By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

In these economically challenging times, the WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Program can be a help to many families with infants and young children. According to USDA’s website, WIC serves about half of all infants born in the United States. WIC was developed to protect the health of low-income pregnant and post-partum women, infants, and children up to age 5. The program provides participants with vouchers that are used to purchase specific foods that are identified as being nutritious. WIC is administered by the USDA and by state health departments.

For vegan post-partum women and young children, WIC food options may include:

• Fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables
• 100% juice
• Breakfast cereals (some ingredients may not be acceptable to vegans)
• Whole grain bread products, whole grain tortillas, brown rice, whole wheat pasta (some bread and tortilla ingredients may not be acceptable to vegans)
• Dry or canned beans, peas, or lentils
• Peanut butter

Infant food suitable for vegans:

• Infant cereal
• Infant fruits and vegetables

Soy formula is available through WIC. Although it may contain vitamin D derived lanolin, there are no other options for formula-fed vegan infants. 

     The WIC food package for women and young children may include vouchers for non-vegan items such as dairy products, eggs, and canned fish. In some cases, on a state-by-state basis, specific brands of soymilk and/or tofu may be available to substitute for cow’s milk. There are not standard vegan substitutes for eggs or canned fish. If you want to use soy milk and/or tofu to replace cow’s milk, you may need to discuss this with the WIC nutritionist.

     Currently, all states and the District of Columbia appear to allow approved brands of soy milk to replace cow’s milk. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia list certain brands of tofu as an approved substitute for cow’s milk.

For more information about the WIC program, visit USDA’s website or search for WIC on your state’s department of health website.