As of Jan. 1, 2026, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — better known as food stamps — has some new rules, banning junk food purchases in some states but causing some issues, The Atlantic reports.
Soda, candy, and other tasty treats labeled as junk food can no longer be purchased with EBT cards, the prepaid cards used by food stamp recipients. States including Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia all support the initiative led by new Secretary of Health & Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. During a June 2025 event, Kennedy professed “there’s no nutrition in these products” and “we shouldn’t be paying for them with taxpayer money.”
With 13 other states looking to make changes to their food stamp programs in late 2026, the Trump administration hopes to have all 50 states on board, offering incentives such as access to a $50 billion fund designed to improve rural healthcare across the country. However, there are some loopholes that states are having issues getting around.
Like, what is junk food exactly?
It can be hard to define. Baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, and even protein bars, can fall into this category — depending on the state. In Indiana, the new rules only ban candy and soda, so if a food stamp recipient wants to buy items like Oreos or Goldfish, they can.
The same goes for protein bars, which can also be purchased with food stamps in states like Iowa, and which have the same amount of sugar as chocolate-covered nuts or a candy bar. EBT cards can be swiped for very sugary canned coffee — as long as it has milk.
Food stamps purchases are determined by the state, depending on how food is taxed. In Iowa, recipients can use their EBT cards for a slice of cake but not a fruit cup that comes with a spoon.
Critics of the restrictions are concerned with the bouts of confusion, contingent on the state. Some feel it could drive down the number of people who participate in the program.
“Singling out people who receive SNAP, policing their shopping carts, and delaying their purchases at the register would inevitably decrease participation rates,” claims an essay in Georgetown University’s Journal on Poverty Law & Policy.
This isn’t the first time a White House administration has fought to ban junk food from food stamp purchases because of the mess it can cause. In 2011, the Obama administration’s Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP, denied a request from New York to ban soda purchases, citing that the proposal “lacks a clear and practical means to determine product eligibility,” which could create problems in stores.
But several Republicans are willing to back the ban. In Georgia, lawmakers have introduced the Georgia SNAP Healthier Choices Act of 2026, which will set parameters on what food stamps can cover. According to WRDW, one in eight Georgia residents receives SNAP benefits, and the legislation supports the USDA’s goal of meeting the nutritional needs of low-income families. “The purchase of low-nutrient, high-sugar, and artificially sweetened foods undermines the public health objectives of the program,” the bill’s verbiage suggests.
Some of the restrictions include no more than four beverages or packs of carbonated soft drinks per household per month, no candy, including chocolate, gum, and “sugar-based confections,” and no juice with less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice.
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