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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review WIC Food Packages. Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice: Final Report. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 May 1.

Cover of Review of WIC Food Packages

Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice: Final Report.

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TABLE R-4Assumptions Used in Nutrient Analyses of Current and Revised Food Packages for Women and Children

Food CategoryWeighting and AssumptionsaRationaleProducts IncludedNDB No.
Juice
  • Apple juice: 59%
  • Orange juice: 11%
  • Grape juice: 30%
Wyoming and Massachusetts redemption data, 2015Apple juice, prepared from frozen concentrate, added vitamin C09411
Orange juice, prepared from frozen concentrate09215
Assumes women and children consume the same types of juiceGrape juice, canned or bottled, added vitamin C09130
Milk and milk alternativesb
  • Mozzarella: 24%
  • Natural cheddar: 34%
  • Colby: 18%
  • American: 24%
Average of Texas, Wyoming, and Massachusetts redemption data, 2015Nonfat milk01086
1% milk01083
Whole milk01077
Soy milk16139
Lactose-free milk, 1%N/A*
Weighted low-fat yogurt:
  • Vanilla: 70%
  • Plain: 30%
Average of Texas and Massachusetts redemption data, 2015Tofu16426
Yogurt, plain, low fat01117
Yogurt, vanilla, low fat01119
Weighted whole milk yogurt:
  • Fruit: 70%
  • Plain: 30%
Average of Texas and Massachusetts redemption data, 2015Yogurt, plain, whole milk01116
Yogurt, fruit, whole milkN/A*
Cheese, mozzarella01028
Cheese, natural cheddar01009
Cheese, Colby01011
Weighted whole milk:
  • Whole milk: 98%
  • Lactose-free milk: 1%
Average of Texas redemption data July–August 2015 and Wyoming redemption data May 2015*Used Supertracker for items not found in the NDB (lactose-free milk, fruited whole milk yogurt)
  • Soymilk: 1% weighted low-fat milk:
    • 1% milk: 93%
    • Nonfat milk: 4%
    • Soymilk: 1%
  • Lactose-free milk: 1%
  • Children receiving IV-A: 30.4%
  • Children receiving IV-B: 69.6%
  • Average of Texas redemption data July–August 2015 and Wyoming redemption data May 2015
  • Calculated from WIC PC 2014 Food Package Report (USDA/FNS, 2016) and FY2015 Monthly Data—State Level Participation by Category and Program Costs (FNS website)
  
Current FP IV-A (children 1 to <2 years receiving whole milk), per 16 qt:
  • 12 qt weighted whole milk
  • 1 lb cheese
  • 1 qt whole milk yogurt
  • Current food packages: Assumed max substitution of yogurt and cheese (1 qt of yogurt for 1 qt of milk; 1 lb of cheese for 3 qt of milk or 2 lb of cheese for 6 qt of milk in baseline FP VII). This is a conservative estimate; no data are available on substitution rate
  • Revised food packages: Assumed max substitution of yogurt and cheese. In the revised package, an additional quart of yogurt may substitute for 1 qt of milk while maintaining the milk substitution limit, presenting additional max substitution scenarios. All scenarios and weighting are described
  • Revised FP IV-A: Given the high redemption rate and public feedback received about whole milk, the committee made the assumption that substitution of 2 qt of yogurt may not be a likely scenario for food package IV-A. The substitution scheme used in the weighting, therefore, only represents the cheese and yogurt pattern. This is the higher price substitution scenario, so cost differences for this food package are most likely conservative
Revised FP IV-A, per 12 qt:
  • 8 qt weighted whole milk
  • 1 lb cheese
  • 1 qt whole milk yogurt
Current FP IV-B (children 2 to <5 years receiving low-fat milk), per 16 qt:
  • 12 qt weighted low-fat milk
  • 1 lb cheese
  • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
Revised FP IV-B, per 14 qt (50%):
  • 10 qt weighted low-fat milk
  • 1 lb cheese
  • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
  • OR (50%):
  • 12 qt weighted low-fat milk
  • 0 lb cheese
  • 2 qt low-fat yogurt
Current FP V, per 22 qt:
  • 18 qt weighted low-fat milk
  • 1 lb cheese
  • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
Revised FP V and VI, per 16 qt (50%):
  • 12 qt weighted low-fat milk
  • 1 lb cheese
  • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
  • OR (50%):
  • 14 qt weighted low-fat milk
  • 0 lb cheese
  • 2 qt low-fat yogurt
  • Current FP VI, per 16 qt:
    • 12 qt weighted low-fat milk
    • 1 lb cheese
    • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
  • Current FP VII, per 24 qt:
    • 17 qt weighted low-fat milk
    • 2 lbs cheese
    • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
  • Revised FP VII, per 16 qt (33.33%):
    • 12 qt weighted low-fat milk
    • 1 lb cheese
    • 1 qt low-fat yogurt
    • OR (33.33%):
    • 14 qt weighted low-fat milk
    • 0 lb cheese
    • 2 qt low-fat yogurt
    • OR (33.33%):
    • 10 qt weighted low-fat milk
    • 2 lb cheese
    • 0 qt low-fat yogurt
Breakfast cereal
  • Current:
    • Honey Bunches of Oats, Almonds: 34%
    • Cheerios (whole grain): 13%
    • Corn Flakes: 10%
    • Frosted Mini-Wheats (whole grain): 13%
    • Kix: 8%
    • Life (whole grain): 8%
    • Rice Krispies: 9%
    • Dora the Explorer: 6%
  • Revised packages include whole grain cereals only
  • Naturally occurring sugars per 18 oz subtracted from cereals to obtain added sugars:
    • Oats: 7.65 g
    • Wheat: 2.05 g
    • Corn: 7.71 g
    • Rice: 0.61 g
  • Average of Texas redemption data July–August 2015 and Wyoming redemption data May 2015
  • Cereals chosen for the profile represent the top five most redeemed cereals in Texas and Wyoming
Honey Bunches of Oats, Almonds42240
Cheerios08013
Corn Flakes08020
Frosted Mini-Wheats08319
Kix08048
Life08049
Rice Krispies08065
Dora the Explorer08582
Cheese
  • Mozzarella: 24%
  • Natural cheddar: 34%
  • Colby: 18%
  • American: 24%
Average of Massachusetts, Texas, and Wyoming redemption data, 2015Mozzarella01028
Natural cheddar01009
Colby01011
American01042
EggsLarge eggs Large eggs01123
Whole wheat bread and alternatives
  • Whole wheat bread: 76%
  • Corn tortillas: 19%
  • Instant oatmeal: 6%
Average of Chickasaw Nation, Texas, and Wyoming redemption data, 2015Whole wheat bread18075
Corn tortillas18363
Instant oatmeal, fortified08122
Note on folic acid in corn tortillas: A new federal rule (21 C.F.R. part 172) established on April 15, 2016, allows folic acid to be added to corn masa flour at a level not to exceed 0.7 milligrams of folic acid per pound of corn masa flour. The folic acid content in the nutrient profile for corn masa flour was thus recalculated from the value in the standard reference database assuming a corn tortilla recipe of 2 cups of masa per 1.5 cups of water. Assumes no loss of folic acid during cooking  
Canned fishTuna: 85%Average of Massachusetts, Texas, and Wyoming redemption data, 2015Tuna, light in water Salmon, pink15121
Salmon: 15%15084
Legumes and peanut butterCurrent: legumes and peanut butter weighting:
  • Legumes: 50%
  • Peanut butter: 50%
Specifically for FP IV and VI in which legumes OR peanut butter may be prescribedPinto beans, dry16042
Black beans, dry16014
Pinto beans, canned16146
Black beans, canned16316
Peanut butter16098
Revised: legumes and peanut butter weighting:
  • Legumes: 67%
  • Peanut butter: 33%
Weighted mean of peanut butter and legumes used for FP V, VI, and VII (participants receive a 3-month rotation of legumes, legumes, peanut butter) Unweighted mean of peanut butter and legumes used for FP IV (participants receive a 3-month rotation of legumes, peanut butter, nothing)
  • Current: canned versus dry beans weighting:
    • Canned: 37%
    • Dry: 63%
  • Revised: canned versus dry weighting:
    • Canned: 42%
    • Dry: 58%
  • 5% shift of dry to canned due to recommendation that states allow more canned options Bean type weighting:
    • Pinto beans: 75%
    • Black beans: 25%
FNS redemption data
Naturally occurring sugars per 18 oz peanuts subtracted from peanut butter to obtain added sugars: 21.3 g
Fruits
  • Apples: 16%
  • Bananas: 25%
  • Watermelon: 8%
  • Oranges: 9%
  • Strawberries: 23%
  • Grapes: 19%
Average of Texas redemption data July–August 2015, Wyoming redemption data May 2015, and Massachusetts redemption data June 2016. Assumes all fresh (no data available to determine percent of processed fruits redeemed).Apples09003
Bananas09040
Watermelon09326
Oranges09200
Strawberries09316
Grapes09131
Vegetables
  • Tomatoes: 31%
  • Potatoes: 18%
  • Avocados: 19%
  • Peppers: 20%
  • Lettuce: 12%
Average of Texas redemption data July–August 2015, Wyoming redemption data May 2015, and Massachusetts redemption data June 2016. Assumes all fresh (no data available to determine percent of processed vegetables redeemed)Tomatoes11529
Potatoes11354
Avocados09037
Peppers11333
Lettuce11253
No potato data in Wyoming; assumed to equal Texas % potato redemption
Fruit and vegetable composite (CVV)Vegetable: 33% Fruit: 67%Texas WIC redemption, January 2016, Wyoming redemption data May 2015  

NOTES: CVV = cash value voucher; FP = food package; NDB = National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (USDA/ARS, 2016); PC = WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Report.

a

State data were incorporated into weighting only when the committee judged the data to be reasonable and complete.

b

Weighting for milk and milk alternatives for each food package do not total to 1 due to the 1:3 substitution of cheese for milk.

From: Appendix R, Development of the Food Package Nutrient and Cost Profiles

Copyright 2017 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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