WIC Fruits

March 2023

Breakfast Using WIC Foods

2023-03-30T13:46:14+00:00March 28th, 2023|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , , |

Try This Healthy Breakfast Twist On Classic Dessert Recipe

This easy recipe featuring WIC foods is so tasty, healthy, and filling that it’s great for anytime of the day – breakfast, snacks, or dessert.  If you feel like being creative, you can switch up your toppings by using different fruits, nuts, or different flavors of yogurt! Enjoy!

BREAKFAST BANANA SPLIT

½ cup Vanilla Yogurt

1 Banana – peeled & split in half

¼ cup Granola or Rolled Oats

¼ cup Mixed Berries – fresh or frozen

1 tbsp Peanut butter, heat up in microwave for 10 seconds at a time until melted

Optional – drizzle honey on top if you want it sweeter

Spread yogurt on a plate. Peel and split the banana and lay on top of yogurt. Top with granola, berries and peanut butter drizzle. Makes 1 serving.

BREAKFAST USING WIC FOODS

Looking for more recipes using WIC foods? Check these out: Smoothies, Egg Muffins, Blueberry Muffins

Get all your WIC foods in one easy stop at any Grocery Services North store. Find a store near you on our location page.

October 2022

Texas WIC’s Expanded Fruit & Vegetable Benefits Extended Thru Dec. 16

2022-10-05T19:51:45+00:00October 3rd, 2022|Categories: Grocery Services North, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , , , , |

The WIC Fruit, Vegetable Bump Extended Thru Dec. 16

Texas WIC’s extended fruit and vegetable benefits are now extended thru December! Congress approved the expanded benefits last week, which were set to expire at the end of September. 

 The new benefits are now available thru Dec. 16. 

According to Texas WIC, “Participants who receive the increased benefits in December are able to redeem them throughout the entire month.”

According to Texas WIC, the new Cash Value Benefits (CVB) amounts for fruits and vegetables are:

  • $25 monthly for children
  • $44 monthly for pregnant and postpartum participants
  • $49 monthly for fully and partially breastfeeding participants
  • $73.50 for mothers breastfeeding multiple children

The expanded WIC fruit and vegetable benefits was expected to return to $11 for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and $9 for children Oct. 1.

WIC clients should contact a local WIC office if they have questions about these benefits. 

WIC clients can get all their WIC groceries in one easy stop at any Grocery Services North location in Dallas, Plano, Waco, Tyler and Longview. There are 11 stores conveniently located near WIC clinics. Find a location online.

August 2021

Prepping WIC Produce To Eat

2022-08-26T00:12:41+00:00August 17th, 2021|Categories: Grocery Services North, Recipes, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , |

How To Care For Your Fruits & Vegetables

You picked up your fresh WIC produce from the store, but before you cook and prepare your favorite recipes it’s important to take a few steps to prepare your WIC fruit and vegetables. 

You should wash all of your produce under running water and dry with a clean paper towel as soon as you bring it home. Also, cut away any damaged or bruised areas before you eat or prepare, according to guidelines from the CDC. 

The CDC also recommends: “Keeping fruits and vegetables separate from raw foods that come from animals, such as meat, poultry, and seafood and refrigerating fruits and vegetables within 2 hours after you cut, peel, or cook them (or 1 hour if the outside temperature is 90° or warmer). Chill them at 40°F or colder in a clean container.”

If you don’t think you will eat your fresh produce before it goes bad, you can always freeze it. Frozen bananas are great in smoothies. For best results, blanch vegetables like broccoli before freezing. Place cut broccoli in boiling water for about 3 three minutes, derailed, cooled and placed in freezer bags and then freeze. 

Blanching times for vegetables vary, but there are a lots of guides, like this one, from the Texas Agricultural Extension Office.

TEXAS WIC PRODUCE CLASSES

Texas WIC currently offers two Click & Learn classes on their website that offers great information about preparing and eating fruits and vegetables. To sign up for the free classes, visit the following website and follow the instructions for taking the classes. Dallas WIC Produce

The first WIC class, Food Safety at Home teaches about:

      • Food safety practices
      • Importance of washing hands and surfaces
      • Ways to prevent bacteria from spreading
      • How to cook at a safe temperature

The second WIC online class, Follow the Rainbow with Fruits & Vegetables, covers the following topics:

      • Health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables
      • Daily fruit and vegetable recommendations
      • Tips for increasing fruits and vegetables

Texas WIC is a free nutritional education program that provides nutrition counseling, breastfeeding support and free food packages to qualifying mothers and their children up to age five. To apply for the program, apply online

Texas WIC is offering extended fruit and vegetable benefits through September. Individuals are receiving $35 in fruit and vegetable benefits instead of the normal $11 per person benefit. Learn more online at Texas WIC. 

Grocery Services North is a primarily WIC grocery store chain in Dallas, Waco, Tyler, and Longview that caters to WIC clients by providing an easy, hassle-free shopping experience for WIC clients. Find a location near you at GroceryServicesNorth.com/locations.

June 2021

Grocery Services North Now Offering New WIC Products

2022-08-25T23:25:10+00:00June 7th, 2021|Categories: Grocery Services North, Recipes, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|Tags: , |

Take Home These Great New Products Today! Grocery Services North is now offering several new fruit and vegetable options in our stores. Texas WIC is also offering $35 fruit and vegetable benefits per eligible person starting June 1 through September. ( Learn more about these expanded fruit and vegetable WIC benefits in this blog post.) The added WIC benefits means moms can take home even more produce each month,  including these products that are already in our stores in Dallas, Waco, Tyler, and Longview.  Grocery Services North’s new WIC products (fruit and vegetable product)  can help moms get healthy, quick meals on the table for their family.  Here is a look at the items you can now take home, including a few ideas about how to serve them up on your kitchen table.  Dole Spring MixDole Spring Mix Bags This delicious salad mix is perfect for a quick meal during the summer. Mix in more fresh fruits and vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and fresh apples or oranges for a very healthy and super fast summer meal. Best Choice Yellow Cling Diced Peach Cups  Best Choice Peach Cups These peach cups are the perfect side or snack. Place the cups in the refrigerator for a cool treat on a hot summer day. They are also the perfect topping for a nice bowl of oatmeal.  Plus, kids love them! Best Choice Halved PearsBest Choice Canned Halved Pears These canned pears are so versatile. Eat them plain or in a delicious recipe. Check out these 5 recipes for canned pears from the USDA, including how to turn canned pears into “Pear Party Salsa,” a “Pear Quesadilla,”  a “Cobb Salad with Pears” and “Frozen Pear Pops.” The possibilities are endless.  Frozen Sliced Peaches Frozen Peaches Not many foods offer up the taste of summer like a peach. These frozen peaches can be turned into a delicious smoothie. Add a handful of frozen peaches, yogurt, milk and ice cubes into a blender and mix and you have a nice cold treat in a glass.  Frozen Seasoning BlendBest Choice Frozen Seasoning Blend There isn’t a better short cut to dinner than these frozen mixed vegetables. Add them to almost any dinner for a quick shortcut with added flavor. They can be added to pasta dishes, rice and beans for a flavor power punch without having to do all the vegetable dicing on your own.   Visit a Grocery Services North location today to easily pick up all your WIC groceries. Our hassle-free WIC grocery shopping experience gives mom’s more of what they need the most, time. You can find our locations conveniently located near WIC clinics. Visit us online to find one near you. 

May 2021

Texas WIC Increasing Fruit, Vegetable Benefits

2022-08-25T21:33:46+00:00May 12th, 2021|Categories: Grocery Services North, Texas WIC, WIC Food|Tags: , , , , , , , |

This summer, Texas WIC is increasing its fruit and vegetable benefits.  

WIC will be offering benefits for $35 for fruits and vegetables per person starting June 1st. 

WIC clients can use the benefits for fruits and vegetables that are fresh, frozen or in cans/jars or plastic containers, according to TexasWIC.org. 

According to TexasWIC.org: “You will see this increase on your shopping list under your benefit amount for June through September 2021. If you already have benefits for June or July, your WIC office will contact you for an appointment to update your benefits.”

Contact WIC or visit a WIC clinic if there are any questions about your fruit and vegetable allowance. The additional WIC benefits will be available starting in June through September and return to the regular benefit amount in October, according to TexasWIC.org. WIC normally offers $11 in fruit/vegetable benefits for pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women and $9 for children age 1 to 5. 

You can redeem your WIC benefits at any Grocery Services North location in Dallas, Waco, Tyler, and Longview. Grocery Services North provides WIC clients an easy shopping experience. WIC clients can find all their WIC items at one store. Plus, it’s easy to get in and out since the locations can be found close to WIC clinics. Learn more about shopping at Grocery Services North on our website To join Texas WIC, apply online at Texaswic.org/apply. 

April 2021

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…)