SO today I hope to share some tips and tricks I have learn about getting the best value and quality for you WIC. Approximately 6.2 families are using the WIC program so I think it deserves a post or 2 or a bunch. It is not often talked about. I think some people feel shamed about using so they don’t ask questions.
Year ago I volunteered with my older children at the food pantry. I still have regular contact with them as we are blessed with rotting expired foods for our pigs. When volunteering I noticed alot of people did not even have the skills to cook from scratch. Unless you are a certified nutritionist you are not suppose to give cooking or nutrition advice. Which sadly leaves many unknowing.
I didn’t want that I wanted others to know how to cook basic foods. Especially food that were available free or cheap to them. I grew up poor uneducated people tend not to know how to cook and feed there families. Instead of spending $5 on rice, beans, and canned peas or corn. They are left making lunch meat sandwiches or eating prepackaged foods and barely feeding there families. Many families are starving because of lack of knowledge.
Milk
There are many ways to use milk. In our state you are allowed to get organic milk which will give your children a higher nutritional level. Don’t waste your milk by drinking it or giving your children to drink. Serving your children water to drink is going to save your wallet. It is also alot healthier to drink water. So here are some other milk ideas.
- Creamy based soups( check out videos on the how to’s)
- Scallops potatoes use leftover meat and veggies to make it into a full meal
- Mac and cheese with ad in to make a full meal or as a side
- Pudding The Best Homemade Chocolate Pudding – Momma Bear 2 Many
Cereal
We rarely eat cereal and milk for breakfast. It is costly and full of sugar. It also can cause your blood sugar to drop midmorning it is much better to have a protein for breakfast. That said using cereal as a snack is great. Toddlers love just dry cereal in a bowl. Try taking O cereal like Cheerios and make a bracelet with a pipe cleaner.
Chex mix comes in so many shapes and sizes! Just look up on google chex mix recipes and you are sure to find oodles of recipes!
Rice crispies are always a favorite around here! Simple ingredients like butter and marshmallows compile this great recipe.
Some cereals crushed up with a bit of butter make a great gram cracker like crust.
Yogurt
Parfaits, yogurt and berries, yogurt and granola. Yogurt pops are a favorite around here. Here are some great yogurt ideas.
5 Healthy WIC snacks – Momma Bear 2 Many
Peanut Butter
I love PB! I don’t know who does like pb? HEEHEE I know people are allergic ect But I LOVE PB! Some of our family favorites. You can now by organic and sugar free natural peanut butter.
- pb and J
- Pb and rice cakes
- Pb bannanas
- Pb and apples or pears
- pb cookies
- pb oatmeal balls ( recipe coming soon)
- PB larabars ( recipe coming soon)
Rice
Rice is so cheap and versatile oddly I never had rice growing up. But I lived in a multicultural house for awhile where rice was queen! There are so many rice and bean combos you could live a month with rice and bean meals! Sometimes when things were tight they would just crack a couple eggs in with the rice it was a treat.
- Rice and Beans
- Pintos over rice
- Fried rice
- Rice with a protein and veggie then pour cream sauce over top and put in the oven for a wonderful casserole
- Morning rice -rice with milk, butter, cinnamon and brown sugar or maple syrup.
Egg-the incredible edible egg
Who remembers that? Maybe I am showing my age here. But eggs are a great protein source!
- Fried
- poached
- hard boiled
- scrambled
- egg salad
- scrambled eggs
- in recipes
- popovers
Juice
As a drink water juice down by up to 50 % just by adding water. Apple and grape juice make great additions to canning sugar free jams. Grape juice can make grape jelly! I never knew that until I tried and wala grape jelly! Tomato based soups are great to add milk and make tomato soup. Or using V8 for minestrone or beef based soup. Even in a taco soup it works great! Popsicles are also great with homemade pop containers.
Fruit and Veggies
Remember to use your fruit and veggies dollars. These can be used on fresh, frozen or canned. Organic or non organic.
Other Ideas
You can use bread or tortillas to make sandwiches. Pb and banana or PB and jelly made from your grape jelly.
You can by refried beans make sure you get the fat free ones or they are not covered. Put refried beans and cheese on a whole grain tortilla for a good meal.
You can buy oatmeal, bread, brown rice, pasta in the whole grains category. If you look for the most expensive item that you will use then but that on WIC using your other funds to buy the lesser of the items. This can be the same in other categories like beans and peanut butter.
Make sure you calculate your cereal correctly by making sure you get all your ounces.
Weigh out bagged fruits if its the same price for 5 lbs and 1 bag weighs 5.2 lbs and one weighs almost 6 lbs you could get almost a free lb of fruit.
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