Starting January 2026, Oklahomans who receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will no longer be allowed to purchase candy or soft drinks using their benefits. The change follows the approval of a waiver submitted by Gov. Kevin Stitt and approved by the Trump administration.
Gov. Stitt said the move is aimed at improving long-term health outcomes in a state often ranked among the least healthy in the nation. “It’s common sense — making sure taxpayer dollars aren’t funding the very foods that fuel obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease will pay dividends for generations,” Stitt said.
Under the new rules, “candy” includes products like chocolate bars, gummies, hard candies, chewing gum, and mints. “Soft drinks” refer to nonalcoholic beverages containing natural or artificial sweeteners, such as soda, energy drinks, and flavored water. Beverages containing dairy or more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice are excluded.
This policy shift aligns Oklahoma with a growing number of states — including Florida and Arkansas — that have received similar federal waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to limit unhealthy purchases with SNAP funds.
While Stitt and national health figures like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the decision as a step toward a healthier population, some in the medical community have expressed concerns. Dr. Rachel Franklin, president of the Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians, argued that improving outcomes will require more direct investment in primary care access and physician training.
Stitt has also voiced interest in further limiting SNAP purchases by removing items with artificial food coloring from eligibility.
SNAP already prohibits purchases of alcohol, tobacco, supplements, hot foods, and non-food items. Beneficiaries may use their EBT cards to buy fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, cereals, snacks, nonalcoholic beverages, and even seeds and plants used for food.
What can you buy with food stamps?
The federal government already has a list of products that cannot be purchased with its SNAP electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card:
- Beer, wine, and liquor
- Cigarettes and tobacco
- Food and drinks containing controlled substances such as cannabis/marijuana and CBD
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered before pickup from the store)
- Foods that are hot at the point of sale
- Any nonfood items such as pet foods, cleaning supplies, or hygiene products
SNAP benefits can be used to buy the following:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products
- Breads and cereals
- Other foods, such as snack foods and nonalcoholic beverages
- Seeds and plants, which produce food for the household to eat
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