Does the "Big Beautiful Bill" change what foods you can buy with SNAP?
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The reconciliation bill signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025—known as the "Big Beautiful Bill"—does not change what groceries you can buy with SNAP benefits or ban buying “junk food” like soda, chips, or candy with SNAP benefits.
However, the new law does include significant changes to SNAP that could affect millions of Americans who rely on food assistance, including updated work requirements for who can get SNAP.
And separate from that new legislation, some states are seeking to restrict what foods SNAP-recipients can buy with their benefits and take some items, like soda and energy drinks, off the list.
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What can you buy with SNAP under the new law?#what-can-you-buy-with-snap-under-the-new-law
The new bill doesn't add new restrictions on what foods you can purchase with your SNAP benefits.
You can still use SNAP to buy most groceries, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, bread, cereal, beans and grains, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages like water and juice.
The same items that were off-limits before are still off-limits now. SNAP benefits still can't be used to buy:
- Hot prepared foods that are ready to eat, like hot rotisserie chicken or hot pizza slices
- Foods meant to be eaten in the store, like items from a restaurant inside a grocery store
- Medications and supplements like vitamins, cold and flu medicine, and other pharmacy products
- Household essentials like toilet paper, paper towels, wipes, or diapers
- Personal care items like shampoo, soap, and toothpaste
- Alcohol and tobacco products
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals prepared for pickup)
- Pet food and pet treats
Which states are banning junk food for SNAP?#which-states-are-banning-junk-food-for-snap
While the federal bill didn't change what you can buy with food stamps, several states are taking their own action to restrict certain food purchases on SNAP.
As of March 2026, the federal government has approved requests from 22 states to ban specific foods under SNAP:
- Arkansas banned soda, fruit and vegetable drinks with less than 50% natural juice, unhealthy drinks, and candy
- Colorado will ban soft drinks
- Florida is banning soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts
- Hawaii will ban soft drinks
- Idaho banned soda and candy
- Indiana banned soft drinks and candy
- Iowa banned nearly all "taxable" food items under Iowa law, including candy, ready-to-eat kettle corn or caramel corn, marshmallows, soda, and fruit juices with less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice
- Kansas will ban candy and soft drinks
- Louisiana banned soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy
- Missouri is banning candy, processed and pre-packaged prepared desserts, and "unhealthy drinks"
- Nebraska banned soda and energy drinks
- Nevada will ban candy and sugar-sweetened beverages
- North Dakota is banning candy, soft drinks, and energy drinks containing stimulants
- Ohio will ban sugar-sweetened beverages
- Oklahoma banned candy and soft drinks
- South Carolina will ban candy, energy drinks, soft drinks, and "sweetened beverages"
- Tennessee is banning “processed foods”, like candy, and sugary beverages, such as soda and energy drinks
- Texas banned sweetened drinks and candy
- Utah banned soft drinks
- Virginia banned sweetened beverages
- West Virginia banned soda and other carbonated sweetened drinks
- Wyoming will ban sweetened, carbonated beverages
These restrictions take effect at different times depending on the state, with implementation dates beginning in 2026 and continuing through 2028.
Other states considering junk food bans#other-states-considering-junk-food-bans
Twenty-two states have already been approved to restrict certain foods purchased with SNAP, affecting roughly 16 million Americans who rely on the program. Five more states have introduced bills that would expand the impact further.
State lawmakers in Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, and Georgia are proposing their own SNAP restrictions on " junk food."
