23 States Restricting SNAP Food Purchases
By Isabella Gomez
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Coast News
June 11, 2026
MOBILE, Ala. The Trump administration is placing restrictions on grocery store items that can be purchased with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Restrictions primarily cover snack foods including chips, candy and sweets, sodas and other similar items.
Information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lists 23 states that are restricting the purchase of non-nutritious items and those that cause obesity.
The USDA called it “a key step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP.”
Each state has its own restrictions on SNAP-eligible foods, with some only opting to restrict soda while others are restricting candy, energy drinks, prepared desserts and more.
Each state has a different target date for implementing the new guidelines. Many target dates have already passed, while others are coming up this summer and fall.
The states that have approved restrictions for SNAP-eligible foods include:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
For information about exactly what products each state is restricting, visit the USDA website.
According to the Associated Press, SNAP is a major part of the U.S. social safety net, helping about 39 million Americans (about 1 in 9) buy groceries.
Beneficiaries decreased by nearly 4.3 million from January 2025 to January 2026, according to preliminary government data released by the USDA. Experts say new requirements, mandated by a massive tax and spending cut bill Republicans pushed through Congress last summer, are the primary reasons.
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