CASSELBERRY, Fla.—When Shannon Green arrived at the tiny Al’s Food Store in Casselberry, Fla., to exchange her checks from a government program that provides food to women and their children on a recent Monday, she was surprised to see some new choices.

In addition to the staples of milk, eggs and cereal that the program provides to women, infants and children, she looked over a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, including apples, tangerines, cucumbers and corn. If she wanted those items in the past, Green would have had to pay cash—rather than use her vouchers from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

The wider selection—with its emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain foods—represents the first changes in the federal WIC program in nearly 30 years. For moms like Green, who depend on WIC to supplement their monthly food budget, that’s good news.

“I think it’s wonderful that they’re encouraging moms to be more health-conscious because there are some kids who are more apt to play video games and not exercise,” said Green, 33, of Casselberry. “Besides, my kids love fruit. I know they will eat it and it won’t spoil.”

The changes also come at a critical time for WIC, which has seen the number of people qualifying for help soar in the past two years. In Florida, the number of moms and children participating in the program has jumped more than 25 percent in the past three years, according to the Florida Department of Health.

For years, WIC, a nutrition program funded by the federal government but distributed through local health departments, has provided milk, eggs, juice, cheese and cereal, peanut butter, dried beans and infant formula to ensure that children under 5—along with pregnant and nursing moms—get the nutrition they need.

But in recent years, as dietitians and pediatricians began to focus on whole-grain cereals and fresh produce, WIC didn’t change with the times. While dietitians at local health departments advised moms to feed their kids more fruits and vegetables, WIC supplied only fruit juice.

“That was a fine, inexpensive source of nutrition,” said Debra Amoedo, head of Orange County’s WIC program. “Overall, however, drinking too much fruit juice is not good for you. It’s packed with calories. There’s a tendency for young children to overconsume.”

Now, however, moms will receive a fruit and vegetable voucher—ranging from $6 to $10 a month per person— to buy produce. How much they receive depends on the age of the child, and if the mother is pregnant or breast-feeding. The program also has added baby-food jars of strained fruits and vegetables, so moms can start feeding kids fruits and vegetables as babies, but reduced the amount of formula for babies older than 6 months.

“We’ve always tried to educate our clients on eating more fruits and vegetables, and now they’re making it easier for us to provide that food for them,” said Gina Hardley, a registered dietitian with the Lake County WIC program. “Now you can get these fruits and vegetables” with WIC money.

Other changes? The program also added wheat bread, brown rice and corn tortillas to the list of allowable foods. The idea, Hardley said, is to increase fiber in the family’s diet.

And, in a move aimed at reducing fat intake, the program is paying only for low-fat or skim milk for children older than 2.