What Can You Buy With EBT? Allowed Items, Banned Items, and 2026 State Soda and Candy Restrictions

The short answer is that SNAP benefits on your EBT card cover most grocery store food, but not everything sold in the store. In 2026 the answer also depends on where you live, because a growing list of states now blocks soda, candy, or both. Here is what the federal rules allow, what they do not, and how the new state restrictions work.

What You Can Buy With SNAP

Under federal rules, SNAP benefits can be used for food you take home and prepare. That includes:

• Fruits and vegetables, fresh, frozen, or canned

• Meat, poultry, and fish

• Milk, cheese, eggs, and other dairy products

• Bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and other grains

• Snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks (subject to the state restrictions below)

• Seeds and plants that grow food for your household, such as tomato plants or herb seeds

You can use your card at grocery stores, supermarkets, many convenience stores, and at farmers markets and farm stands that accept EBT.

What You Cannot Buy With SNAP

Federal rules do not allow SNAP benefits to be used for:

• Alcohol, beer, wine, and liquor

• Cigarettes and tobacco products

• Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. A quick way to tell: if the product label says "Supplement Facts" instead of "Nutrition Facts," it is not SNAP eligible.

• Hot foods and foods heated at the store, such as a hot rotisserie chicken or a hot deli meal

• Food eaten in the store, such as items from a salad bar or counter with seating

• Pet food

• Non-food items such as soap, paper towels, diapers, cleaning products, cosmetics, and toiletries

• Gift cards and other non-food purchases

The hot food rule trips people up. The same chicken is eligible if you buy it cold or chilled and not eligible if it is sold hot. A cold sandwich from the deli case is generally fine.

The Exception: The Restaurant Meals Program

Some states run a Restaurant Meals Program that lets certain SNAP recipients buy prepared meals at approved restaurants. It is limited to people who are age 60 or older, have a disability, or are experiencing homelessness, and only states that choose to offer it participate. Ask your state SNAP agency whether it has one.

Can You Use EBT to Shop Online?

In most states, yes. You can pay for eligible groceries online at participating retailers, and large chains such as Walmart and Amazon accept EBT in many places. A few things to know:

• You can pay for eligible food with SNAP, but you cannot use SNAP to pay for delivery fees, service fees, or tips. Those need another payment method.

• You enter your EBT card number and PIN at checkout, so only shop on the retailer's official site or app.

• Availability depends on your state and on which retailers deliver to your address.

The Big 2026 Change: State Soda and Candy Restrictions

Under federal law, soda and candy have always been SNAP eligible.

That is now changing state by state. USDA has been approving food restriction waivers that let individual states block specific items, mostly soda, other sugary drinks, energy drinks, and candy.

When a restriction is active, the store's checkout system generally declines the restricted item when you pay with SNAP, and you have to pay for it another way.

These restrictions only apply to SNAP. Your state's rules do not affect what other shoppers can buy.

States Where Restrictions Have Already Started

According to USDA's waiver page, updated October 13, 2026, these states have target start dates that have already passed:

States With Restrictions Coming Soon

Target dates have moved before, so treat these as estimates and confirm with your state agency.

The Court Ruling You Should Know About

Not every approved waiver is in effect. USDA's page notes that on June 22, 2026, a federal court in Washington, D.C. ordered the approval of the waivers for Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee, and West Virginia vacated and said implementation may not proceed. In those states, soda and candy purchases are not being blocked under those waivers. Many websites still list these states as having bans, so check USDA's page or your state agency for the latest status, because litigation and new approvals can change the picture quickly.

What About My State?

If your state is not on either table, there is currently no approved restriction for it on USDA's list, and the standard federal rules apply. If your state is listed, look at your state agency's website for the full list of restricted products. Brand and size matter in some states, and the lists can be long.

EBT Cash Benefits Work Differently

Some EBT cards also hold cash benefits, such as TANF, which are separate from SNAP. Cash benefits are not limited to food. They can be used at stores for everyday purchases and in many cases withdrawn at an ATM. The SNAP food rules and the state soda and candy restrictions apply only to the SNAP side of your account.

Tips to Avoid a Declined Purchase

• Check your balance before you shop. See our guide on how to check your EBT card balance.

• Look for the Nutrition Facts label, not Supplement Facts, on packaged items.

• Choose cold or room-temperature versions of deli and prepared foods.

• Ask the cashier to ring up SNAP-eligible items first, so you can pay for anything else separately.

• If a purchase is declined and you think it should have been allowed, ask the store manager or contact your state's EBT customer service.

The Bottom Line

SNAP still covers most of what you put in a grocery cart: fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, and many snacks. What has changed in 2026 is that the answer now depends on your state, with soda, candy, or both blocked in a growing number of them. Check your state agency's current rules before you shop, since the list is still changing.

Official Sources

• USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, SNAP Food Restriction Waivers (page updated October 13, 2026)

• USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, What Can SNAP Buy?

• Your state SNAP agency

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or benefits application advice. SNAP rules, including state food restrictions, change frequently and vary by state. Always confirm what you can purchase with your state's SNAP agency or the number on the back of your EBT card.