by Mariann from South Carolina
We have been blessed with two little ones. Our daughter is now 3 years old and our son is 2 years old. With their ages come eating challenges.
We are fortunate that our son will usually try anything I eat (LOL). WIC benefits may be different from family to family, so I am going to share with you some of our tips for using your benefits.
1. Find Marked Down Items
Our local grocery store has marked down fruits, for example bananas, apples, pears, that we purchase using only a small amount of the money provided for fruits and veggies. Now I am selective when choosing the marked items. Never buy marked down oranges; they go bad really quick!
What do I do with them?
Bananas: I freeze, 3 to a container. I use them for smoothies, frozen yogurt, muffins and pancakes. All things my little ones love!
Apples and Pears: I slice, leaving the peel on, and cook them to make apple pear sauce for a healthy snack. I add cinnamon and nutmeg. The key is cooking them down to a thick consistency. I also have added the apple pear sauce to oatmeal for flavor.
Purchasing these fruits that have been marked down gives me the opportunity to purchase other fresh, canned or frozen items that I know my little ones will eat or that I will test out on them.
2. Plan Your Shopping
I have chosen one day a week to grocery shop. I look at recipes that I would like to test and keep a list of the items I may need. I use that list during shopping trips, because with two little ones I tend to forget something. I have the WIC mobile app downloaded to my phone, which helps me keep up with what benefits remain and also allows me to scan items to verify that they are covered items. I don't want any surprises at the checkout.
I hope this helps at least one family. Happy shopping!
About Mariann. . .
I am a wife and mommy of 2; our daughter is 3 years old, and our son is 2 years old. We live in rural
Upstate SC on a small farm. We have 4 wonderful fur babies, chickens and ducks as well as fruit trees
and a vegetable garden. I have an associates degree in Physical Therapy and a bachelor degree in
Healthcare Management. I left the healthcare world to become a stay-at-home mommy. I enjoy gardening, crafts, and reading when time allows.
In this week's guest post, Mariann shares how she maximizes her WIC benefits. Another way to maximize your benefits is using wichealth. Our website is just one of the benefits of being part of the WIC community. We encourage you to check out one of over 50 lessons today. Head to wichealth.org and browse for topics that interest you. We can't wait to see you there!
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