Healthy Foods

The WIC Program provides eligible participants with supplemental foods to help meet their nutrition needs based on life stage (pregnant, breastfeeding, postpartum, infants, and children). These monthly benefits include specific healthy foods in varying amounts according to USDA nutrition guidelines and individualized participant needs.

Once approved for WIC, participants receive an eWIC card to purchase their prescribed foods at approved WIC vendors in Rhode Island. Benefits are added to the card each month and are available on the First Date to Spend (FDTS). They are valid for 30 days and expire at midnight on the Last Date to Spend (LDTS). Any unused benefits do not roll over to the next month.

When shopping for WIC foods, use your eWIC card first, before SNAP/EBT or any other payment method.

Participants can check their benefit balance by reviewing their receipt after a purchase, requesting a balance inquiry at a WIC-approved store, using the WICShopper app, or calling the phone number or visiting the website listed on the back of their eWIC card.

WIC Approved Foods

WIC approved foods can include milk, cheese, yogurt, beans or peanut butter, fruits/vegetables, eggs, whole grains (bread/tortilla/brown rice), juice, cereal, and baby foods. Formula and soy products are available based on a participant's nutritional needs.

WIC foods cannot be exchanged for other items or returned for cash or store credit. WIC does not provide a cash amount for most foods, except for the Cash Value Benefit (CVB), which can be used for fruits and vegetables.

The Rhode Island WIC Approved Food Guide (Spanish) provides a helpful overview of what participants can buy with WIC benefits but may not always reflect the most current updates. Food purchases are limited to the benefits prescribed by a WIC nutritionist based on each participant’s individual nutritional needs.

To make shopping with WIC easier, use the WICShopper App.

WICShopper App

The WIC Shopper App is a free, ad-free app that provides:

• Locations of WIC vendors
• Locations of local WIC offices
• A barcode scanning tool that checks if a food item is WIC approved using the most up-to-date list of approved foods. The scanner may show foods that are approved by WIC but are not included in the participant food prescription. For the best shopping experience, register the WIC card and use the scanner along with the individual shopping list.
• Other tools, such as easy and healthy recipes made with WIC foods, and the “I Couldn’t Buy This!” feature allowing participants to report foods that are not currently WIC approved but may be considered for addition to the approved food list.

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WIC Collaboration Videos & Recipes (Download all recipes in English or Spanish)