Starting Thursday, Americans who receive government assistance to buy groceries in five states will face new limits on what they can purchase with their benefits, as restrictions on items like soda, candy, and other foods take effect.
Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to receive federal waivers allowing them to prohibit certain purchases through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The program serves about 42 million Americans nationwide and distributes roughly $100 billion annually.
The policy shift is part of a broader push by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who are urging states to remove foods considered unhealthy from SNAP eligibility. The effort aligns with Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which aims to curb chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes linked to sugary drinks and highly processed foods.
“We cannot continue a system that forces taxpayers to fund programs that make people sick and then pay a second time to treat the illnesses those very programs help create,” Kennedy said in a statement issued in December.
Under the new rules:
- Utah and West Virginia will ban SNAP purchases of soda and soft drinks.
- Nebraska will prohibit soda and energy drinks.
- Indiana will restrict soft drinks and candy.
- Iowa, which has the most expansive waiver, will bar SNAP purchases of taxable foods, including soda, candy, and some prepared foods.
The five waivers, which take effect January 1, affect an estimated 1.4 million SNAP recipients.
However, retail industry groups and health policy experts warn the rollout could be rocky. Critics say many state SNAP systems are already strained by budget pressures and lack clear, comprehensive lists of restricted items. Retailers also face technical challenges at checkout, which may vary by state and even by store.
The National Retail Federation predicts longer checkout lines and an increase in customer complaints as shoppers adjust to the changes. Meanwhile, researchers note that evidence is mixed on whether restricting SNAP purchases leads to meaningful improvements in diet quality or health outcomes.
As more states consider similar waivers, the debate is expected to intensify over how best to balance nutrition goals, administrative feasibility, and access to food for low-income families.
