1: September 29, 2025
New food packages will be automatically issued to participants during appointments. These WIC food package updates (PDF) will affect the types and amounts of food participants receive from WIC.
Key changes
- Increased fruit and vegetable benefit.
- More whole grains for pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum participants.
- Addition of fish in cans and pouches to most food packages.
- Reduced amounts of milk and juice.
Phase 2: April 1, 2026
Wisconsin WIC will update the approved products list on the Shopping Help webpage and Shopping Guide, P-44578 (PDF) to include changes in food brands and types based on the new food rules and nutrition guidelines. Some foods will be added, and some may be removed.
Frequently asked questions about the WIC food package updates
No, you do not need to call your local WIC office to update your food package.
At your next visit, WIC staff will work with you to update your food package to meet your dietary preferences and needs. If you have any questions, see the WIC food package updates (PDF) or contact your local WIC clinic.
The law requires USDA to review the WIC food packages every 10 years to make sure they reflect the latest nutrition science, health concerns, and cultural food choices.
USDA is committed to ensuring current nutrition science informs federal nutrition program standards, and updating the WIC food packages is a key part of that effort.
The changes provide individualized food benefits for breastfeeding participants by:
- Providing important nutrients that breastfeeding individuals need by offering fish, more fruits and vegetables, and more whole grains.
- Supporting individual breastfeeding goals with supplemental feeding flexibility for partially breastfed babies.
The changes give WIC participants more flexibility, variety, and choices. They build on current options for cultural and personal preferences while ensuring WIC foods provide key nutrients. These changes include:
- More whole grain choices, to meet different tastes and wheat allergies.
- Lowers the age at which parents and caregivers can substitute jarred infant fruits and vegetables with a dollar amount to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from nine months to six months.
- Changes to support clients with cultural or personal preferences, limited cooking space, or special dietary needs such as food allergies or intolerances.
By law, WIC is designed to supplement diets and provide nutrients for healthy growth and development. It fills in nutritional gaps based on what participants already eat.
Research shows that child and adult participants are already getting enough juice in their diet, and the amounts in the old food packages were more than the recommended daily limit.
The Dietary Guidelines for
By law, WIC is designed to supplement diets and provide nutrients for healthy growth and development. It fills in nutritional gaps based on what participants already eat.
The Dietary Guidelines for
To make WIC’s food packages more balanced, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and
The final changes add 6 ounces of fish in cans or pouches to food packages for children (ages 1-4), which aligns with recommendations that children should eat 1-1.7 ounces of low mercury fish per day.
The final changes also add 10 ounces of fish in cans or pouches to food packages for pregnant and postpartum clients, and 15 ounces for partially breastfeeding clients. The amount for fully breastfeeding clients has been adjusted from 30 to 20 ounces.
Visit USDA for more questions and