Can you buy hot food with EBT?
No, if you get SNAP benefits, you can’t buy hot food with your EBT card. That means you can’t use your food stamps on things like rotisserie chicken, hot coffee, hot pizza—basically any foods that are hot when you buy them.
However, in certain states, some people who get SNAP can use EBT at restaurants if they qualify for the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), which is for people who may not be able to cook for themselves because of lack of housing, age, or disability.
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The rules about EBT and hot food#the-rules-about-ebt-and-hot-food
As a general rule of thumb, any prepared foods or drinks that are hot and ready to eat when you buy them, like pizza, hot dogs, hot hoagies, or warm rotisserie chicken, are not SNAP-eligible, meaning you can’t use EBT to buy them.
But if the prepared food is sold cold and supposed to be eaten somewhere else, like a pre-packaged and chilled deli sandwich or salad at the grocery store, it is probably SNAP-eligible.
That means you can use EBT on things like:
- Salad kits
- Pre-cut fruit and veggie platters
- Pre-made chicken, tuna, or egg salad
- Cold, premade sandwiches
Is there an EBT hot food program?#is-there-an-ebt-hot-food-program
Yes, the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) is available in certain states and allows participants to buy hot food at restaurants using their EBT card.
The RMP is meant to fill a gap for people who receive SNAP benefits, but are unable to prepare their own food, either because they’re unhoused, disabled, or above a certain age.
The Restaurant Meals Program is available in nine states:
- Arizona
- California
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
The RMP includes fast food chains like Subway and McDonald’s, as well as other national and local restaurants.
You can find RMP eligible locations on your state’s benefits website, or through a sign displayed on the restaurant's front window, door, or near the cash register.
Ways to buy hot food with EBT#ways-to-buy-hot-food-with-ebt
While many people who receive SNAP benefits may not have access to, or be eligible for the Restaurant Meals Program, they may still be able to (sort of) buy hot food with EBT:
- Take-and-bake pizza. You can purchase a prepared, but uncooked, take-and-bake pizza anywhere that takes EBT and then heat it up at home.
- Halal (Middle Eastern) stores and restaurants. Some local Halal delis and stores have an attached restaurant or kitchen. They may sell customers cold food, then offer to prepare it or heat it up for free. This means the food is SNAP eligible, as it’s uncooked or raw when it’s sold.
