Recipes

April 2021

4 Healthy Lunches With WIC Foods

2023-11-10T19:54:19+00:00April 21st, 2021|Categories: Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , |

Looking for new, healthy lunches using WIC foods? We have 4 new recipes to help make your lunch a little more exciting.

These easy and quick, less-fuss recipes are easy to make and perfect for prepping early in the week to make your lunches easy and fast to grab. Afterall, nobody wants to waste precious time during the week fussing over cooking. If you are meal prepping, consider our notes at the end of each recipe to help make it even easier.

The best part about all these recipes is they are easily adjustable to add or subtract some of your favorite ingredients to make it perfectly yours. Here are 4 lunches with WIC foods:

Rice Bowl

VEGGIE RICE BOWL

1 Cup Brown Rice, cooked

1/2 Cup Sliced Cucumbers

1 Sliced Tomato

Sliced Onion

1 Avocado

1/2 cup Cooked Green Peas

2 teaspoon Olive Oil

Juice from a Lemon or Lime

2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. Put cooked rice in a large bowl. Slice all vegetables and add to the bowl with the rice. Make a dressing in a separate bowl by combining olive oil, lemon or lime juice and dijon mustard. Mix dressing into the rice and vegetable bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 bowls. Enjoy!

MEAL PREP TIP: To make this recipe faster, prep the dressing in advance and store in the refrigerator. You can also pre-cook the rice and store in the fridge. Slice and dice cucumbers, tomato and onion (along with cooked peas) when prepping and store in the refrigerator. Add avocado right before eating.

Stuffed Peppers

BEAN & VEGGIE STUFFED PEPPERS

4 Bell Peppers

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

1/2 cup Onion, Diced

½ cup of Corn, optional

1 15 oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Chili Powder

1 8 oz can of Tomato Sauce

1 cup cooked Brown Rice

1 cup of Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove tops from peppers. Scoop out and clean the inside of the peppers. Saute onions in olive oil until they are tender. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in mashed black beans, cooked corn, cumin and chili powder. Add tomato sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice. Fill peppers with the mixture and place inside a baking dish. Top each pepper with shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

MEAL PREP TIP: This meal can be cooked a day in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat before serving.

Tuna Salad Wrap

LETTUCE TUNA SALAD WRAPS

¼ cup diced Bell Pepper

¼ cup diced Cucumber

¼ cup diced Onion

1 can of Tuna, drained

¼ cup of Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 large torn Lettuce Leafs

Mix all ingredients together in a medium size bowl. Chill before serving. Scoop desired amount of tuna salad into a large lettuce leaf and roll up. Enjoy!

MEAL PREP TIP: Tuna can be made and stored in the fridge for a few days.

Avocado Toast

AVOCADO, BOILED EGG ON WHOLE WHEAT TOAST

1 slice of Whole Wheat Toast

1 Egg, boiled

½ Avocado, mashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil egg in water for 10 minutes, until cooked. Drain, rinse and cool before removing shell and slice. Mash the inside of avocado and spread onto toast. Place sliced boiled egg on top of avocado toast. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

MEAL PREP TIP: Boil egg in advance and store in fridge.

Interested in joining Texas WIC? Apply online at TexasWIC.org. Shop Grocery Services North to easily pick up WIC groceries. Learn more about the products Grocery Services North offers. Also, learn more about Grocery Services North online.

WIC Food: Pineapple

2023-11-10T19:54:28+00:00April 12th, 2021|Categories: Recipes, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , |

Anyway you cut it, pineapple is a delicious WIC food.

“Be a pineapple,”  as the popular social media meme goes,  “stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside.” 

Pineapple is super sweet on the inside. It’s also a nutritious, delicious WIC food.  Pineapple is a tropical fruit that is good in savory and sweet recipes. Pineapple on a pizza, shining inside a salsa or in a stir-fry is perfectly sweet and savory. Pineapple in a smoothie, a salad,  a yogurt topping, or even as a juice helps showcase this fruit’s sweet side. Grilled pineapple – either one part of a fruit and veggie kabob or plain –  is a perfect spring or summer treat.  Don’t let this fruit intimidate you. It’s rough outside and the large crown doesn’t mean this fruit is hard to cut. It’s actually pretty easy and the nutrition benefits and taste make it well worth the effort.  (more…)

Snack With WIC Foods

2023-11-10T19:54:37+00:00April 6th, 2021|Categories: Child Health, Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , |

Make Healthy Snacks With WIC Foods

Finding a healthy snack (for adults and kids) can be difficult. The temptation for all kinds ofHealthy WIC Food Snacks unhealthy munchies seems to lurk at every turn, but there are so many healthy delicious snacks you and your little one can try instead. To make it easy use this as your guide: snack on WIC foods.

Making sure your snack has nutritional value is the key. Vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber are important building blocks to a healthy snack. Healthy snacks may include options with fruit, veggies, protein, whole grains and calcium.

Snacking on WIC foods helps ensure there is nutrition in your snack.

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March 2021

I’m Dying! A Guide To Coloring Eggs

2022-08-25T21:01:40+00:00March 29th, 2021|Categories: Kid Activities, Recipes, WIC Food|Tags: , , , , , , |

Coloring Eggs Is Fun.

Bonus: They Are A Healthy WIC Food

Dying eggs is the perfect kid-friendly activity. It’s also a great way to get creative and take a break from adulting. It’s a complete bonus that once you are done you have a super nutritious meal or snack ready to eat. Another Bonus: Eggs are also a WIC food. If you haven’t dyed eggs before (or even if you have and need a refresher), we have created a step-by-step guide with lots of pointers to help you make your eggs all your own. There are even a few tips to help make your colored egg one of the most creative around. At the end of all the fun, there will be lots of yummy recipes to try featuring boiled eggs as the main ingredient. So let’s roll up our sleeves and have some fun. Then, let’s eat!

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Recipes Using WIC Foods

2023-11-10T19:54:45+00:00March 2nd, 2021|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes|Tags: , |

Sometimes the key to a healthy start is as simple as having a few new recipes to try. Let’s try a few NEW recipes, using WIC-approved ingredients, to help us get started on the right track.

We think the best recipes are the ones without any extra ingredients and don’t require a lot of fuss. Most mothers, afterall, don’t have a lot of extra time to waste. Since breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, we are going to start there. Our first recipe uses several WIC-approved ingredients.

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January 2021

Soup Is Great WIC-Friendly Meal For Kids

2022-01-04T17:43:27+00:00January 30th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Child Health, Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food|Tags: , , , |

Soup is a great meal for kids and toddlers. Let’s celebrate soup during National Soup Month.

Let’s Celebrate This WIC Friendly Meal! January is National Soup Month.

We can’t think of a better way to use WIC ingredients during cold weather months than to have a nice bowl of homemade soup, a very WIC friendly meal for  your kids. 

Texas WIC is a nutritional assitance program that helps women and their kids get healthy, nutritous foods. The FREE program also provides nutrition support, counseling and classes. To find if you are elegible, visit TexasWIC.org online to apply.

It can be hard for families to find time to get meals on the table. Soup is a one-pot meal that often doesn’t require a ton of work, but can spotlight a lot of healthy ingredients. Plus, not many foods offer as much comfort or nutrition than a nice warm bowl of homemade soup. 

WIC FOOD CLASS

Soup is also a great way for little ones to experience different food tastes and textures. Just make sure the ingredients are age-appropriate and soft enough for them to eat. Not sure if your child is ready?  Visit Texas WIC’s guidelines online to find out if your baby is ready for solids (like the veggies in the soup).   Texas WIC will also offer a Live Discussion class Feb. 3 about “Live Discussion on Table Foods and the Older Baby.”  You can enroll online

Visit the USDA’s MyPlate website for a little inspiration for recipes using WIC foods. One of our favorites was this one. It has vegetables and dairy and we think your kids will love this WIC friendly meal as much as you do. 

TRY THIS WIC FRIENDLY MEAL

Cream of Broccoli Soup II

Using pantry staples and frozen broccoli, this hearty soup can be made in 10 minutes. Use 1% or fat-free milk to keep it even healthier.

Ingredients

  • 1 package frozen, chopped broccoli (10 ounces)
  • 1 can carrots or mixed vegetables, drained
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 ounces)
  • 1 1/4 cups 1% low fat milk
  • 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese, low-fat (can use 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

In a saucepan, prepare broccoli according to directions. Drain off water. Add carrots, cream of mushroom soup, and one soup can full of milk to the broccoli. Stir over low heat until steaming hot and vegetables are cooked. Add cheese, stirring until melted. Serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers.

Don’t forget you can get your WIC foods at Grocery Services North. Visit any of our locations today for a unique WIC grocery shopping experience.

December 2020

Recipe Using WIC Foods Perfect For Toddler

2022-08-25T20:01:37+00:00December 16th, 2020|Categories: Recipes, WIC Food|Tags: , , , , , , |

This is a super easy, kid-favorite recipe that is made with WIC foods. It’s also a great one to try when your toddler is ready to start eating solids.

For toddlers, these mini pancakes are the perfect finger food. They are also easy to make and use two WIC-approved foods. Pair with fresh fruit and you will have a well-rounded breakfast (or snack) any day of the week.  Store any remaining pancakes in the fridge up to 3 days or freeze up to a few months. Find WIC foods at any Grocery Services North location.

Healthy Mini Banana Pancakes

1 banana

2 eggs, beaten

Dash of cinnamon

Cooking spray

Fresh Fruit for topping or served on side

Mash the banana with a fork in a small bowl. Mash until as smooth as possible. It’s okay if there are small lumps in the batter. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Add the beaten eggs and cinnamon to the bowl with the banana. Mix to combine until a batter is formed.  Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Pre-heat pan to medium-high heat.  Once the pan is hot, spoon a tablespoon into the pan to form mini pancakes. Cook for a few minutes before flipping and cooking an additional 2 minutes on the other side.  Top with fresh fruit and serve warm. Added Bonus: You can freeze these! Just put them in a container in the freezer. You can reheat in the skillet or microwave when ready to enjoy!

Texas WIC Helps Mom & Toddler + More!

Texas WIC is a perfect tool to help mom raises heathy babies, toddlers and children up to age 5.

It’s a supplemental nutrition program for expectant mothers and their children up to age 5 who meet certain criteria. The program provides nutrition counseling and support, free monthly food packages and breastfeeding support. To find out if you may be eligible, visit TexasWIC.org to apply. Get the ingredients for your smoothie at Grocery Services North, a primarily WIC grocery store chain in Dallas, Waco, Tyler and Longview. To find a location near you, visit GroceryServicesNorth.com/locations.

November 2020

Dinner Using Healthy WIC Food

2022-08-27T14:15:00+00:00November 17th, 2020|Categories: Meal Planning, Mom Health, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Tuna Melts: Easy Dinner With WIC Ingredients

Tuna packs a nutritional punch, and is a very healthy WIC food choice!

It offers protein, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B-12 and omega 3.

If you are pregnant, you must eat tuna and other high mercury fish in moderation, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely avoid it.  Pregnant and nursing mothers may eat up to 12 ounces of canned light tuna or other low mercury fish a week.  Canned Albacore tuna has higher mercury so it is only advised to eat 6 ounces a week. It’s also important that tuna is fully cooked and not raw, health experts advise. If you are pregnant, the omega-3 fatty acids in tuna also help your baby grow, especially in the development of your baby’s brain. 

HEALTHY WIC FOOD INSPIRED RECIPE 

There are plenty of ways to eat your weekly serving of tuna, whether it be a classic salad sandwich or wrap. This dinner recipe, using healthy WIC food, makes for a great sandwich, or can be enjoyed plain. Here’s the recipe that uses WIC-inspired ingredients: 

SKILLET TUNA PATTY MELTS

3 cans of tuna

4 potatoes, peeled

1 tomato, sliced

1/3 head of lettuce

1 avocado

Vegetable oil

Dash of salt, pepper

Boil potatoes until cracked. Mash potatoes. Drain 3 cans of tuna. Add tuna into the boil of mashed potatoes. Mix together. Add three eggs, dash of salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Form patties in your hand. Add oil to the pan. Cook patties on medium heat. Serve with lettuce, tomato and avocado. Enjoy while hot!

SHOP FOR HEALTHY WIC FOOD

Get all your WIC-approved foods at Grocery Services North, a chain of grocery stores that cater to WIC clients. The stores are conveniently located near WIC clinics, and carry only WIC-approved foods. Visit today to find out how easy WIC grocery shopping can be.  Find a store near you in Dallas, Waco, Tyler and Longview.

TEXAS WIC PROGRAM

TexasWIC is a special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children. To find out if you qualify, visit an Area WIC Clinic.

September 2020