What Can Food Stamps Buy? SNAP Eligible Items A–Z (2026)

Quick answer: SNAP, the program still called food stamps, can buy almost any food or non-alcoholic drink you take home to eat, plus seeds and plants that grow food.¹ It can't buy alcohol, tobacco, hot foods, vitamins, pet food or any nonfood item.¹² In 2026, some states also block soda, candy or other sweetened drinks.³ For how SNAP works and how to apply, see our SNAP guide.

What can you buy with SNAP?

Any food for your household. USDA's Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) lists these groups:¹

Fruits and vegetables
Meat, poultry and fish
Dairy products
Breads and cereals
Snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages
Seeds and plants that produce food for your household to eat

The rule behind that list is the federal regulation 7 CFR 271.2. It defines eligible foods as any food or food product meant for people to eat, except alcoholic drinks, tobacco and hot foods prepared to eat right away.² The same rule lets SNAP pay a bottle or can deposit only up to your state's refund amount.²

What can't you buy with food stamps?

Federal rules block these items in every state:¹

Beer, wine and liquor
Cigarettes and tobacco
Food and drinks with cannabis or CBD
Vitamins, medicines and supplements
Live animals, except shellfish, fish removed from water and animals slaughtered before you pick them up
Food that is hot when you pay
Nonfood items: pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, household supplies, hygiene items and cosmetics

USDA's notice to store owners also names gasoline, diapers and wipes, baby bottles, coffee filters, forks and spoons, tampons and pads, soap and phone cards.⁴ A store that takes SNAP for them can be disqualified from SNAP and fined, even if the customer says it's an emergency.⁴

SNAP eligible items A–Z

This table covers the items people ask about most. "Yes" means SNAP can pay under federal rules. A state limit may still apply (see the 2026 section below).

Item	SNAP?	Why
Alcohol (beer, wine, liquor)	No	Not an eligible food²
Baby food and infant formula	Yes	SNAP covers formula⁵
Birthday cake	Yes	Food for the household¹
Bottle and can deposits	Partly	Up to the state refund amount²
Bottled water	Yes	Non-alcoholic drink¹⁶
Bread, cereal, rice, pasta	Yes	Breads and cereals¹
Candy and gum	Yes, except in waiver states	Snack food; blocked in many 2026 waiver states³
CBD or cannabis foods	No	Controlled substances¹
Chips, cookies, crackers	Yes	Snack foods¹
Cigarettes and tobacco	No	Not an eligible food²
Cleaning supplies and soap	No	Nonfood¹
Coffee beans, ground coffee, tea bags	Yes	Drinks you make at home¹
Coffee or tea poured hot	No	Hot when you pay¹
Cold deli food, sandwiches, sushi	Yes	Cold food not meant to eat in the store⁶
Diapers and wipes	No	Nonfood⁴
Dog food, cat food, pet treats	No	Pet food is nonfood¹
Energy drinks	Depends on the label	Nutrition Facts yes, Supplement Facts no⁴
Fishing and hunting gear	Only some Alaska households	Subsistence rule; no guns or ammunition²
Fruits and vegetables, including pumpkins you eat	Yes	Fruits and vegetables¹
Gasoline	No	Nonfood⁴
Hot food, hot rotisserie chicken	No	Hot foods are excluded²
Ice	Yes	Allowed⁶
Ice cream	Yes	Dairy and snack food¹
Live lobsters and other shellfish	Yes	Shellfish exception¹
Live chickens and other animals	No	Live animals are excluded¹
Meat, poultry, fish	Yes	Staple food group¹
Medicine, vitamins, supplements	No	Supplement Facts label¹
Paper towels, toilet paper	No	Nonfood⁴
Phone cards	No	Nonfood⁴
Protein powder and shakes	Depends on the label	Supplement Facts items are out⁴
Restaurant meals	Only in the Restaurant Meals Program	Some older, disabled or homeless clients⁷
Seeds and food plants	Yes	Grow food at home¹
Soda and sweetened drinks	Yes, except in waiver states	Blocked in many 2026 waiver states³
Spices, oil, sugar, condiments	Yes	Food for the household¹

Source: USDA FNA pages, 7 CFR 271.2 and state SNAP agency pages, checked Oct. 26, 2026.

Can you buy dog food or cat food with EBT?

No. SNAP treats dog food, cat food and other pet foods as nonfood items, and USDA tells stores not to accept SNAP for them.¹⁴ The rule is the same in every state.

Food pantries can help. Of the 5,338 confirmed pantries in the PantryPath directory that list what they hand out, 503 list pet food (queried Oct. 26, 2026).⁸ Search our pantries that give out pet food.

Can you buy alcohol with EBT?

No. Beer, wine and liquor are not eligible foods, and USDA tells stores not to take SNAP for them.²⁴ Drinks with cannabis or CBD are out too.¹

Can you buy alcohol with EBT cash?

EBT cash is cash aid, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), paid through an EBT card. Federal law requires states to block TANF cash on EBT at liquor stores, casinos and adult entertainment venues.⁹ A grocery store that sells both groceries and liquor is not a liquor store under that law.⁹

Can you buy hot food with food stamps?

Not usually. Food that is hot when you pay is excluded, even at a grocery store.¹² Cold or room-temperature food you take home is fine.⁶

The main exception is the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). It lets SNAP households buy meals at approved restaurants when everyone in the home is 60 or older, disabled or homeless, or is the spouse of an eligible client.⁷ Nine states run it: Arizona, California, Illinois (Cook and Franklin counties only), Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia.⁷ Federal rules also let some households use SNAP for meals at senior dining sites, shelters and meal delivery services.² See our list of restaurants that accept EBT.

Why is rotisserie chicken not covered by EBT?

Because it's sold hot. Utah's SNAP page lists hot rotisserie chickens with hot deli sandwiches as foods you can't buy.¹⁰ A chicken from the cold case is cold food to take home, so it qualifies.⁶

What drinks can you buy with EBT?

Under federal rules, any non-alcoholic drink: water, juice, milk, soda, and coffee or tea you make at home.¹ Two limits apply everywhere. The drink can't be hot when you pay, and it can't carry a Supplement Facts label.¹⁴

Can you buy energy drinks with food stamps?

It depends on the label. A drink with a Nutrition Facts label is food. One with a Supplement Facts label is a supplement, and USDA says many energy drinks and shots carry that label.⁴ Several waiver states also block energy drinks, including Florida, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota and South Carolina.³

What can you no longer buy with EBT in 2026?

It depends on your state. USDA lists 23 states with food restriction waivers that change what SNAP can buy there, mostly soda, candy and sweetened drinks.³ On June 22, 2026, a federal court vacated the waivers for Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee and West Virginia.³

Target start date	States
Already passed (Jan. 1 to July 1, 2026)	Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah
Nov. 1, 2026	Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia
Dec. 1, 2026	Nebraska
2027	Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Wyoming
Feb. 1, 2028	Nevada
Stopped by the court	Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee, West Virginia

Source: USDA FNA food restriction waiver page (updated Oct. 13, 2026), checked Oct. 26, 2026.³ These are USDA's target dates. Each state's list is different, and USDA's page links each state agency, so check yours before you shop.³

What can you buy with food stamps in Texas?

Everything on the federal list except candy and sweetened drinks, since April 1, 2026.¹¹ Texas blocks drinks with 5 grams or more of added sugar or any artificial sweetener, so diet soda is out too.¹¹ Drinks made with milk, drinks with more than 50% juice, drinks with natural sweeteners like stevia and under 5 grams of added sugar, and medical-grade electrolyte drinks not labeled as sports drinks still qualify.¹¹

Texas lists snack items such as granola bars and popcorn as foods you can still buy.¹¹ Its limits apply online too, and a Texan shopping in another state follows that state's rules.¹¹

What can you buy with food stamps in Florida?

Since April 20, 2026, Florida blocks soda, energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts.³ Other foods on the federal list still qualify.¹

Can I buy candy and soda with EBT?

Under federal rules, yes. They count as snack foods and non-alcoholic drinks.¹ In a waiver state, often no. Utah, for example, has blocked soft drinks since Jan. 1, 2026, but still allows milk drinks and drinks that are more than half juice.¹⁰

What surprising things can you buy with EBT?

Seeds and food plants, like a tomato plant or bean seeds.¹¹⁰
Live lobsters and other shellfish, an exception to the live-animal ban.¹
Birthday cakes and pumpkins you eat, since both are food for the household.¹
Ice and bottled water.⁶
Bottle and can deposits, up to your state's refund amount.²
Hunting and fishing gear in parts of Alaska: nets, hooks, rods, harpoons and knives for households that rely on subsistence hunting and fishing, but not guns or ammunition.²
Meals at senior dining sites and shelters, for households that qualify.²

What can you buy with EBT besides food?

With SNAP, nothing beyond food, drinks, seeds, food plants and the meal programs above.¹ Toilet paper, diapers, soap, tampons and pet food all need another way to pay.⁴

Food pantries often fill this gap. Of the 5,338 confirmed pantries in the PantryPath directory that list their items, 2,652 (about half) give out at least one thing SNAP can't buy.⁸

Item SNAP can't buy	Pantries that list it
Hygiene and personal care	2,209
Diapers and baby supplies	1,331
Cleaning supplies	732
Paper goods	670
Pet food	503

Source: PantryPath directory analysis of 7,566 confirmed listings, Oct. 26, 2026.⁸ Find pantries with diapers or pantries with hygiene items.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you buy ice cream with food stamps?

Yes. Ice cream is a dairy product and a snack food.¹ Florida's waiver blocks "prepared desserts," so check Florida's Healthy SNAP page, linked from USDA's waiver list, for which desserts count.³

Can you buy baby formula with EBT?

Yes. USDA names SNAP as one of its programs that provides access to infant formula, along with WIC.⁵ State WIC agencies also provide formula to families in WIC.⁵ Our guide to free baby formula lists more options.

Can you buy chips with EBT?

Yes. Chips are snack foods.¹ For the waivers still in effect or scheduled, USDA's summaries name soda, candy, energy drinks, sweetened drinks and desserts, not chips.³

Can you buy coffee with SNAP?

Yes, if you make it at home: coffee beans, ground coffee and tea bags all count.¹ Coffee poured hot at a counter is hot food prepared to drink right away, so SNAP can't pay for it.²

Can you buy vitamins or protein powder with food stamps?

Not vitamins, or anything else with a Supplement Facts label.¹ Many protein powders and shakes carry that label, but ones with a Nutrition Facts label count as food.⁴

How we checked this

On Oct. 26, 2026, we read USDA FNA's pages on eligible foods, allowable items, the Restaurant Meals Program, infant formula and food restriction waivers, and the federal definition of eligible foods in 7 CFR 271.2.¹⁴⁷⁵³² We read SNAP pages from Texas, Utah and Georgia and the federal TANF law on EBT cash.¹¹¹⁰⁶⁹

The same day, we counted items in the PantryPath directory's confirmed pantry listings.⁸ USDA's longer guides on accessory foods and food determinations would not open, so we left out rules that only those guides cover, such as decorated cakes and gift baskets.

Next step: read our SNAP guide for benefit amounts and how to apply, or learn how to make your SNAP benefits last. If your benefits run short, find a food pantry near you.