The changes come months after Trump administration officials promised changes to the long-standing food assistance program. At least 18 states plan to make changes in 2026, according to the USDA.
Hear SNAP recipients explain confusing changes to benefits
Hear from SNAP recipients about how they’re coping with changes to SNAP benefits in Iowa.
Millions of SNAP recipients are about to face new restrictions on what they can buy with the federal assistance program, including bans on soda, energy drinks and candy, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
At least 18 states plan to implement changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the new year, according to the USDA. First, in January, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia.
The remaining 13 states plan to make changes by the end of the year.
“The Trump Administration is leading bold reforms to strengthen the integrity and restore the nutritional value of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program,” the USDA said in a statement about the upcoming changes.
The agency said the move “gives states more flexibility in administering their programs” by restricting “non-nutritious items such as soda and candy.”
“These waivers are an important step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP,” the USDA said.
The changes to the food assistance program come months after Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading advocate of the “Make America Healthy” movement, suggested working with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to limit access to certain foods under SNAP.
President Kennedy said in early 2025, “Every American who wants a donut should be able to eat a donut and drink a Coke.” “But federal taxpayers shouldn’t be paying to poison children, and we’re going to end it.”
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming changes.
Which states will be affected and when?
At least 18 states plan to implement changes to SNAP in 2026, according to the USDA.
Starting Thursday, Jan. 1, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia will limit the products people can buy, according to the USDA.
The changes to SNAP will make it nearly impossible for people to use the program to purchase sodas, soft drinks, or “sweetened beverages.” Changes vary by state.
Idaho, Oklahoma and Louisiana will change what SNAP recipients can purchase in February. Colorado in March. Texas, Virginia, and Florida in April. Arkansas and Tennessee in July. Hawaii and South Carolina in August. North Dakota in September. and Missouri in October.
What kind of food is served?
Changes to what people can buy with SNAP benefits will be widespread everywhere.
Iowa changed its program from allowing aid money to be used to purchase “any food or grocery item for home consumption” to items subject to sales tax in the state, according to a letter from the Department of Agriculture to Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Larry Johnson.
Under the new restrictions, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to buy candy, including gum and mints. Sweet drinks containing Hi-C. Trail mix containing chocolate and candy. and cooked food.
According to a USDA letter to Gov. Mike Brown, SNAP recipients in Indiana will be prohibited from spending program funds on soft drinks or candy, defined as “any combination of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners with chocolate, fruit, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces.”
According to the USDA, Nebraska’s changes will prevent SNAP recipients in the state from using program funds to purchase energy drinks.
What are the arguments on both sides of this issue?
Supporters of the new restrictions say they encourage healthy eating habits.
“With skyrocketing obesity rates, our nation and our state are at a crossroads,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in May, after first approving SNAP changes requested by the Department of Agriculture. “Changes are needed to promote healthy eating habits, protect future generations from disease, and ensure SNAP can fulfill its core function.”
Critics argue that this restriction will harm people.
“These restrictions do nothing to make healthy food more affordable,” Luke Elzinga and Gina Plata Nino of the Food Action and Research Center said in a statement. “Rather, it will increase stigma against SNAP participants, cause confusion at checkout counters, and raise the price of groceries for all of us.”
Recipients of the program are also on guard.
“I feel the same way. I want to eat vegetables, I want to eat burgers, but I can’t store them,” Mark Craig, an unhoused Iowa resident, told USA TODAY Network’s Des Moines Register. “And if you’re in a shelter, you can’t bring in food from outside.”
How many people will be affected?
Millions of SNAP recipients in 18 states will be affected by the program changes.
Across the five states with new restrictions, about 1.4 million people will see benefits changes in January, according to an analysis of data by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
About 13 million people in 18 states will see changes to their benefits in 2026, according to data from the Budget Policy Center, a nonpartisan research organization.
According to the center, approximately 41 million people will be using SNAP in 2024, making it the most important food assistance program in the nation.
When did the SNAP program begin?
According to the USDA, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program dates back to 1939, when the federal agency began issuing food stamps at the end of the Great Depression.
The early food stamp program ended in 1943, according to agency history. According to the USDA, President John F. Kennedy launched a new food stamp pilot program in 1961.
President Lyndon B. Johnson made the program permanent with the Food Stamp Act of 1964.
SNAP became the name of the program through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which overrode President George W. Bush’s veto.
