Study Examines Healthier Purchases by WIC Beneficiaries

A study from the Yale Rudd Center on Food Policy & Obesity shows that purchases of whole grain bread and brown rice increased among beneficiaries of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) program following updates to the nutrition standards for the WIC food package that took effect in 2009. The study finds that that whole grain bread purchases tripled from eight percent to 24 percent of total bread purchases made between 2009 and 2011, while brown rice rose to 30 percent of total rice sales. According to lead author Tatiana Andreyeva, the study shows that the updated nutrition standards were “successful and necessary.” 

RWJF-Child Obesity Weekly Update