Three states ban junk food from SNAP benefits: What to know

Junk food purchases using SNAP benefits have been banned in three more states, taking the national total to six.

Arkansas, Idaho and Utah have all had waivers approved that will ban unhealthy purchases from being made using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Tuesday.

They join three states who had their waiver requests approved in May: Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska.

Why It Matters

Across Arkansas, Idaho and Utah, about 540,000 people collect SNAP benefits to help them pay for groceries. Several other Republican states are considering limitations on what SNAP recipients can buy using their benefits as part of the Make America Healthy Again movement.

What To Know

A waiver grants flexibility by modifying specific USDA program rules, enabling states to administer the SNAP program in different ways. Various states currently have SNAP waivers in place, and they were widely implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to enhance access to food benefits.

According to the USDA press release, each waiver will come into force in 2026. In Arkansas and Idaho, the ban covers soft drinks and candy purchases. In Utah, the ban is only for soft drinks.

Governors have cited concerns over obesity and the pressure poor health puts on other taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid. According to Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, 23 percent of food stamps—$27 billion annually—spent by recipients goes toward soft drinks, unhealthy snacks, candy and desserts.

Critics of the purchase limitations have said such policies are paternalistic and fail to address the fact that many low-income communities face disparities in accessing healthy, affordable food options.

What People Are Saying

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement sent to Newsweek: “States have always been the greatest laboratories of democracy, and I am confident the best ideas will come from them. Whether demonstration pilots on allowable purchases, or newfound ways to connect work-capable adults to jobs, or even new ways to get food to communities, I will continue to encourage states to be bold and enact change.”

Idaho Governor Brad Little: “Idaho proudly welcomes the MAHA movement because it is all about looking for new ways to improve nutrition, increase exercise, and take better care of ourselves and one another, especially our children. We are excited to partner with the Trump administration in bringing common sense to the government’s food assistance program with the approval of our SNAP waiver.”

Kavelle Christie, a health policy and advocacy expert, told Newsweek: “The issue isn’t about individuals misusing their benefits, but their limited choices. In many rural areas and food deserts, convenience stores and fast-food chains are often the only available options. For many families, fresh produce and healthy meals are luxuries that are unattainable, not because they do not want these foods, but because they are unavailable or too expensive.”

Valerie Imbruce, director of the Center for Environment and Society at Washington College, previously told Newsweek: “Controlling how the poor eat is a paternalistic response to a problem that is not based in SNAP recipients’ inability to make good decisions about healthy foods, it is a problem of the price differential in choosing healthy or junk foods. Soda and candy are much cheaper and more calorie dense than 100 percent fruit juices or prebiotic non-artificially sweetened carbonated beverages, thanks to price supports and subsidies by the federal government to support a U.S. sugar industry.”

What Happens Next

Lawmakers in several other states—Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Texas, and West Virginia—are all considering making similar bans. Some have submitted waiver requests to the USDA while others are considering bills.