Six States Restrict Candy, Soda Purchases With SNAP Benefits Starting 2026

Starting January 2026, Oklahoma and several other states including Texas, Florida, and Colorado will prohibit the use of SNAP benefits to purchase candy and sugary soft drinks as part of the Trump administration's 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative aimed at reducing obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease. These changes follow federal waivers approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allowing states to restrict purchases of unhealthy foods and beverages with taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. support the policy, emphasizing that taxpayer dollars should not fund foods contributing to poor health outcomes. However, some medical professionals caution that improving health outcomes will require greater investment in primary care access and nutrition education, not just purchase restrictions. The new rules define candy broadly to include items like chocolate bars and chewing gum, and soft drinks to include soda, energy drinks, and sweetened beverages, while excluding dairy-based and high-fruit juice drinks. This policy aligns Oklahoma with a growing number of states that have implemented similar SNAP restrictions, while some states like Missouri continue to allow soda purchases despite attempts to ban them.