If you're one of the 42 million Americans who use food stamps, get ready for some significant changes to your grocery cart. Starting in 2026, a wave of new restrictions will reshape what the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will actually pay for, as states embrace bans on soda, candy and what officials are calling "junk food."
The Healthy Eating Push Goes Nationwide
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has greenlit food-restriction waivers for 18 states under President Donald Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative. Six new states just joined the roster: Hawaii, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. They'll phase in prohibitions on soft drinks, candy, energy drinks and certain desserts throughout next year.
"With these new waivers, we are empowering states to lead, protecting our children from the dangers of highly-processed foods, and moving one step closer to the President's promise to Make America Healthy Again," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a recent statement.
The rollout timeline varies by state. Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia kick things off on Jan. 1 with bans on soda and energy drinks. Missouri takes a broader approach starting Oct. 1, 2026, targeting candy, prepared desserts and multiple categories of sugary beverages.
Iowa's Particularly Strict Approach
Iowa is testing what might be the toughest SNAP model in the country. Beginning Jan. 1, the program will only cover non-taxable foods and food-producing plants. That effectively eliminates most candy and soft drinks while keeping staples like fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and bread on the approved list.
The scale here matters. About 42 million people across 22.7 million households have received SNAP benefits so far this fiscal year, according to Pew Research. That's nearly one in eight U.S. residents.
Adding to Already Complex Rules
These restrictions aren't starting from scratch. Federal rules already prohibit SNAP purchases of alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, hot prepared foods and non-food items like soap, paper products and pet food. The new state-level bans just add another layer of complexity to an already intricate system.
The nutrition crackdown arrives alongside broader political turbulence for SNAP. Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act tightened work requirements and immigration restrictions while trimming roughly $200 billion in future food-aid funding. The administration has also threatened to withhold administrative payments from Democratic-led states that refuse to share detailed recipient data.