From Wood County Health Department
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign led by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to encourage Americans to prioritize healthy eating habits.
This year’s theme is “Beyond the Table,” which addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets—and even home food safety and storage practices. It also describes the various ways we eat—not only around a dinner table but also on the go, in schools and restaurants, at games and events.
The Wood County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, most commonly known as WIC, is proud to join the celebration as it marks the 50-year anniversary of WIC with the theme, “50 Years of Feeding WIC Families.” WIC is a government-funded program that provides nutrition education, breastfeeding education and support, supplemental, highly nutritious foods, referral to prenatal and pediatric health care and other maternal and child health programs.
The program plays a vital role in supporting mothers and young children who are low-income and nutritionally at-risk. With nearly 6.7 million women, infants and children participating in WIC nationwide, the program provides valuable services to help young families.
“WIC has been serving families for half a century, ensuring that pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants and children receive the nutritional support they need for healthy growth and development,” said Katie Denison, Wood County Health Department nutrition director. “As we commemorate this milestone, we’re excited to engage the community in celebrating WIC and National Nutrition Month. We will focus our education efforts on promoting healthy eating habits, making nutritious food more appealing to children and encouraging families to try fun tips and recipes with healthy WIC foods.”
WIC staff play a crucial role in supporting participants’ health by assessing and evaluating their medical and nutritional conditions, providing education and answering nutrition-related questions, and offering guidance on healthy habits such as safe sleep practices, breastfeeding, immunizations and child development. They also provide referrals to food banks, healthcare and social service agencies and other community resources.
If you or someone you know could benefit from the WIC program, go to woodcountyhealth.org and click on the WIC program for more information and eligibility guidelines, or you can call 419-354-9661 with any questions or to schedule an appointment. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/WoodCountyOhioWIC for upcoming events, tips on healthy eating, child development, breastfeeding and more.
The Wood County WIC program is part of the Wood County Health Department and is located at 639 S. Dunbridge Rd., Ste. 3, Bowling Green.
