By Aliss Higham
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Five states will begin restricting the types of food and drink that can be purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this week.
Why It Matters
The changes follow federal waivers approved under the Trump administration, which has argued that tightening SNAP rules could help address diet-related health problems.
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SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, provides monthly grocery benefits to more than 40 million Americans with low or no income. The program is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), but states are allowed to seek waivers that let them adjust specific elements of how benefits are used. In recent years, some states have pushed for permission to restrict unhealthy purchases like soda and candy.
What To Know
Beginning in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia, SNAP recipients will face new limits on certain food and drink purchases to start the year.
While the details differ from state to state, the new rules largely target foods and drinks often labeled as “junk food.” These are typically items high in sugar, fat or calories, with limited nutritional value. Supporters of the restrictions say they encourage healthier choices, while critics have raised concerns about stigma, enforcement and whether such limits meaningfully improve diets.
Among the states where restrictions took effect on Thursday, Indiana and Iowa will no longer allow SNAP benefits to be used for soft drinks and candy. Nebraska’s rules focus on soda and energy drinks, while Utah’s waiver blocks purchases of soft drinks. In West Virginia, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to buy soda.
The wave of changes has been driven mostly by Republican-led states, as Colorado and Hawaii are the only Democratic-led states to have joined the effort so far. Altogether, 18 states have received approval for SNAP waivers that restrict certain purchases.
What People Are Saying
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, in December: “President Trump has made it clear: We are restoring SNAP to its true purpose–nutrition. Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic diseases epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long. America’s governors are answering that call with courage and innovation, offering solutions that honor the generosity of the taxpayer while helping families live longer, healthier lives. With these new waivers, we are empowering states to lead, protecting our children from the dangers of highly processed foods, and moving one step closer to the president’s promise to Make America Healthy Again.”
Kavelle Christie, a health policy and advocacy expert and director at the Center for Regulatory Policy and Health Innovation, told Newsweek: "This push is overwhelmingly ideological. SNAP benefits average just $187 per person per month, and families are already stretching every dollar. The idea that restrictions will somehow transform diets doesn’t line up with reality."
What Happens Next
More states are preparing to follow later this year, with Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia all having waivers approved.
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