The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program at the Florida Department of Health in Orange County is encouraging everyone to "Go Further with Food" during March which is National Nutrition Month®. 

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.  This year’s theme is “Go Further with Food.” 

Consumer research confirms that taste tops nutrition as the main reason why one food is purchased over another. While social, emotional and health factors also play a role, the foods people enjoy are likely the ones they eat most. This year's key message is how to combine taste and nutrition to create healthy meals that follow the Dietary Guidelines recommendations. 

“Making a commitment to eating healthier is one of the top steps you can take to improve your overall health,” said Dr. Kevin Sherin, the Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.  

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to states for nutrition/breastfeeding education, supplemental foods, and health care referrals for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk.

For 40 years now, the WIC Program has been providing nutrition education and counseling. Registered dietitians and nutritionists help families develop lifelong healthy eating habits through one-on-one counseling and group classes, where they learn:

• What to eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• How to feed infants and growing kids healthy foods
• How to successfully breastfeed
• Shopping for healthy foods on a budget
• How to cook healthy, delicious meals 

Florida’s WIC Program operates 220 sites throughout the state where families improve their diet and food choices with the assistance of licensed nutritionists and nutrition educators. There are 8 sites located within Orange County. Local authorized grocers benefit from the average annual value of WIC foods received by Orange County WIC clients which is $27.7 million dollars. 

For more information, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org.

Farmers Markets Throughout Orange County Florida (PDF 1.4MB)