Candy and soda no longer eligible for SNAP in Indiana INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The year 2026 brings with it new restrictions on what SNAP recipients can purchase using public food assistance. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers p rohibiting the purchase of certain foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Beginning Thursday, users of SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, can not longer purchase candy or sugary drinks with their benefits. Gov. Mike Braun announced the change in the spring as part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. Secretary Mitch Roob of Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration told News 8 two-thirds of Hoosier adults are overweight or obese. He said the new rule is one way state officials want to encourage healthy eating. He said the FSSA will track data from dental benefit usage and reported weights at doctors’ offices to see how the new rule impacts SNAP users. “This is really focused on trying to indicate to Hoosiers, whether they are adults or children, that you are what you eat,” he said. “While sweets may taste good, they don’t do much for you nutritionally and, in many respects, are actually a negative.” So far, the rule covers candy but not potato chips or ice cream, though Roob said FSSA officials might add those products later. He said the new rule also does not apply to baked goods such as cakes or cookies because it’s harder to distinguish the nutritional makeup of those goods compared to bread or bagels, for example. On the beverage side, drinks containing any sweeteners are now off-limits, including soda or sweetened tea, but fruit juice is still OK. The new rules also prohibit using SNAP to buy sports drinks or energy drinks. Roob said pediatric electrolyte drinks such as Pedialyte are exempt from the new rule because those can be given to a sick child. Indy Hunger Relief’s Mark Lynch said it’s hard to say how often people use SNAP benefits to buy candy because SNAP users always rely on a combination of their benefits and income from their jobs to get through the month. SNAP users have work requirements and Lynch said benefits almost never are enough to last the entire month. A family of four in Indiana cannot receive more than $994 per month, for example. “When people are given the choice, they make the best choices for their family. And they know that better than I know that, better than you know that, better than all of us advocates and even the administration of the state,” Lynch said. Lynch said the new rules likely will have a mixed impact on SNAP users. He said they likely will cause confusion and embarassment at the point of sale, something he said is a major obstacle for SNAP users already. He said there’s nothing to stop SNAP users in places like South Bend or Evansville from going across a state line to spend their dollars elsewhere. On the positive side, he said they will help educate people on healthy food choices. Lynch said he’d like to see the state pair the new rules with ways to incentivize SNAP users to buy healthier foods, such as working with grocers on discounts. Meijer offers SNAP users a 10% discount on produce and milk and Kroger this month launched a 20% produce discount for verified SNAP, WIC and Medicaid users. A report by the National Grocers Association and other industry trade groups estimated that implementing SNAP restrictions would cost U.S. retailers $1.6 billion initially and $759 million each year going forward. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ...read more read less