Tennessee WIC Approved Foods
Food List & Approved Groceries
Tennessee WIC Agency
Tennessee WIC Food List
Tennessee WIC benefits are loaded onto the TNWIC card and accepted at over 800 authorized grocery stores across all 14 Tennessee WIC regions. The specific foods and quantities you receive depend on your participant category — pregnant, breastfeeding, postpartum, infant, or child — and are determined at your certification appointment. All Tennessee WIC food packages follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance on infant feeding.
A note on pharmacies: Tennessee pharmacies that are WIC-authorized only accept the TNWIC card for specialized infant formulas and WIC-eligible nutritionals. They are not authorized for regular food items like milk, eggs, or produce. For your standard monthly food package, you'll need a WIC-authorized grocery store.
Food Categories
- Dairy: Milk (whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free), cheese, yogurt, and lactose-free options. Soy beverages are permitted as a milk substitute for participants with dairy restrictions.
- Eggs: Any color from domestic hens, including whole, liquid pasteurized, and dried egg mixes.
- Whole grains: Iron-fortified adult cereal, 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat tortillas, and other whole grain options. Tennessee implemented all federally required infant food package changes in October 2024; beginning October 2025, the children's and women's food packages are also updating to reflect the latest federal WIC food package rules.
- Fruits and vegetables: Loaded as a monthly Cash Value Benefit (CVB) on the TNWIC card. Fresh, frozen, and canned produce are all eligible. Canned fruits must be without added sugars. Authorized grocers may also accept older paper Cash Value Vouchers (CVVs) where applicable.
- Legumes: Dried or canned beans and peas. Immature legumes like green beans, snap beans, and wax beans are not eligible — only mature varieties qualify.
- Peanut butter: Creamy or chunky, any brand, regular or reduced fat, salted or unsalted.
- Tofu: Calcium-set tofu is available as a protein alternative. It must not contain added fats, sugars, oils, or sodium.
- Canned fish: Available in breastfeeding women's food packages. Breastfeeding mothers receive an enhanced food package including canned fish to support nutritional needs while nursing.
- Juice: 100% fruit or vegetable juice, vitamin C-enriched, unsweetened only.
- Infant foods: Iron-fortified infant cereal, jarred baby food (fruits, vegetables, meats), and WIC-approved infant formula. Special medical formulas require a physician's referral form submitted to the WIC clinic.
How Monthly Allotments Work
Tennessee WIC loads benefits onto your TNWIC card by monthly allotment. Each allotment is tied to a specific period: any benefits not used by midnight on the last day of that monthly period expire and cannot be applied to the following month. You can shop as many times as you like throughout the month — you are not limited to a single trip. Check your balance at any time through the WICShopper app or by calling the toll-free number on the back of your card.
WICShopper App
Download the free WICShopper app from the App Store or Google Play to scan product barcodes in the grocery aisle and instantly confirm whether an item is covered by your benefits. The app also shows your current benefit balance by food category, lists authorized store locations near you, and includes recipes and shopping tips.
Tennessee-Grown Farmers' Market Checks
During July and August, eligible WIC participants in select Tennessee counties receive $30 in Farmers' Market Nutrition Program checks (six $5 checks) to spend on fresh, locally grown produce. Every item purchased with these checks must be grown in Tennessee — the program requires that participating farmers have personally grown the majority of what they're selling. This requirement is unique to Tennessee's program and ensures that WIC farmers' market dollars support in-state agriculture. The program serves approximately 25,000 participants per year in participating counties.
