Nearly 2.7 million people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits across five states will face new purchase restrictions over the next six weeks. The initiative, part of the Trump administration’s push to eliminate items like soda and candy from SNAP, is expanding.
Implementation Timeline
South Carolina will implement these changes on August 31. North Dakota will follow on September 1, then Montana on September 30. Ohio and Virginia will start their restrictions on October 1. This schedule is according to the USDA’s current list of SNAP food restriction waivers. In April, these five states had more than 2.6 million SNAP participants.
SNAP Benefits Overview
Each month, SNAP provides assistance to over 35 million no- and low-income Americans to help with grocery costs. The current changes do not reduce the benefit amounts. Instead, retailers will block the purchase of certain products with SNAP at checkout. These allowances and restrictions vary by state.
State-Specific Restrictions
South Carolina: Candy, energy drinks, soft drinks with added sugar, and other sweetened beverages will not be eligible for purchase. Sweetened tea, fruit punch, lemonade, and sweetened coffee are included, while diet and zero-sugar soft drinks remain eligible. The state had 495,445 SNAP participants in April, a 12.7% decrease from last year.
North Dakota: Restrictions include candy, energy drinks, and sweetened drinks. Beverages with at least five grams of added sugar, any artificial sweetener, or less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice are excluded. Milk and unsweetened beverages remain eligible. The state reported 51,706 participants in April.
Montana: Candy, high-sugar beverages, energy drinks, and shelf-stable prepared desserts are restricted. High-sugar beverages have more than 10 grams of sugar per eight ounces. Montana recorded 71,103 participants in April.
Ohio: Starting October 1, SNAP will not cover beverages with sugar or similar sweeteners as primary ingredients, or when carbonated water is first. All fountain drinks are banned. Ohio had 1,341,017 participants in April.
Virginia: Similar restrictions will begin in October. Virginia had 710,416 SNAP participants in April.
Debate Over Restrictions
These restrictions align with the administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins advocates for a refocus on nutrition. Some nutrition researchers support removing sugary drinks from SNAP, citing health concerns.
“SNAP has looked essentially the same for over 60 years, despite scientific consensus that sugary drinks harm health,” researchers from the University of Pennsylvania wrote. “Public programs can evolve to meet changing needs. Soda is harming children, and the government should not subsidize it.”
Opponents argue these measures limit choices without addressing why low-income households opt for cheaper food. Staci Gulbin, a health writer and dietitian, suggests promoting healthier choices through farmers’ markets and nutrition counseling instead of restricting purchasing options.
Policy and Legal Challenges
States like Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah have already enacted similar waivers. However, legal challenges have emerged. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the USDA exceeded its authority on SNAP restrictions in some states, but not for the states currently implementing these.
Rollins responded to the legal action, stating, “An activist judge blocked our commonsense SNAP restrictions. SNAP is for food — not sugar fueling obesity. We will keep fighting.”
Despite legal challenges, the USDA lists all five states with their implementation dates. These restrictions coincide with a decline in SNAP caseloads due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which altered SNAP requirements and financing. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted a more than 4.5 million reduction in participants from July 2025 to April 2026.