According to the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Josh Brecheen reintroduced the Healthy SNAP Act. This new bill wants to exclude the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for junk foods and soft drinks.
As a matter of fact, if this new bill is approved, it would exclude prepared desserts, ice cream, soft drinks, and candy from being bought with SNAP benefits. Therefore, there would be fewer things Food Stamp recipients could get in authorized stores either online or in person.
What does the Healthy SNAP Act require?
Actually, this new bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to make sure that eligible food items encourage Food Stamp recipients to be healthier. What is more, it reflects nutrition science, cultural eating patterns, and public health concerns.
Currently, there are about 42 million Americans collecting Food Stamps in the United States. So, this bill could bring health improvements in 1 in 8 people and could help reduce the expenses of Medicaid too.
President Trump’s agenda has a clear goal, to ensure that SNAP is used for Nutritious food, instead of junk foods and soda that could cause health problems in the long term. Besides, “President Trump has been given a mandate” by most “Americans to Make America Healthy Again”.
What can SNAP benefits still buy?
In 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows Food Stamp recipients to buy:
- vegetables
- fruits
- fish
- poultry
- meat
- dairy products
- breads
- cereals
- snack foods
- non-alcoholic beverages
- plants
- seeds
However, there is also a list of non-eligible items. SNAP recipients will not be able to buy things like vitamins, medicines, or supplements. Live animals are also excluded with the exceptions of shellfish or fish that have just been removed from water. It is not possible to buy hot meals either. If you have a pet, you cannot buy its food using Food Stamps. Cleaning supplies and hygiene items are not eligible either.
Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items