Nutrition Education Resources
Below, you will find materials that can be used for North Carolina families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP). For many of these resources, there are both English and Spanish versions. Items are grouped based on the intended audience.
Tab/Accordion Items
- Value of WIC (English/Spanish): Families learn about the value of WIC benefits with examples of the WIC food package (Audience: Families).
- Kids in the Kitchen (English/Spanish): Families learn strategies for engaging young children in food preparation (Audience: Families with young children).
- Choosing Foods with Iron | Selección de alimentos con hierro: Families learn about the role of iron, food sources of iron, and ways to increase iron in the diet (Audience: Families).
- Choosing More Fruits and Vegetables: Families learn strategies to increase fruit and vegetable intake - includes stir-fry recipe (Audience: Families).
- Food Groups (English/Spanish): Families learn the differences between the food groups and the benefits of eating a variety of foods (Audience: Families with young children).
- Food Safety (English/Spanish): Families learn how to shop, store, prepare, and cook foods safely (Audience: Families).
- Health Educator’s Nutrition Toolkit: Setting the Table for Healthy Eating
- Healthy Breakfasts (English/Spanish): Families learn the importance of starting the day with breakfast (Audience: Families).
- Healthy Drinks (English/Spanish): Families learn about smart drink choices such as milk, juice, and water (Audiences: Families).
- Healthy Lunches (English/Spanish): Families learn how to build a balanced meal and how to pack a lunch to go when away from a refrigerator (Audience: Families).
- Healthy Snacks (English/Spanish): Families learn the benefits of snacking, how to build a balanced snack, and snack suggestions (Audience: Families).
- NC Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Handouts
- Shopping for Seasonal Produce (English/Spanish): Families learn strategies for saving money and selecting quality produce (Audience: Families).
- Simple Solutions to Help You and Your Family Watch Less Television: Families learn strategies to decrease TV viewing and increase family time (Audience: Families).
- Teething (English/Spanish): Families learn the signs of teething and how to make baby feel better (Audience: Families with infants).
- The First Set (English/Spanish): Families learn the importance and recommendations for caring for baby teeth (Audience: Families with young children).
- Weekly Meals (English/Spanish): Families learn how to save time, money, and prevent wasted foods with this weekly meal planner (Audience: Families).
- *MyPlate Kitchen Recipes and resources from MyPlate.gov includes a search feature and the ability to save recipes and create cookbooks. Recipes are available in English and Spanish.
- North Carolina State Extension, Steps to Health Recipes Find a variety recipes organized by meal type.
- SNAP Recipes Find healthy and thrifty recipes, from the USDA, SNAP-Ed Connection.
- WICHealth.org Health eKitchen: Use this guide to help you access Heath eKitchen, a searchable library of healthy recipes that use WIC-approved foods. Access to Health eKitchen does require login to wichealth.org.
- WIC Meals of the Month: This resource, from USDA WIC Works Resource System, features recipes focusing on specific nutrients and using foods in the WIC food packages.
- WIC Recipes: Recipes with a Focus on WIC Foods - A collection of recipes and nutrition information that focus on WIC foods.
- Smart Bites by WIC Recipe Cards: Recipe cards highlight WIC’s important role in maintaining a healthy prenatal diet to encourage continued WIC participation. Cards feature healthy meals using WIC approved ingredients.
- Weaning to a Cup (English/Spanish): Caregivers learn tips for teaching a baby to drink from a cup as well as the many benefits for the baby (Audience: Caregivers of infants 6 months to 1 year).
- Starting Solid Foods | Incorporar alimentos sólidos: Caregivers learn about baby's signs of readiness for starting solid foods (Audience: Caregivers of infants 4 to 6 months of age).
- Considering Breastfeeding? | ¿Considerando la lactancia materna?: Caregivers learn important information to consider when interested in or considering breastfeeding.
- Development of Infant Feeding Skills | El desarrollo de las destrezas de alimentación infantile: Caregivers learn about appropriate foods for infants based on age and feeding skills (Audience: Caregivers of infants birth to 1 year).
- Help Me Be Healthy: Birth to 6 months | Ayúdame a estar saludable: De 0 a 6 meses: Caregivers learn about baby's signs of hunger and fullness and feeding frequency based on age (Audience: Caregivers of infants birth to 6 months).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 6 to 12 months | Ayúdame a estar saludable: De 6 a 12 meses: Caregivers learn about introducing solid foods, choosing healthy foods, and drinking from a cup (Audience: Caregivers of infants 6 months to 1 year).
- How to Prepare Formula for Your Baby | Cómo preparer fórmula para su bebé: Caregivers learn appropriate techniques for preparing infant formula (Audience: Caregivers of infants birth to 1 year).
- Let’s Eat | A comer: Caregivers learn about appropriate foods for infants based on age and feeding skills (Audience: Caregivers of infants 4 months to 1 year).
- Making More Milk | ¿Estoy Haciendo Suficiente Leche?: Caregivers learn the signs of adequate milk production and tips for making more milk if needed.
- Out and About | De paseo: Caregivers learn about going out with a baby, returning to work or school, and choosing childcare.
- Cooking Up Healthy Habits: A Guide to CACFP Meals: Childcare providers can use this great menu planning tool with four 2-week cycle menus and recipes.
- Drinking Water: Providers learn about ways to increase water consumption in childcare.
- Eating More Fruits and Veggies: Providers learn about easy ways to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in childcare.
- Fruit and Veggie Quantity Cookbook: Childcare providers and families will enjoy these healthy recipes that provide at least one-half cup of fruits or vegetables in each portion.
- Keep Children Active: Providers learn about keeping children physically active in childcare.
- Physical Activity Standards for Child Care: learn about the physical activity standards for children in childcare.
- Picky Eating: Providers learn about ways to assist picky eaters in childcare.
- Rewarding Children: Providers learn about appropriate ways to reward children.
- Breastfeeding and WIC: WIC Makes a Healthy Difference | Amamantar y WIC: ¡WIC hace una diferencia en la salud!: Breastfeeding moms learn how WIC can provide them with healthy food and breastfeeding support (Audience: Postpartum women).
- Bringing Baby Home | Bienvenido a casa bebé: Postpartum women learn about feeding newborns, understanding their feeding cues, and finding ways to soothe them.
- Eating for Two | Comiendo Por Dos: Pregnant women learn about recommended prenatal weight gain based on pre-pregnancy weight (Audience: Pregnant women).
- Making a Difference for WIC Families | Haciendo la diferencia para las familias del programa: Pregnant women and new moms learn about the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program (Audience: Pregnant and postpartum women).
- Take Care of Yourself Booklet | Cuide su salud en 7 pasos: Women WIC participants learn about how to take care of themselves in seven steps such as being active daily, eating healthy and taking a multivitamin with folic acid (Audience: preconception and postpartum women).
- Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy | | Consejos para un embarazo saludable: Pregnant women learn about WIC, prenatal care and nutrition needs during pregnancy (Audience: Pregnant women).
- Your Body, Your Mind: Caring for Yourself after Pregnancy Loss | Tu Cuerpo, Tu Mente: Cuidándote a ti misma después de la pérdida de un bebé: For women whose pregnancy did not result in an infant to take home from the hospital. The brochure covers nutrition, physical activity, breastmilk donation, suppressing lactation, emotional health, when to seek professional help, and a list of national resources (Audience: Postpartum women).
- Fruit Drink & Toddler Milk Videos from 1,000 Days and the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity: The UConn Rudd Center and 1,000 Days released two videos that dispel the marketing hype about fruit drinks and toddler milks, inform parents about why they are not recommended for young children, and encourage parents to “keep it simple, keep it real” by serving water and plain milk to their toddlers. The videos are available in English and Spanish. This toolkit includes sample social media, newsletter, or blog posts to help you share the videos with your audiences.
- Help Me Be Healthy: 1 to 1½ years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 1 a 1½ Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about feeding toddlers, food groups, meal ideas, and dental health (Audience: Caregivers of children 1 to 1½ years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 1½ to 2 years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 1½ a 2 Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about introducing new foods, food groups, dental health, and skill development (Audience: Caregivers of children 1½ to 2 years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 2 to 2½ years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 2 a 2½ Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about food groups, meal ideas, and setting limits with children (Audience: Caregivers of children 2 to 2½ years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 2½ to 3 years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 2½ a 3 Años de Edad : Caregivers learn about food groups, importance of play, dental health, and skill development (Audience: Caregivers of children 2½ to 3 years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 3 to 3½ years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 3 a 3½ Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about food groups, meal ideas that involve preschooler's help, and dental health (Audience: Caregivers of children 3 to 3½ years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 3½ to 4 years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 3½ a 4 Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about food groups, healthy snacks, and teaching children about food (Audience: Caregivers of children 3½ to 4 years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 4 to 4½ years | ¡Ayúdame a estar saludable! De 4 a 4½ Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about food groups, meal ideas, and ways to keep children physically active (Audience: Caregivers of children 4 to 4½ years).
- Help Me Be Healthy: 4½ to 5 years | ¡Ayúdame a ser saludable! De 4½ a 5 Años de Edad: Caregivers learn about food groups and the importance of both breakfast and physical activity (Audience: Caregivers of children 4½ to 5 years).
- Lead Poisoning Prevention: How to Keep Your Family Safe | Prevención del envenenamiento por plomo: Cómo mantener a su familia Segura: Caregivers learn about sources of lead, harmful effects, and strategies to prevent lead poisoning (Audience: Caregivers of children birth to 5 years).
Find more information on nutrition and breastfeeding by visiting the websites below.
- Food Safety
- General Nutrition
- WIC Resources