Judge’s Decision Keeps Soda, Candy Eligible for SNAP Purchases

The ongoing debate over whether soda and other junk food items should be banned from eligible SNAP purchases continues.

The Trump administration began granting waivers in 2025, allowing states to initiate bans on "sugary" purchases using SNAP.

However, a judge ruled against restricting food stamp recipients from purchasing certain "unhealthy" foods on June 22, 2026, going against the Trump's administrations' program.

So, what does this mean for SNAP recipients and what states are impacted by this ruling?

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not have the authority to approve requests from states to impose restrictions on what can be bought with SNAP benefits to exclude items like soft drinks and sugary foods, according to USA Today.

She also sided with five plaintiffs receiving benefits from SNAP, who argued that the ban limits their access to food and could have an impact on families with health conditions like diabetes.

"The federal defendants and the states may have a genuine desire to improve the health of SNAP households by encouraging healthy choices at the store, and they can take lawful steps to meet those goals," Judge Jackson said. "But what they cannot do is violate the law and their own regulations along the way."

Jackson named Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins specifically in the ruling, who along with Robert Kennedy Jr., have touted the food restriction waivers as a pillar of the Make America Healthy Again movement.

However, according to the ruling, Rollins "bypassed proper channels and contradicted the definition of what qualifies as 'food' laid out by Congress."

There were five states named in the ruling, with waivers with varying degrees of restrictions when it comes to SNAP purchases.

Colorado banned SNAP users from purchasing sodas, while Iowa banned soft drinks, sweetened drinks, candy, certain sweetened foods, and other prepared food items.

Nebraska banned the purchase of sodas and energy drinks, and planned to add candy. Tennessee banned SNAP recipients from buying processed foods and beverages such as soda, energy drinks, and candy.

West Virginia just banned the purchase of soda.

An additional 18 states have initiated their own waivers, which this ruling now may impact as well.

The Trump administration has made major changes to the SNAP program in the past year. Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill," passed in July 2025, cut an estimated $186 billion from SNAP funding through 2034, per the outlet.

As a result, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that roughly 4 million people lost benefits between July 2025 and March 2026.

Despite the latest ruling, the USDA defended the program and implied that it would move forward with attempts to restrict the program.

"Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for products that make people sick and then pay again for the medical care that follows. SNAP was created to fight hunger and improve nutrition, not to subsidize the chronic disease epidemic," RFK Jr tweeted. "Today’s ruling does not change the facts about the health harms associated with excessive sugar consumption. We will continue pursuing every available path to Make America Healthy Again."