In my WIC clinics in north suburban Cook County, I've met quite a few
breastfeeding mothers who have alleviated their babies' colic by
eliminating dairy from their diets. Unfortunately, there's not a
tremendous variety of WIC food packages for lactose-intolerant women or
for breastfeeding mothers who must refrain from drinking milk. In
Illinois, mothers may choose a WIC package in which the main dairy
product is cheese instead of milk. (Aged cheeses like cheddar are much
lower in lactose milk is because the lactose has been removed from the
whey.) Or they may choose sweet acidophilus milk, or milks with added
lactase enzymes, such as "Lactaid" or "E-Z Deans." Acidophilus and
enzyme-treated milks are sweeter than regular milk, but some mothers
have told me they taste O.K. One enterprising mother of
lactose-intolerant kids said she used all the WIC milk to make yogurt,
since that was a dairy product her children seemed to digest well.
(Unpasteurized yogurt has organisms in the culture that produce some
lactase.)

In Illinois, as far as I know, there aren't any WIC food packages that
offer just plain soy milk. Any mother who would like a completely
dairy-free food package would have to settle for a soy-based nutritional
formula, plus some cereal and juice. Remember--the USDA started WIC 26
years ago partly to support the dairy farmer, so that's one reason why
dairy products are so prominent on the list of WIC-approved foods.
Another reason is that dairy products are such a rich source of calcium,
and they are generally more popular than other good calcium sources like
broccoli.

It's important to remember that your local WIC counselor has absolutely
no control over what kinds of WIC food packages are available. Standards
are set at the federal level, and the states get very little leeway on
the issue of products provided. Periodically, the USDA holds hearings to
decide on changes to the WIC Program rules --that's how tuna and carrots
got added to the breastfeeding mother's food package a few years ago.
Attempts have been made to vary the WIC food packages in order to
accomodate lactose-intolerant people and lacto-ovo-vegetarians, but, so
far, products like yogurt and soy milk have been rejected, either
because of their cost or because the demand for them didn't seem that
great. (I will let all lactnetters know if and when the WIC rules come
up again for review!)

By the way, if you'd like to know about the credentials or educational
background of your local WIC counselor, just call her up and ask her. In
Illinois, as in most states, WIC counselors must A) hold at least a
bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics or B) be a registered
nurse. Some WIC agencies, like ours, employ registered dietitians. A
registered dietitian is someone who holds a B.S. in dietetics, has
completed a year-long internship in clinical dietetics, has passed a
registration exam, and earns continuing education credits from the
American Dietetics Association (ADA).
--Mary (WIC is my life!) Krisco, RD, MS
Cook County Department of Public Health