The governor of Texas on Aug. 5 announced federal approval of an unhealthy food exclusion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to ensure its nutritional purpose.
With this approval, the Texas government will restrict the purchase of sugary drinks and candy under the program.
“By restricting unhealthy foods from being purchased with SNAP benefits, Texas can help ensure the health and well-being of Texans,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement.
“The new SNAP guidelines will ensure taxpayer dollars are used to purchase foods that provide real nutritional value,” he added. “I thank Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Trump Administration for approving Texas’ waiver to promote healthy eating habits. Working together, we will build a stronger, healthier Texas.”
Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Deputy Executive Commissioner for Access and Eligibility Services Molly Regan said, “These changes will help Texans improve their health outcomes, well-being, and quality of life.”
Starting April 1, 2026, SNAP recipients will no longer be able to use program benefits to purchase candy, artificially sweetened beverages, or beverages with five grams or more of added sugar.
The governor’s office said HHSC is informing retailers about foods eligible for payment with the program and compliance.
SNAP helps low-income individuals, seniors, and people with disabilities purchase food to maintain good health, according to the Texas HHSC website. Food benefits are deposited onto the Lone Star card, which can be used like a debit card at authorized stores that accept the program.
The program helps approximately 3.5 million low-income Texans. Foods allowed under the program include fruits and vegetables, meats, grains, milk, garden plants and seeds, and food purchased online.
The program excludes the purchase of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, items that cannot be eaten or drunk, and beneficiaries cannot use benefits to pay food-related bills.
This announcement comes after Abbott submitted a letter to the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service on May 15 requesting an exemption to prohibit SNAP benefits from being used to purchase unhealthy foods.
Nearly a month later, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called on all governors to ban sugary drinks from SNAP, according to a statement from the Department of Agriculture.
“Taxpayer dollars should never bankroll products that fuel the chronic disease epidemic,” Kennedy said, praising the governors of Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Iowa, and Nebraska who had committed to program exemptions.
On July 2, the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO) called on countries to increase prices on sugary drinks, alcohol, and tobacco by at least 50 percent over the next decade as part of a broader effort to curb chronic diseases and generate critical public revenue.
The UN agency said in a statement that consumption of these products is contributing to an “epidemic” of noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes and some types of cancer.