Junk Food Ban on Snap Benefits To Roll Out to Hundreds of Thousands in One State in 2026

If you receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds, you're going to want to pay close attention to an update that is being made to how benefits are allowed to be used in certain states. That's because there's a change coming to SNAP benefits in 2026, and the federal program has requested that states adopt tighter restrictions on what the funds can be used to purchase.

While some states have been slow to adopt the changes, others have signed them into law this year.

Critics of the change say that it targets low-income households, giving them extra restrictions at a time when many benefits and social programs are already being cut. And worse, this change seems to impact children and teens the hardest, since they are the ones more likely to be losing out on the options that more restrictive legislation cuts out of the funding.

Want to learn more about the 2026 SNAP benefit changes? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know.

Alabama is set to become one of the U.S. states to adopt the Trump administration's push to prohibit SNAP recipients from purchasing junk food and candy with their benefits. The legislation was approved by the governor on Apr. 15, 2026, when Kay Ivey signed SB57 into law. From there, the legislation goes to the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for final approval.

If the agency signs off on it, the change will take place on Oct. 1, 2026 and will impact around 750,000 folks.

As for exactly which foods will be impacted, well that's a little bit trickier to define, since the text of the bill defines candy as "food products that list sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, or high fructose corn syrup as a primary ingredient," according to Newsweek.

That means things like chocolate, chewing gum, and candy will likely be on the no-go list, while prepared bakery items and desserts, as well as cooking and baking ingredients, are likely still going to be okay.

According to Propel, Alabama is among 23 states with strict limits on what you can buy with SNAP benefits. The list includes:

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

While each state had different parameters (some ban soda, while others ban all sweetened beverages, for example) these states appear to have the strictest rules about purchases.

Like we said, this change was brought about by the Trump administration, which suggested the junk food ban and then offered states the ability to create restrictions for residents receiving the benefits, requiring them to submit the waivers for government approval before they can be officially passed. "These waivers are a key step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP," the government's website says.

Critics of this decision say that it imposes too many restrictions on low-income families, punishing them unnecessarily by taking away small pleasures like candy and treats that are often enjoyed by the children of the SNAP benefits.