Nutrition Services – AppHealthCare

What we choose to eat can have a direct effect on our ability to enjoy life to the fullest. AppHealthCare Nutrition Services is here to help make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Nutrition services offered consists of the Woman, Infant and Children (WIC) Program, Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and Virtual Nutrition Services. These programs are staffed by Registered Dietitians, Nutritionists, and Breastfeeding Peer Counselors.

Please tell us if you need assistance because you do not speak English or have a disability. Free language assistance and/or other aids and services are available upon request. To receive free interpreter services, call 866-719-0141 or ask at the DSS local office. After the recorded message, you will reach an operator who can provide you with an interpreter. If you have a disability and need communication assistance, call 866-719-0141 or TTY: 711.

Learn more about Nutrition Services by clicking on the tabs below:

WIC

WHAT IS WIC?

What are the Benefits of the WIC Program?

The WIC program provides basic nutritious foods to eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, as well as infants and children. These foods are rich in protein, iron, calcium, fiber and vitamins. Participants exchange WIC food instruments (which list specific foods and quantities) and cash-value vouchers (for fruits and vegetables) at authorized retail grocery stores and pharmacies. In some cases, special formulas are distributed directly to the participant from the WIC local agency.

Research has shown that with nutrition education and supplemental foods, the diets of WIC participants and families have improved. This has lead to decreased infant mortality, morbidity, and low birth weight and a decrease in the prevalence of anemia (low iron). For more information on how WIC works.

ELIGIBILITY

Who is Eligible for WIC?

Pregnant women
Breastfeeding women who have had a baby in the last 12 months
Women who have had a baby in the last 6 months
Infants
Children up to 5 years

To be eligible, you or your child must:

Have a health risk factors based on criteria met during nutrition assessment, completed by a Nutritionist
Live in a household with income at or below WIC guidelines (or be on Medicaid or Food stamps (SNAP)
Live in North Carolina

What are the Income Guidelines for the WIC Program?

The WIC Income and Application Guidelines are straightforward. To sign up for WIC services you must visit the WIC office at your county’s health department. Please make sure you have the following information:

Identification
Proof of residency
Provide proof of income
A current Medicaid Card will cover all of the above requirements*

* A person who currently receives Medicaid, Work First, or Food and Nutrition Services [EBT] (Food Stamps) automatically meets the income eligibility guidelines for WIC.

Please note that WIC income requirements change each year on June 1. To see the most current income guidelines.

How To Apply

For more information on how to apply for the WIC Program, please call or email your county’s health department, or visit the NCDHHS WIC Program.

For more information on the WIC Program’s history, eligibility, benefits, and resources please visit the NCDHHS Community Nutrition Services Section.

WHAT DOES WIC PROVIDE?

Includes:

Healthy foods
Health care referrals
Breastfeeding support
Eating tips for you and your child

WIC provides foods that are good sources of many needed nutrients.

They include:

Milk
Eggs
Dried beans/peas
Peanut butter
Juice
Infant formula
Infant cereal
Regular cereal
Cheese
Fruits and vegetables
Tuna*
Yogurt, whole grains (bread, pasta, rice or tortillas), dried peas / beans or peanut butter
Grocery shopping videos
Organic foods in all categories listed above except formula

SHOPPING WITH WIC VIDEO SERIES

Video Links

eWIC

- - The North Carolina WIC Program is moving from a paper-based method of WIC benefit issuance to an electronic benefit transfer system (eWIC). Instead of paper food instruments, WIC food benefits will be issued into an electronic benefit account at the local WIC clinic. Families will use their eWIC card and PIN to access their food benefits at the grocery store.
  - NC eWIC website page
  - ebtEDGE Login Portal

BREASTFEEDING

The WIC Program and the American Academy of Pediatrics supports breastfeeding as the preferred method of infant feeding during the first six months to one year of life. Our staff provides education and support for those who chose to breastfeed.

What we offer:

Peer Breastfeeding Counselor Services
Home visits as needed
Breastfeeding literature
Breast pump loan program
Book loan program
Breastfeeding classes
Breastfeeding supplies

A breastfeeding peer counselor, nutritionist, or a nurse can help you achieve your goal. There is no charge for breastfeeding counselor services.

FARMER'S MARKET

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides WIC Program participants in select counties with coupons to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at their local farmers’ markets. The program is designed to improve the nutrition of WIC Program participants and increase business for local farmers.

Cards are distributed to participants at their local WIC agency. Currently, Watauga and Ashe counties participate. WIC participants ages 2 and up, including pregnant and post-partum/breastfeeding women, are eligible to receive a card worth $30 to spend at a participating Farmers’ Market.

For more information, contact your local health department or visit the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program.

You may also visit the links below for farmers’ markets in our area. See you at the Farmer’s Market!

Ashe County Farmers’ Market

Watauga County Farmers’ Market

NC Farmers’ Market Directory

DiabetesSmart / MNT

DiabetesSmart

DiabetesSmart is an American Diabetes Association-recognized program, and ApphealthCare under the DiabetesSmart umbrella, may provide Diabetes Self-Management Education/Support (DSMES), a billable service.
The purpose of DSMES is to prepare those affected by diabetes to:
- Make informed decisions.
- Cope with the demands of daily living with a complex chronic disease.
- Make changes in their behavior that support their self-management efforts and improve outcomes.
The International Diabetes Federation has issued the following statement, “Diabetes self-management education is a critically important, fundamental and integral component of diabetes prevention and care and should be available and accessible to everyone.”

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)

Health professionals agree that nutrition services are one of the first treatments that individuals should receive to improve conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
ApphealthCare is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of disease for the counties served. There ApphealthCare Nutrition services is pleased to provide medical nutrition therapy. Our RD acts as part of a medical team. Referrals are accepted for all patients in Ashe, Alleghany and Watauga County’s regardless of where the patient receives their medical care. A referral is required and can be found HERE (insert link to current referral)
Medical nutrition therapy is covered by a variety of insurance plans. Under the Medicare Part B Program, you can receive nutrition services to help improve your health. Medicare Part B covers medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and kidney disease. You may be eligible for at least three hours of medical nutrition therapy services in the first year of care and two hours each additional year. If you have private insurance (such as through your employer), check with your insurance plan for specific medical nutrition therapy coverage details. Your plan may cover nutrition counseling for a wide variety of chronic conditions and health concerns, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Together with a registered dietitian, you will set nutrition goals to improve your health.
Medical nutrition therapy provided by an RD includes:
- Review of what you eat and your eating habits.
- Thorough review of your nutritional health.
- Personalized nutrition treatment plan.
The first visit with the registered will take approximately one hour. After the first session, the RD will schedule follow-up appointments to check on your progress and see if changes are needed in your nutrition goals and treatment plan.
Interested in the DiabetesSmart program or Medical Nutrition therapy or simply with questions contact us.

RECIPES

COMING SOON

OTHER RESOURCES

There are many programs and resources available through your local WIC Program. Please click the links below to learn about these programs and resources.

Allowable Proofs for Identity and Residence

Recommendation forms for Job Applicants: