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Five States Start SNAP Limits on Soda, Candy and Some Prepared Foods Jan. 1

The move reflects a coordinated federal push, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, to tie SNAP more tightly to nutrition.

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FILE - A banner reads: "EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) Accepted Here," at El Recuerdo Market in Los Angeles, Oct. 31, 2025, after two federal judges ordered President Donald Trump's administration to continue funding SNAP during the government shutdown. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)
FILE - An EBT SNAP sign is shown on a self check out screen at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
A display on the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol in the background, references Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits following the longest U.S. government shutdown in U.S. history, in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14, 2025.

Overview

  • Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia begin enforcing waivers on January 1 that change what roughly 1.4 million people can buy with SNAP benefits.
  • Restrictions vary by state, with Utah and West Virginia barring soft drinks, Nebraska banning soda and energy drinks, Indiana prohibiting soft drinks and candy, and Iowa disallowing soda, candy and certain prepared foods.
  • USDA has approved a total of 18 state waivers for 2026 with staggered start dates, including February launches in Idaho, Oklahoma and Louisiana, March in Colorado and later rollouts across Texas, Virginia, Florida and others.
  • Retailers and policy experts warn of checkout confusion and technical hurdles without complete product lists, with industry estimates of $1.6 billion in upfront costs and $759 million annually to implement the changes.
  • States must evaluate outcomes under the two‑year waivers, and Indiana says it will track measures such as obesity and dental issues as researchers note mixed evidence that purchase bans improve health or address affordability and access.