Washington, D.C. — Americans using SNAP in Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia can no longer use their benefits to buy many types of junk food, including soda, energy drinks, candy, and other taxable snacks, under new state waivers that took effect January 1. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins rolled out these limits in December as part of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, a effort that President Donald Trump has strongly backed
New Year SNAP rules take effect
SNAP recipients in five states face the first wave of nutrition-focused purchase limits approved under federal food restriction waivers.
Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah, and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to bar certain sugary drinks and snacks from being bought with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
“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.
What changes by state
- Indiana: SNAP can no longer be used to buy soft drinks and candy.
- Iowa: Imposes the toughest rules, banning all taxable food items — including soda, candy, and many prepared foods — except food-producing plants and seeds.
- Nebraska: Prohibits SNAP purchases of soda and energy drinks.
- Utah: Bans soft drinks for SNAP users.
- West Virginia: Bars the use of SNAP for soda and soft drinks.
Scale and timing of the shift
Roughly 1.4 million people across the five states are affected by the new restrictions that took effect on New Year’s Day.
Federal officials say the waivers will run initially for about two years, during which states must study the impact on participants, retailers, and overall program outcomes.
Health goals and political backdrop
The restrictions are framed as part of a national push to “Make America Healthy Again,” targeting chronic diseases linked to sugary beverages and ultra-processed snacks.
Supporters argue that taxpayer-funded nutrition aid should not subsidize products blamed for obesity and diabetes, while critics warn of added burdens for retailers and confusion for low-income shoppers at checkout.. At the same time,
What comes next
At least 13 additional states, including Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and others, are approved or seeking to implement similar SNAP food limits later in 2026.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service will collect data from state pilots before deciding whether to extend, expand, or revise the new junk-food restrictions nationwide.
Earlier efforts in Congress to narrow what SNAP can buy were blocked after USDA research concluded that such limits would be expensive, difficult to administer, and unlikely to change obesity rates or purchasing patterns significantly.
