New rules for Idaho's SNAP benefits will soon restrict the purchase of most candy and soda, drawing a range of reactions across the state.By Sunday, Idahoans using SNAP benefits will no longer be able to purchase candy and soda with their food assistance cards, following a statewide ban signed into law by Governor Brad Little last year.WATCH: How new food stamp limitations are sparking mixed reactions across the state Idaho SNAP benefits new candy and soda restriction sparks debateKristen Hendryx is currently working to requalify for SNAP benefits after being laid off. She said the change could help her avoid old habits, admitting that when she used SNAP in the past, junk food was an easy impulse buy."That actually helps me a lot, said Hendryx. "Sugar seems to be my standby addiction when I kick everything else, so not being able to buy those on the food stamps, and I actually go to Winco and buy meals, helps me a lot personally.RELATED | Idaho Health Welfare clarifies eligible SNAP purchases after junk food banHendryx said that pattern contributed to pre-diabetes. Now, she believes the limitations will help keep her health on track."So I need high protein foods like jerky and nuts and protein shakes, and that stuff is really expensive, so on my own I couldn't really afford it without a little bit of help. You don't get that stuff at food banks," Hendryx said.But for some families, protein-rich diets aren't always an option. Amanda Chester said two of her children have medical conditions that require low-protein diets, making affordable foods a necessity."No meat, no eggs, so really anything that we consider good is not good for them, said Chester. A lot of the stuff that they have is pretty highly processed, but it's the only thing that we can feed them, unless it's like fruits and vegetables, and a lot of that adds up really fast."RELATED | Government shutdown threatens SNAP benefits for 130,000 IdahoansEmina Sadiki also receives SNAP benefits and said that while she supports healthier eating, she wishes the state had chosen limits over an outright ban."My son was not happy because every week on a Wednesday me and him go out, he gets himself a soda, he gets himself his favorite candy bar, and we indulge in the car. And it's just kind of our moments, and so now he's like, 'do I not get to have that anymore?' Sadiki said. Right now, I don't think they're trying to make me healthy. Right now, I just think they're trying to control me.The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare wrote in a statement to Idaho News 6 that it is planning to perform an evaluation to identify impacts from the changes.The Department has created candy and soda guidance sheets to help shoppers navigate the new rules, which reveal that not all candy is treated equally under the law.A Kit Kat bar, which contains sugar and comes in bar form, remains SNAP-eligible because it contains flour. Gummy bears, however, contain sugar and come in small pieces but have no flour and require no refrigeration, making them ineligible for SNAP benefits.A full breakdown on what qualifies can be found here: Idaho SNAP recipients face new candy and soda restrictions starting Feb. 15 ...read more read less