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Aliss Higham

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Four more states have introduced purchasing restrictions for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, despite a court ruling attempting to strike down the measures.

Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia introduced new restrictions on November 1, preventing recipients from using their benefits to buy certain "junk food" products, including candy and sugary drinks.

The changes are part of a longstanding Trump administration effort to promote healthier diets in the federal food assistance program, which services more than 35 million people nationwide. However, restrictions in certain states have faced legal challenges from advocates who argue they limit food choices available to low income households.

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While SNAP benefits are available nationwide and largely paid for by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program is administered by individual states. States can request to make changes to the program through waivers, with 12 states currently having unhealthy food restrictions in place after previously being approved by the USDA.

New State Junk Food Bans

The USDA has confirmed the following purchasing restrictions are now in place:

The restrictions came into force on November 1 despite a June court ruling that invalidated similar policies in other states. On June 22, a U.S. district judge ruled that the USDA had exceeded its legal authority by approving junk food restriction waivers in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia. It ruled the USDA had failed to comply with federal notice requirements for several of the demonstration projects.

The judge's decision only impacted those five states, however it temporarily delayed the implementation of new rules in Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia.

Which States Have SNAP Restrictions?

Eight states have already introduced junk food restrictions. They are:

Six more states have restrictions that are scheduled to begin in 2027 or later:

Nebraska is also planning to introduce SNAP bans on soda, soft drinks and energy drinks beginning December 1, with further restrictions on candy to begin on March 1, 2027. However, the waiver is still awaiting approval from the USDA.

SNAP Junk Food Debate

Despite legal action and calls from advocates to stop the restrictions, the Trump administration has argued barring unhealthy foods from SNAP purchases will ensure taxpayer-funded assistance supports healthier diets.

"SNAP is for food—not sugar bombs fueling obesity, diabetes, and skyrocketing healthcare costs for low-income families," Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins wrote on X in June this year. "Taxpayers shouldn’t subsidize junk food and drinks at the expense of American health."

But anti-hunger groups and advocates have said the restrictions unfairly target low-income Americans and limit consumer freedoms.

“The issue isn't about individuals misusing their benefits, but their limited choices. In many rural areas and food deserts, convenience stores and fast-food chains are often the only available options," Kavelle Christie, a health policy and advocacy expert, told Newsweek. "For many families, fresh produce and healthy meals are luxuries that are unattainable, not because they do not want these foods, but because they are unavailable or too expensive.”

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Emma Lee-Sang

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