Reforming WIC: A New Era for Infant Nutrition and Equity

Nourishing a Healthier Generation: Our Mission to Reform WIC

At Bambino's Baby Food, we believe every child deserves access to clean, nutrient-dense, developmentally supportive food from the very first bite. Food is medicine—and how we feed our youngest generation defines the health and strength of our communities for decades to come. As the founder of Bambino’s Baby Food, I, Zoi Maroudas, have made it my life’s mission to not only provide families with medically informed, Mediterranean-based baby food but to advocate for national food policy reform that supports the health of all children, especially those served through the WIC program.

Why WIC Reform Matters

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supports over 50% of infants born in the United States. However, the program's current food guidelines and eligibility criteria restrict access to the very types of baby food that today’s nutritional science, pediatric guidelines, and families trust most. Over the past decade, we at Bambino’s have repeatedly applied to become a WIC-approved product provider. Despite our proven nutritional standards, we’ve been denied—not because of quality or safety, but because of outdated regulatory limitations.

Current WIC limitations include:

1. Prohibition of Mixed Vegetables and Proteins

WIC guidelines currently exclude vegetable-protein combinations in single infant foods—but allow fruit and vegetable combinations. Additionally, parents may find approved "meat and gravy" products, which paradoxically include added ingredients such as gravy (which is not considered a whole food). This arbitrary restriction limits innovation and prevents nutrient-dense, developmentally supportive meals—like our Sockeye Salmon Bisque or Chicken with Garden Vegetables—from being accessible to the children who need them most. Research and pediatric nutrition experts agree that protein, vegetables, and grains are essential to a child's bone, brain, and immune development.

“Introducing infants to a variety of flavors and food textures—including those found in vegetables, grains, and protein-rich foods—helps establish healthy eating patterns and supports adequate nutrient intake.”
— Feeding Infants and Children from Birth to 24 Months: Summarizing Existing Guidance, NASEM, 2020

“Nutrition in early life is critical for optimal growth and development and may help prevent long-term chronic disease.”
— U.S. National Library of Medicine, NIH, "Early-life nutrition: implications for long-term health," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016

2. Shelf-Stable Requirement Only

WIC mandates shelf-stable baby food, which requires high-heat processing—typically above 230–275°F for at least 40 minutes after the food has already been cooked. This excessive post-cooking time significantly detroys the food’s natural nutrients like vitamin b-cpmplex, C, folate, and eliminates enzymes completely, resulting in a product that is harder for infants to digest and limited nutrition. Moreover, to compensate for nutrient loss, products are often artificially fortified with synthetic vitamins, which are not efficiently absorbed, and the body does not digest the same way.

At Bambino’s, we start with fresh, whole, natural, and organic ingredients, cook them only to the necessary temperature for food safety and to retain natural nutrient value, and then flash-freeze them immediately. This method locks in natural nutrients, flavor, and texture—preserving food integrity without the need for artificial enrichment or overcooking.

3. Ban on Organic Ingredients

Currently, WIC does not allow baby food containing organic ingredients. This rule disqualifies brands that avoid pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetically modified ingredients. It also deprives children of the most natural and clean food options during their most critical stages of development.

4. Packaging Limits

WIC requires baby foods to be in 2- or 4-ounce single-use containers. At Bambino’s, our five-serving star-shaped frozen cubes are eco-conscious, affordable, and support a more flexible, responsive feeding experience. Our packaging reduces food and material waste, allows parents to prepare exactly the right amount, and aligns with modern sustainable practices.

These restrictions are not just outdated—they actively prevent access to nutrient-rich, health-forward meals that can change children’s lives. If WIC is to serve as a supplement program, then it must supplement with foods that reflect today’s best nutritional science.

The Inspiration Behind Bambino’s

I didn’t set out to create just another baby food company. I set out to be part of the solution. During my time as a medical researcher at Hillcrest Hospital, I observed infants and children—many of whom were tube-fed or high-risk—struggling with food that lacked the complexity and quality needed to support their healing and growth.

Returning to Alaska, I saw that many WIC families had no access to nutritious, balanced baby foods. What was available was shelf-stable, highly processed, and nutrient-poor. This realization, combined with my deep-rooted values from a Mediterranean upbringing and a belief in real food as foundational to health, inspired me to build Bambino’s from the ground up.

Our products aren’t made based on what’s cheapest or easiest to produce—they are developed based on what infants need at each stage of growth. Our goal is to revolutionize the baby food industry by offering fresh, balanced meals that support physical and cognitive development, reduce packaging waste, and align with the science of early childhood nutrition.

We are investing in the health of our children when we feed them correctly in the first three years of their rapid growth. These foundational years set the stage for lifelong health. Feeding children the right way early on helps prevent health risks and illness and allows them to thrive—growing into strong, healthy, and active community members. It supports not only the body but also the mind and soul.

Advocacy in Action: Legislative Efforts

Dr. Teresa A. Neeno, MD, FACAAI, FAAP of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska, wrote in support of Bambino’s foundational mission, stating:

“Zoi is committed to providing not only healthy foods but safe foods for our food allergic children. We applaud her commitment and look forward to working with her as she develops a line of allergy friendly baby food.”

Over the past decade, we’ve continued to work closely with the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska. Their ongoing partnership has helped ensure that our meals align with both the clinical needs of allergic children and the real-life experiences of families. Together, we have advanced the development of allergy-conscious, nutritionally complete, and pediatrician-approved baby foods.

As a mother, medical professional and the founder of Bambino’s Baby Food, I have been advocating on Capitol Hill and speaking at medical and health conferences around the country for over a decade to address food policy and drive WIC reform at the local, state, and federal levels.

In support with the late Congressman Don Young, we introduced two WIC Modernization Bills in 2019 and 2021. One of these was the INFANT Act (Infants Need Food And Nutrition Today Act), officially known as H.R. 784 in the 117th Congress. This bill would require the Secretary of Agriculture to allow infant food combinations and dinners to be eligible under the WIC program. It mandated the Department of Agriculture to revise WIC regulations within 30 days of enactment to reflect this change. A prior version of this House Bill, H.R. 3818, was introduced during the 116th Congress. Both aimed to modernize WIC’s outdated guidelines by ensuring nutrient-dense, developmentally appropriate meals could be offered to infants in WIC families.

These bills aimed to:

Permit fresh and frozen baby foods into WIC
Approve organic ingredients
Allow mixed vegetable-protein combinations
Support multi-serving and eco-conscious packaging formats

Though these bills have not yet passed, they initiated much-needed dialogue. We’ve held meetings with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and were told directly by its 2018 director:

“USDA submits what it chooses to IOM for review, and then can accept, amend, or ignore the recommendations.”

This reveals a critical gap in accountability and policy alignment. The IOM itself, and multiple national pediatric associations, emphasize that infants need a full balance of protein, vegetables, and grains to thrive—not just fruit or single-ingredient foods. Yet USDA regulations still prohibit these combinations from WIC-approved offerings.

The Health Equity Gap

The consequences are tragic. WIC is meant to be a supplement, but for many families, it is the only source of infant nutrition. If that supplement doesn’t meet complete nutritional needs, then the program is doing harm by limiting a child’s access to what they need to grow and develop. A supplemental program that cannot provide complete, balanced nutrition is failing its mission.

Data from USDA and the WIC Feeding Practices study shows that children in WIC households:

Have higher rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes
Consume fewer vegetables and protein-rich foods
Develop food preferences that are less balanced due to sweeter, fruit-dominant meals

By denying infants protein, grain, and vegetable combinations in a single spoonful, WIC regulations unintentionally create feeding behaviors that discourage balanced eating.

A Call to Action

At Bambino’s, we believe in community-powered change. We’re calling on all to support healthy food access for all infants:

Families
Health Leaders
Public Officials
Legislators and Nutrition Advocates
Non profits and For profit organizations

To help us push for common-sense reform. We urge you to:

Send a letter to your state and federal representatives requesting WIC modernization
Send us a copy of your letter so we can include it in our coordinated advocacy
Share your experience with WIC restrictions and how they’ve affected your child’s nutrition

Please email all letters or stories to: infantact@bambinosbabyfood.com

Together, we can break through outdated systems and shape a WIC program that reflects the needs of today’s families—offering balanced nutrition that empowers our future generations to thrive.

Because when we invest in the first three years of a child’s life, we invest in a healthier, smarter, more compassionate world.

With determination and love,
Zoi Maroudas
Founder & CEO, Bambino’s Baby Food
Medical Researcher | Nutrition Advocate | Mother