There are times when people hear the word WIC ( Women Infant and Children), and they immediately think “government assistance”, or “handout”. Well, yes, technically it’s a national program designed to help pregnant women, mothers, and their children get the nutritional foods they need each month, and honestly, without this program, my family and I would have struggled paying for groceries on one income. I want to break down the qualifications for WIC, getting and shopping with your benefits, and just how much you could be saving annually with this program. Let’s dive in.
Qualifying for WIC
Many qualifications vary from state to state, and frankly, that’s a whole separate ballpark that would need to be covered. So, to keep it simple, if you click here, it will take you to the USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program. From there, simply scroll down to this section
and select your state. Then you’ll have access to your state’s WIC phone number, website, and the option to apply immediately.
Benefits
Ok, so now you’ve applied, and you’ve been approved because you either met the income qualifications or you receive Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, which automatically makes you eligible for WIC. Great! Now let’s talk benefits!
When I was newly pregnant with my first son, and I was awarded benefits, it was overwhelming and confusing. Like 2 lbs of cheese, 32 oz of yogurt, or 34 oz of cereal. I mean, come on, who shops like that?! However, over time, after learning what foods are allowed/covered and how to effectively shop with my card, the pressure was lifted, and it got easier. Actually, I’d dare to say I got better.
Allowable Foods
The main point of WIC is to provide your family with healthy and nutritious foods. So, no, you can’t buy snack cakes, sugary cereal, white bread, or premixed fruit cups with added sugars, but you may be surprised by just how many food items are included on the “allowed” list and just how many meals that can be created with these healthy ingredients. Here are a few of the foods allowed to be purchased with your benefits.
- Eggs
- Dairy- Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese.
- Fresh Fruits & Veggies- Certain Dollar Amount.
- Whole Grains- Bread, Tortillas, Pasta.
- Baby Foods- Formula, Purees, and Rice Cereal.
- Beans & Lentils
- Cereal- Hot or Cold.
- 100% Juice
- Canned Fish- Salmon, Tuna, etc.
*Awarded benefits vary based on pregnancy/postpartum status, child’s age up to year 5, and maintained scheduled appointments.
In my experience, the first few scheduled appointments felt like a lot. Filling out paperwork, providing personal information, and it basically became a second pediatrician appointment for my son ( getting him undressed to a diaper, height, weight, etc.) However, after going to a few appointments and breastfeeding classes, I learned about the WIC Shopper app, and it became a game-changer! Actually, that brings me to my next point.
WIC Shopper App
The WIC Shopper App comes in handy for a few different reasons:
- Taking online classes (which, at times, fulfill appointment requirements towards benefit renewals).
- Seeing what foods are allowed for purchase.
- Accessing and managing your card and balance.
- Scanning to see if an item is covered.
- Resources and recipes for cooking meals with WIC foods
*Here’s a quick look at the app
Now, as I mentioned previously, your benefit amounts are issued by pounds, ounces, or via dollar amount. For example, there was a point I was given 64 oz of Yogurt. I would often purchase a 32-oz container of Chobani yogurt and scan it with the app’s barcode-scanning feature to make sure it was covered. After the app said I was good to go, I would purchase one yogurt, leaving me with another 32 oz for my next shopping trip ( by the way, we usually shopped every two weeks).
Now that we have covered qualifying, getting benefits, and the app, let’s get into what I consider the best part: the shopping and savings!
Roll In The Savings
Here in Oklahoma, WIC can be used at several major grocery stores and local stores—Walmart, Crest, Cash Saver, etc. Crest is our usual go-to, and Walmart comes in second, but for today’s example, we will use Walmart’s prices (WIC items are tax-exempt).
*Here is an example of the awarded benefits.
*The table below shows the benefits being used at a Walmart with current prices as of 01-24-2026.
| 2 LBS Cheese | $1.97 x 4 (8 oz Shredded Bags)= $7.88 |
| 2 Dozen Eggs Grade A or AA | $1.97 x 2 = $3.94 |
| 72 OZ Cereal Hot or Cold | $4.97 x 2 ( 18 oz Box Cereal)= $9.94 $2.87 x 3 ( 9.8 oz Oatmeal)= $8.61 (6.6 oz leftover) |
| 3 Containers Peanut Butter or Beans | $2.96 x 3 ( Jiffy Peanut Butter)= $8.88 |
| 16 oz Fish Canned Fish | $3.98 x 1 ( 14.75 oz Salmon)= $3.98 |
| 72 oz Whole Wheat/ Grains | $3.28 x 2 ( 16 oz Wheat Bread)= $6.56 $1.84 x 2 ( 16 oz Wheat Pasta)= $3.68 (8 oz leftover) |
| $79.00 Fresh Fruits & Veggies | $79.00 (Fresh Fruits & Veggies) |
| 64 oz Yogurt | $5.97 x 2 ( 32 oz Yogurts)= $11.94 |
| 7.5 Gallons of Milk ( based on milk assignment) | $3.97 x 7 ( Soy Milk Gallons)= $27.79 (0.5 leftover) |
Based on the table above, if you were to utilize all of the assigned benefits for the month, the total amount WIC covers is $172.20 worth of healthy and nutritious groceries!
Now, just imagine, every month you have $172 worth of groceries covered and provided for your family! Isn’t that amazing?! Let’s also take it a step further. The real question is, how much does this save you in a year? $172.20 x 12 Months = $2,066.40!
Conclusion
During my first pregnancy, I was lost and overwhelmed with information while preparing for my baby to get here. We had appointments, creating a registry, deciding to breastfeed, and wondering what I should and shouldn’t eat. If you have that same feeling, then I highly suggest you look into applying for WIC in your state, and take off some of the pressure mentally and financially.
As women and mothers, at times, we have a large mental load to carry, and finances can be a huge stressor. However, if you’ve read this far, then you can not only imagine, but also see just how much you could be saving each month/year alone on feeding yourself, your family, and your baby.
As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read this post, and I hope it helps you make a decision on whether or not signing up for WIC is right for you.
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I’ll see you in the next post. Bye for now.
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