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Monthly Archives: January 2023

January 2023

WIC Inspired Recipes – Baked Squash

2023-08-11T01:16:03+00:00January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

This warm, baked squash recipe is satisfying and comforting on a cold day. It’s packed with nutrition and WIC foods, and it’s a great side or main dish to serve your family.
BAKED SQUASH
6-8 squash cleaned and sliced
4 slices of bread of your choice, processed in food processor to make homemade breadcrumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
1 8oz block of cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded
1/2 stick cubed butter
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
Salt, pepper to taste
Place sliced squash in a slow cooker and season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and olive oil. Cook for 4 hours on high. Place cooked squash into a dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Place cheese all around the top of the squash and bake for 30 minutes or until melted. Add breadcrumbs and cubed butter on top. Broil for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!
Pick up your WIC foods all on in one spot at Grocery Services North stores. Find one near you at groceryservicesnorth.com/locations
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Ways Texas WIC Helps Moms, Babies

2023-01-24T14:30:25+00:00January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, Child Health, Mom Health, Pregnancy, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , |

Mothers only want the best for their babies, and that usually starts with the news you are expecting. Luckily for qualifying Texas residents there is a program that helps mothers make sure their nutritional needs are being met to help ensure the best healthy start for their babies. Texas WIC offers nutrition education, free supplemental foods and support for moms and babies.

Here are some of the best ways Texas WIC offers help to expecting moms and moms with children up to age 5.

  1. WIC provides supplemental foods to qualifying pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women.
  2. WIC helps to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies. That includes providing baby formula to babies in need.
  3. WIC provides nutrition education and counseling to help participants make healthy food choices. 
  4. WIC helps participants access other social services. 
  5. WIC has been shown to reduce the incidence of low birth weight babies, according to studies on USDA’s website.

If you want to learn more about Texas WIC, visit their website at texaswic.org. You can also apply on online at texaswic.org/apply.

For easy WIC grocery shopping, visit Grocery Services North stores in Dallas, Garland, Grand Prairie, Plano, Waco, Tyler and Longview. Bilingual clerks help WIC clients get all their WIC foods in one easy stop. Visit today to find out how easy WIC shopping can be. Find a store near you at groceryservicesnorth.com/locations

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WIC Produce Benefits Update

2023-01-16T13:27:28+00:00January 11th, 2023|Categories: Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , |

Expanded Dollar Amount For Fruit, Vegetable Benefits Offered Until Sept. 2023

Good news! Texas WIC’s temporary fruit and vegetable dollar amount increase is now being offered through September 30, 2023!  The increased dollar amount for WIC produce benefits (fruits and vegetables) are for the following amounts:

  • Children get $25 each month 
  • Pregnant, postpartum and some breastfeeding clients get $44 each month 
  • Fully and partially breastfeeding clients get $49 each month 

Texas WIC professionals provided the following example: if you are pregnant and have two children (ages 1-5) receiving WIC, you will get $94 ($44 mom + $25 child + $25 child = $94) to buy fruit and vegetables. 

You will see this new amount on your shopping list under your benefit amount, according to Texas WIC.

The fruit and vegetable benefits are expected to return to the normal amounts on Oct. 1, 2023.  WIC clients can use their benefits to buy fruits and vegetables that are fresh, frozen and in cans, glass jars and plastic containers.

USE WIC PRODUCE BENEFITS FOR THESE RECIPES

Pick up all your WIC foods at any Grocery Services North store. There are 11 locations in Dallas, Grand Prairie, Garland, Plano, Tyler and Longview. to help you get your WIC foods in one easy, fast top. Visit today to find out how easy WIC shopping can be. Here are a few recipes using WIC-approved fruits, vegetables you might like:

Two Recipes Featuring WIC Foods

Ratatouille Recipe

For even more recipes, visit our blog.

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WIC Inspired Recipe

2023-01-11T18:19:59+00:00January 9th, 2023|Categories: Grocery Services North, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Use WIC-Approved Pasta to Make This Comforting Meal

This recipe features WIC-approved pasta, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. It’s creamy and cheesy…the kids might not even notice the vegetables! Plus, it makes a big batch so you can cook and eat more than once.

Lemon Alfredo Bowties with Tuna & Peas

1 lb whole wheat pasta

1 cup frozen peas

2 cans tuna

Juice from ½ lemon 

(Add lemon zest to bring out more lemon flavor)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 ½ cups whole milk

½ stick butter

1 ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese 

(Mozzarella works great too – Just be sure not to use pre-shredded cheese!)

¼ cup flour

Season with pepper, onion powder, & oregano to your taste

Boil pasta with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10-12 minutes, or suggested cook time on package. 

Drain & set aside. In the same pot, heat olive oil at medium high heat and add minced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden. Add tuna and break up into smaller pieces. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, cook for 3 minutes, then add butter and half of the shredded cheese. Slowly add in milk and flour, while stirring well. Turn the heat down to medium and bring to a simmer while stirring often. Add in peas, and the other half of the shredded cheese. Cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring often, then turn off the heat. Slowly mix in the pasta. 

Top with more shredded cheese if you like! Enjoy!

Get all your WIC-approved pasta and other WIC foods at Grocery Services North stores. It’s easy, fast and you can get all your WIC foods in one easy stop. Visit today to see for yourself.

Looking for more WIC-inspired recipes? Check out our blog. 

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Mom Hacks Using WIC Foods

2023-01-11T16:06:33+00:00January 5th, 2023|Categories: Baby Food, Child Health, Grocery Services North, Meal Planning, Mom Health, Pregnancy, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Moms and moms-to-be all need savvy, time-saving hacks to save time, be healthy and to maintain sanity.

Infant and toddler moms don’t usually have a lot of spare time. Moms often feel a lot of stress to take care of tiny humans. That’s why we have come up with some great mom hacks to help save time while offering a little piece-of-mind.

Stress for expecting mothers can also be high. What can you eat? What should you not eat? It can be overwhelming. Not to mention, you are creating a human in your belly. That is very tiring.

PREGNANCY HACKS

Now is the perfect time to practice carrying a prepared bag (think diaper bag for moms). Except this bag will be filled with healthy snacks/water for mom. Here are a few ideas for your mom bag: water bottle, dry WIC-approved cereal – which is packed with iron and fiber. Other ideas for your “snack” bag: fresh fruit like bananas or peanut butter on whole wheat bread. Get more information about WIC foods and pregnancy here.

TIME SAVING COOKING HACKS FOR MOMS

Every mom loves a good kitchen shortcut. Here are a few ideas you can use in the kitchen to help you save time and maintain your sanity.

  1. First up: homemade teething rings. When toddlers start to teeth, it can be painful for your baby and hard on mom. No parent likes a little one to cry in pain. Make homemade teething ring popsicles. The cold pop is perfect for sore gums. Plus, because you can make several at a time and freeze you will have treats for weeks to come. Here is a recipe you can use:

BERRY YOGURT POPSICLES

1 ½ bananas (mom can eat the other half)

16 ounces of yogurt (any flavor)

4 ounces of blueberries

Blend all ingredients in a blender until it is very smooth. Place yogurt mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for at least 6 hours. Keep in the freezer for the next time your child needs a treat.

2. Here is another time-saving hack: make pre-made snacks for hungry toddlers. Moms know that one of your main roles as a parent is to give your child healthy foods. It can often feel like a full-time job. You can save time by making several pre-made snacks to keep on hand. Pre-cook boiled eggs to have on head in the fridge. These are great for children starting to eat real foods and older kids looking for a snack. For kiddos starting to eat table food, make sure you have easy foods you can grab when your baby is hungry. A few great examples are avocados and bananas that can be smashed for smaller children. Here are a few more ideas for snacks using WIC foods.

CRAFTY PROJECTS

Having a little fun can also be a great way to take a break and cut the stress. We have gathered a few hacks using containers from WIC foods. Use empty and cleaned milk and egg cartons for fun crafty projects. So are baby food jars. Here are a few ideas:

  1. Turn your egg carton into a fun container for kid paint. Each egg holder can be for a different color. Your egg container could also be used to create a homemade sensory tray. Fill the egg carton with items with different textures that you can find around the house: a small ball of yarn, a block, a small piece of fabric. Just make sure the items are age-appropriate and are not a choking hazard for your little one.
  2. For older kids, use the lids from your milk jugs to make checkers pieces. Just color the lid black or red. Save enough to make your own checkers pieces. Make a checkerboard out of cardboard or a piece of paper you have around the house.

Of course your imagination is the limit for using containers to help entertain your kids. Sometimes kids enjoy making toys out of the simplest items around your house.

The best mom hack of all is to get all your WIC foods in one easy stop at any Grocery Services North location. Since you won’t have to go searching down long aisles to get all your WIC foods, you will save time and your sanity. Find a location near you.

Do you have mom hacks you would like to share? Drop them in the comments below. Use hashtag #GSNmomhacks

Looking for more blog articles about these topics? Check these out:

Join WIC During Pregnancy

3 Reasons To Join WIC

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