Key Takeaways:
- WIC Program Update: The Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been revised to include almond products as a qualified food option.
- Alignment with Dietary Guidelines: This revision aims to align the WIC food packages more closely with U.S. Dietary Guidelines, promoting broader nutrition security.
- Nutritional Benefits: Almonds, known for their nutrient density, will offer WIC participants a variety of health benefits, particularly through the inclusion of almond milk.
- Support for Diversity: The update facilitates dietary inclusivity by catering to participants with dairy and soy allergies and those preferring plant-based options.
- Company’s Commitment: Blue Diamond commits to supporting this initiative by providing high-quality, nutritious almond products for the WIC community.
Blue Diamond’s Statement on WIC’s Food Package Revision
Blue Diamond Growers, a leading almond processor and marketer, has publicly endorsed the recent updates to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which now include almond products as qualified food packages. This change is part of a broader effort by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to enhance nutrition security and better align the WIC program with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
The Importance of Including Almond Products
Almonds are a highly nutritious staple, offering essential nutrients beneficial for a healthy diet. Recognizing this, the USDA’s revision to the WIC food packages will enable participants to access a wider range of food choices, addressing nutritional needs with more diversity. The inclusion is particularly significant as it introduces plant-based almond milk, an important alternative for those with dairy and soy allergies, and for participants who prefer plant-based diets.
Blue Diamond’s Response
In response to the USDA’s final rule on WIC food packages, Blue Diamond Growers issued the following statement:
“Blue Diamond supports the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) effort to revise the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages to align more closely with U.S. Dietary Guidelines of Americans and better promote nutrition security. We appreciate the inclusion of almond products as qualified food packages in the WIC final rule. Almonds are an important component of a healthy diet for Americans. This update will allow WIC participants to have broader access to food choices and nutrition. Almonds are a nutrient-dense food that can provide WIC participants with a wide-range of nutritional benefits. In particular, the inclusion of plant-based almond milk can help promote nutritional security by meeting the dietary needs and preferences of WIC participants from all races and cultures, and from those who have dairy and soy allergies.”
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