The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as “food stamps,” is an important federal initiative in the United States designed to combat food insecurity and hunger, particularly among low-income households.
In 2024, an estimated 41 million Americans, or roughly one in every eight people, will receive these benefits. The program allows participants to buy a wide range of necessities such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and cereals.
While this program did not initially have many restrictions on the foods that could be purchased, each state has the ability to impose requirements, and as a result, several have begun to prohibit specific foods in order to ensure that benefits are used for healthy eating.
Which states have banned the purchase of certain foods with SNAP benefits?
What products can be purchased with SNAP?
- Fruits and vegetables.
- Dairy.
- Cereals.
- Breads.
- Meat, fish and poultry.
- Healthy snacks
- Plants and seeds (when used to grow produce for personal consumption).
