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WIC Food Helps Raise Healthy Babies in San Antonio

Every San Antonio mom wishes for a healthy baby. A free Texas program – Texas WIC – is helping moms have healthier babies while from the time they learn they are pregnant. 

Pregnant moms who meet certain guidelines (see below for guidelines) can qualify for the Texas Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) program. The program is a free nutritional counseling program to help mothers get the nutrition their babies need to be healthy. 

The program offers free nutritional guidance, support and free monthly nutritional food packages. Each WIC participant receives an ebt card that is loaded each month to help mothers get healthy food packages that are customized to their needs.

 Pregnant mothers receive credits on their ebt card for certain foods – such as cereal, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, low fat milk whole grails and fruits & vegetables –  that help them get the right nutrition while they are expecting. You can learn more about these food packages on WIC’s website.

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By |2021-07-20T17:04:06-05:00July 20th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Child Health, JC Food Mart, Recipes, Texas WIC|0 Comments
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All About Peanut Allergies

Experts Give Advice About Peanut Allergies

The thought of peanut allergies may stir up some nerves for parents concerned about giving peanut butter to their little ones.  With a few tips and guidelines from pros, parents can be prepared to recognize any signs of an allergic reaction.

Texas WIC provides a great online resource about food allergies, including how to spot signs of a food reaction, like: hives, flushed skin or rash, tingling or itching in the mouth or other body part swelling in face or tongue, vomiting or diarrhea, stomach cramps, coughing or wheezing or dizziness or difficulty breathing.  

Even though parents may want to avoid exposure to peanuts out of fear of an allergy, experts offer some advice.

Early exposure to peanuts (around 6 months of age) might actually lower the chances of developing an allergy, according to research provided by The National Peanut Board. 

A great way to introduce peanuts to your little one is thinned peanut butter. Afterall you don’t want your little one to choke on peanuts, which are not at all recommended to be given to babies or toddlers.

According to Texas WIC: you most likely do not need to avoid the common food allergens while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Introducing a common food allergen to your baby after 6 months is okay, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Offering foods containing ground or powdered peanuts may even lower his risk of developing an allergy. It does not increase the chance of your baby developing a food allergy.

PEANUT BUTTER IS A WIC FOOD

Peanut butter, a Texas WIC Food, is full of nutrition, including more protein than any other nut and more than 30 vitamins, minerals, fiber and good fats, according to the National Peanut Board. 

To help offer up a few servings of peanut butter perfect for toddlers and adults here are a few recipes to try.

Yogurt Cinnamon Peanut Butter Dip For Fruit

The National Peanut Board offers great recipes online, including this one originally from rhubarbarians.com for:

FRUIT  KABOBS WITH YOGURT PEANUT BUTTER DIP

1 cup salted peanut butter*

1 cup plain yogurt

1-2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (Omit for children 2 and younger)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

10 large strawberries, hulled and sliced in half lengthwise

1 medium banana, peeled and sliced into 1″ slices

1/2 medium apple, cut into bite sized pieces

20 large blueberries

Stir together the 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you’d like the dip), and the 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Form your kabobs by piercing the fruit with the end of a skewer and sliding the fruit on. Continue adding fruit to your kabobs evenly until you have 5 full kabobs of fruit.

Enjoy and have fun! Take pieces of fruit off of the kabobs and dip into the yogurt peanut butter dip.

Note: If using unsalted peanut butter, add a small pinch of salt to the dip.

 

Peanut butter is a popular WIC food. Here is one of our favorite recipes using peanut butter:

CINNAMON PEANUT BUTTER BANANA TOAST

1 slice whole-wheat bread, toasted

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 banana, sliced

Ground Cinnamon to taste

Toast bread. Spread peanut butter on one side of toast. Place sliced bananas on bread in single layer. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Get all your WIC foods at JC Food Mart locations in San Antonio. Our stores have bilingual clerks that gather all your WIC items during a one-stop shop without all the hassle of  searching for all your WIC foods.

By |2021-07-12T14:25:01-05:00July 12th, 2021|Categories: Child Health, Recipes|0 Comments
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Celebrate July 4th With American Picnic Using WIC Foods

The heart of the summer – July 4th – is almost here. 

Grilling, cold fruit and fresh sides are the perfect ingredients for a holiday picnic. To help make your planning a little easier, here are two perfect recipes featuring WIC foods. 

The first recipe will cool you off from that hot summer sun, but offers the ‘blue’ and ‘white’ for your red, white and blue menu. These little bites pair perfectly with a cold watermelon.  They may be such a hit with the kids, that you want to keep some in the freezer for the next few months. 

WIC Fruits: Blueberries FROZEN YOGURT BLUEBERRY BITES

1 8-ounce container of Blueberries

½ cup Vanilla Yogurt

Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper. Place yogurt in a small bowl and stir. Poke blueberry one at a time with a toothpick and dip into yogurt until it is completely covered. Move blueberry from toothpick onto wax-covered baking sheet. Repeat with all blueberries. Place in the freezer for 2 hours. Remove blueberries from wax paper using a spatula. Once frozen, place all blueberries into an airtight freezer-safe bowl with lid and until ready to eat. Can store in the freezer for a few months. 

This next recipe is easy to add any vegetables from your refrigerator. Feel free to cut and use what you have. Substitution ideas include broccoli, olives, carrots or really anything you like.

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad

COLORFUL RAINBOW PASTA SALAD

8 ounces of Dried Pasta (such as Rotini)

1 package of Italian Salad Dressing mix

2 Roma Tomatoes, diced

½ Onion, sliced thin

1 Zucchini squash, sliced thin

1 Yellow Squash, sliced thin

Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.  Prepare Italian seasoning mix according to directions. Mix dressing and pasta in a large bowl. Add cut vegetables. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

To pick up all your WIC groceries for your July 4th party, visit any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio.  Texas WIC is currently offering expanded fruit and vegetable benefits this month. 

For more information about Texas WIC, visit TexasWIC.org.

 

By |2021-07-02T08:57:37-05:00July 2nd, 2021|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping|0 Comments
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JC Food Mart Open Normal Hours Week of July 4th

JC Food Mart locations will have normal business hours this week, and will remain closed as normal on Sunday.  All stores will also have regular hours on Monday, July 5th. 

Everyone at JC Food Mart wishes you a safe and happy July 4th celebration.

Don’t forget to redeem any remaining June WIC benefits through this Wednesday, June 30th. You can begin redeeming July WIC benefits on Thursday. 

Visit JCFoodMart.com/locations for all location and store hours information. We hope to see you soon!

 

By |2021-06-29T09:14:21-05:00June 29th, 2021|Categories: JC Food Mart|0 Comments
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Recipes Featuring WIC Foods: Fruits and Vegetables

Family-Fun Recipes Perfect For A Picnic

Looking for something new to make? We have a few family-friendly meal ideas for recipes spotlighting a popular WIC food: fruits and vegetables. 

This month Texas WIC is offering even more fruit and vegetable benefits. Here are a few ideas to serve up recipes with some great produce you can get with those added benefits. 

This first treat is perfect for kids and adults, and it’s a great treat for the summer.

RECIPES USING WIC FOODS

Banana PopsFROZEN YOGURT BANANAS

2 Bananas cut in half in the middle of the banana

1 cup Yogurt

2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup

½ teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

Pop sticks

Insert pop stick into bottom of banana. (see photo). Combine yogurt, syrup and cinnamon in a bowl and mix. Dip the bananas in the mixture. Lay dipped bananas onto a cookie sheet. You can add sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for added fun.  Freeze for about 6 hours or until yogurt is frozen. 

This recipe is the perfect side for any summertime meal. It’s also very easy to make. 

CUCUMBER, TOMATO & ONION SALAD

1 large Cucumber, sliced.

3 Tomatoes cut into thin wedges

1 Onion, sliced

1 cup White Vinegar

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

¼ cup Water

1 tablespoon sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine cut vegetables into a bowl. Combine all other ingredients in another bowl and mix together. Pour the mixture over the cut vegetables and mix together. Cover and place in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.  

Pick up your WIC groceries at any JC Food Mart location in San Antonio. We provide an easy shopping format for WIC groceries and even have bilingual staff to help you get everything you need. To find a location near you, visit us online at JCFoodMart.com/locations. To learn more about Texas WIC and how to bring WIC fruits and vegetables into your home, apply online.

By |2021-06-28T09:38:34-05:00June 28th, 2021|Categories: Recipes, Texas WIC|0 Comments
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Enroll In Texas WIC Online Class Monday

Texas WIC Class Offers Up Recipe To Stay Hydrated During Summer

The hot summer months have arrived, and it’s important to keep you and your family hydrated without filling up on sugary drinks. An online Texas WIC class  has several tips to help.

Texas WIC is offering an online class Monday that offers recommendations for drinks for children, ways to drink “more water and less sugar” and how to make kid-friendly infused waters and ice cubes. 

“We’ll explore the truth behind many common drinks and demonstrate recipe ideas that are not only cool for kids, but fun for the whole family,” according to Texas WIC’s online class description.

TEXAS WIC ONLINE CLASS

The “Live Discussion and Activity on Cool Drinks for Kids” class is being offered online from 1 to 2 PM on Monday, June 21st on the TexasWIC.org website. If you would like to participate, simply register for the class using the link below:

https://classes.texaswic.org/class/de408a18-4dd4-4457-82ad-c924abd56f59

You can watch the online class with a computer, tablet or mobile device that has Internet.  

JC Food Mart is a primarily WIC grocery store chain with locations in San Antonio. JC Food Mart makes it easy and convenient to shop for WIC groceries. We have bilingual staff that is familiar with the WIC program that can help you shop for the items you need. Find a location near a WIC clinic today on our website.

By |2021-06-18T11:45:26-05:00June 18th, 2021|Categories: Recipes, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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Summertime Pasta Recipe

Try This Recipe For Whole Wheat Pasta (A WIC Food) The Whole Family Will Enjoy

It’s summertime. That means parents need healthy, fast, no-fuss recipes that are also kid-friendly. If you are looking for a quick meal using WIC foods, try this pasta recipe.

You may find yourself using this recipe again and again this summer.  It’s easy, fast and doesn’t heat up the kitchen during those warm summer months. It’s great for lunch, dinner and makes enough for leftovers. The best part, it features several WIC foods.

 

WIC Pasta Recipe

 

 

 

 

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA AND BROCCOLI

1 16oz box of Whole Wheat Pasta, any kind (elbows, bow ties, spirals or even spaghetti)

3 cups of  Broccoli, fresh or frozen works

4 tbsp Butter

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

1.5 to 2 cups of reserved Pasta water

Cooked Boneless Chicken, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. When you have about 5 minutes remaining, add the broccoli.  Once broccoli is tender, drain water In a large colander. Use the cooking pot to melt the butter on low heat. Add minced garlic and saute for a few minutes, stirring often. Add pasta and broccoli back into the pot. Add cheese and pasta water. Stir until the cheese is mixed thoroughly. Mix in cooked, cut up, boneless chicken chunks if using. Enjoy!

Find more great recipes using WIC foods on the JC Food Mart blog page. JC Food Mart helps make shopping for WIC foods easy for mothers. You can find a location near WIC clinics by visiting our locations page online.

You can apply online for Texas WIC by visiting the organization’s website at TexasWIC.org.

By |2021-06-15T11:42:42-05:00June 15th, 2021|Categories: Meal Planning, Recipes, Texas WIC, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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Memorial Day Recipe Round Up

Recipes Featuring Fruits, Vegetables To Make This Weekend

There’s no better time than to start breaking into your summer recipes than Memorial Day weekend. The season offers so many great fruits and vegetables that are perfect to serve up as the weather heats up.

We are spotlighting several recipes using WIC foods perfect for this weekend and for the months to come using some of our favorite fruits and vegetables.

These cool and refreshing treats are fun for kids and are easy to make.

YOGURT FREEZER POPS 

12 oz of Fresh or Frozen Fruit (strawberries with stems removed and cut in half before blending or blueberries are our favorites)

2 cups of Plain Yogurt

¼ cup of Honey (omit if serving to children younger than 1 years old)

Puree fruit in a blender. Add yogurt. Add honey (if using) and blend together. Pour pops into molds of your choice (you can use disposable plastic cups, ice trays with wooden sticks or pop molds from the store). Freeze for 6 plus hours. When ready to eat, you can loosen the pop  from mold by running it under warm water for a few minutes to remove it from the disposable cup, ice tray or mold.

Memorial Day (and summer) is the perfect time to cook outside with family and friends. So fire up the grill for this healthy and delicious recipe spotlighting WIC vegetables and even a fruit!

FROZEN FRUIT POPS

Another idea is to pop fresh or frozen fruit into those popsicle molds (or plastic cups) and add fresh herbs, water and a pop stick. Freeze until frozen. Your kids will love the cool, fresh treat all summer long!

VEGGIE KABOBS

8 wooden/ bamboo skewers or metal skewers. You can also use an aluminum foil tray on the grill.  

Zucchini slices

Yellow Squash slices

Fresh Mushrooms

Onion, quartered

Pineapple chunks

Bell Pepper chunks

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1½ teaspoons Dried Basil

¾ teaspoon Dried Oregano

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Garlic Powder, to taste

Soak wooden skewers in water for 20 minutes.Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Place vegetables of your choice, including these options:  zucchini, squash slices, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, pineapple, and bell pepper onto the skewers. Mix olive oil and seasonings into a bowl. Brush onto vegetables. Cook vegetables on a preheated grill until done, turning and reapplying oil as needed for about 15 minutes.

Turn your beans into a salad with this next recipe. It’s a delicious way to eat your beans in the summertime.  The added vegetables also add a lot of flavor to this side.

PINTO BEAN SALAD

1 ½ cups Dried Pinto Beans, soaked overnight and drained

2 tablespoons Salt

2 medium Tomatoes, chopped

1 medium Onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon Lime Juice

1 teaspoon Salt

¼ cup Olive Oil

1 clove Garlic, minced (or garlic powder to taste)

¼ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

Pepper to taste

After letting dried pinto beans soak overnight, drain them. Place beans in a large pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in salt and cook for another 30 minutes, until the beans are tender. Drain beans. Let beans cool. Combine lemon juice, lime juice. Add olive oil gradually until mixed well. Add garlic and cilantro. Pour dressing over warm beans and toss. Add chopped tomatoes and onions and toss well.

Get Foods For Your Memorial Day Recipes at JC Food Mart

Get all your WIC groceries at JC Food Mart locations in San Antonio. Find a location near you online. Find more great recipes on our blog.

By |2024-05-21T07:32:44-05:00May 28th, 2021|Categories: Recipes|0 Comments
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3 Reasons To Join Texas WIC

WIC Program Helps Mothers Raise Healthy Babies

Texas WIC can be a mother’s best friend. 

Many moms and their children across Texas are benefiting from this nutritional supplement program aimed at getting babies off to a healthy start. It’s a FREE program for eligible mothers and their children up to age 5. 

If you haven’t heard about Texas WIC or aren’t sure of it’s benefits, we are giving you our top 3 reasons to consider applying for the program:

WIC Pregnancy San Antonio1. MOTHER’S HEALTH

There are few better ways to help a baby grow healthy than by helping an expecting mother with nutrition and health.  A healthy mother can help create a healthy baby. That’s why the program is open to pregnant women. 

 The Texas WIC program helps mothers with nutrition counseling and guidance along the way. There are so many health considerations to  make once you become pregnant:  What should I eat? Should I exercise? How much? Am I getting the right nutrients?  It can all be a lot to take in for any mother, but Texas WIC nutritionists can be there along the way to help you make healthy choices. 

One of the best parts is that Texas WIC provides free, nutritious food package supplements each month to help you eat healthy in order to give the baby (and you) the nutrition you need during pregnancy.

Once the baby arrives, they are also there for support. WIC experts help with breastfeeding guidance and nutrition support for your child up to age 5. That means there is help for so many of the concerns you have as a new mother, like: “Am I feeding my baby the right way and enough’ Texas WIC offers FREE counseling and guidance to so many of these health questions. 

2. YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH WIC Child San Antonio

Texas WIC is an amazing gift for your child. The program ensures that your baby doesn’t go without healthy nutrition.  Aside from breastfeeding support, Texas WIC even pays for baby formula (which can be very expensive).  If your baby needs a special baby formula, it will pay for that too with a doctor’s prescription.  As the child gets older, the free monthly food package changes with your child’s needs. 

Keeping your child fed with the right nutrition isn’t the only support you will get.  Texas WIC  also offers free counseling and guidance to help make sure your baby is growing healthy. There are even free online nutrition classes. 

WIC Free Foods3. JOIN TEXAS WIC FOR FREE NUTRITIONAL FOOD

There is no better benefit than free, nutritious food for you and your baby. Knowing your baby is getting the nutrition they need is enough to calm almost any anxious mother. The best part is that it’s free to qualifying mothers and their babies. 

Each month Texas WIC will load benefits onto an ebt card. WIC clients can use this card to redeem their benefits for WIC foods at stores.  The food benefits will change as your baby grows and has different needs. The food packages can cover everything from baby formula and baby food to milk, cheese, yogurt, beans, whole wheat bread, tortillas and pasta and fresh fruits and vegetables. 

To make it even easier, JC Food Mart locations are open near San Antonio area WIC clinics to help WIC clients redeem their benefits in an easy shopping format. JC Food Mart stores are not affiliated with WIC  – but are a Primarily WIC grocery store – which means they mostly carry only WIC-approved items.  At JC Food Mart, WIC clients don’t have to go searching for WIC items in the store. Instead, they simply walk up to a counter where a staff member will walk them through the shopping process for getting their WIC groceries. It’s a super easy and convenient way to get your WIC groceries. 

JOIN TEXAS WIC TODAY

Want to find out if you qualify for Texas WIC? The program is open to pregnant women, breastfeeding women, infants and families with children under age 5.  There are also income requirements to qualify for the program. If you would like to join Texas WIC, you can start your application today by visiting: https://texaswic.org/apply

You may soon learn what so many families already know: Texas WIC can be a mother’s best friend.

By |2021-06-15T10:03:26-05:00May 26th, 2021|Categories: Baby Food, Baby Formula, Child Health, Mom Health, San Antonio, Texas WIC, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition|0 Comments
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Smoothies are a Nutritional Snack With WIC Foods

Chill Out With A Refreshing Smoothie

Smoothies are a quick and easy way to get an extra dose of fruits and vegetables. They also don’t require a lot of ingredients. Gather some of your favorite WIC foods and blend away.

Smoothies are a combination of fruits and/or vegetables, liquid, protein and ice (if you aren’t using frozen fruit) blended together. The fun part is that they are easy to switch up to find a fun new flavor. Some common smoothie ingredients include:

FRUITS (FROZEN OR FRESH): Bananas, Mangos, Apples, Berries and Even Avocados

VEGETABLES: Spinach, Carrots, Celery and Cucumbers

PROTEIN: Peanut Butter

LIQUIDS: Milk, Soy Milk, Yogurt, Juice or Water (like ice if you aren’t using frozen fruit)

OPTIONAL FOR FUN: Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice

There are so many WIC foods to pick from – Fruits, Veggies, Peanut Butter and Milk. Those are all super healthy WIC-approved foods you can include in your morning smoothie. The fun part is you don’t need a recipe. Use the recipe below provided by Texas WIC as a guide, but substitute any of the ingredients or combinations above to come up with new favorites.

Because smoothies are packed with nutrition (and WIC ingredients) they make a great breakfast or snack for adults and kids. They are especially tasty as the long hot days of Summer approach.

If you have fresh fruit you think might go bad before you eat it (like bananas or berries), just cut and put it in a freezer-safe container and store for your next smoothie.

SMOOTHIE BOWL

Smoothie bowls are a hot trend and is a fun new way to eat smoothies. Smoothie Bowl With WIC Foods

If your tot isn’t ready to drink from a straw, but is trying purees, this version might be perfect for them. If making for a child, be mindful to avoid certain ingredients (like nuts because of choking) and even peanut butter if you haven’t yet determined if they aren’t allergic. Also, skip adding the whole fruit on top.

Note: It’s best to try ingredients that a child might be allergic to one at a time instead of blending multiple items together. This is helpful so you can easily identify which food might have caused the allergy. Once a child has individually tried all the ingredients you want to add to a smoothie bowl, you should be safe. Just make sure everything is blended well.

A smoothie bowl is also a fun way for adults to enjoy fruits and veggies. You can even top off your bowl with a handful of fresh berries or sliced fruit for extra texture.

RECIPE FROM TEXASWIC.ORG

Texas WIC offers this recipe on their website. Of course you can add more or substitute as you like:

FRUIT SMOOTHIE

1 Banana

2 cups frozen Strawberries (without added sugar)

¾ cup Milk

8 ounces low-fat Vanilla Yogurt

Tips: You can use any fruit – try mangoes, peaches or blueberries! If using all fresh fruit, try blending in ice cubes to thicken it up. You can also use 100% fruit juice or soy milk instead of milk, or even silken tofu instead of yogurt!

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

APPLY FOR TEXAS WIC

Texas WIC is 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 JC Food Mart, a primarily WIC grocery store chain in San Antonio. To find a location near you, visit jcfoodmart.com/locations.

By |2021-06-15T10:05:25-05:00May 21st, 2021|Categories: Uncategorized|0 Comments
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