After legislation was passed last year, families and parents on SNAP are voicing their displeasure over the upcoming ban on soda, candy, and most sweet treats. Texas Senate Bill 379, signed by Governor Abbott, redefines what counts as “food” for the program. The goal is to steer taxpayer dollars toward nutritional staples like meat, produce, and dairy, and away from treats they deem harmful.
In a post shared to the Texas Reddit and originally reported by the Houston Chronicle, a bill passed last year is finally coming to a head, and Texas folks on SNAP are none too pleased. The bill, passed last year by the outspoken Texas governor, has banned the following items. Effective April 1, 2026, SNAP recipients can’t buy candy and sweetened drinks in Texas with their Lone Star Cards.
New Restrictions
- Candy, such as:
- Candy bars.
- Gum.
- Taffy.
- Nuts, raisins, or fruits that have been candied, crystallized, glazed, or coated with chocolate, yogurt, or caramel.
- Sweetened drinks, including nonalcoholic beverages made with water, that contain 5 grams or more of added sugar or any amount of artificial sweetener.
Items that can be purchased include beverages that:
- Contain milk or milk products, such as soy, rice, or similar substitutes.
- Have more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume.
As you can imagine, this has angered many in the state, who wonder why poor folks on SNAP have to suffer when there are surely better ways to promote health, other than this initiative, which comes across as aggressive and not actually conducive to healthy living. Texas Dems and Republicans had plenty to say about the new ban.
“Yeah the problem is that the government subsidizes big corn and other parts of the food industry to make things business friendly for them at the detriment of the consumer. This is decades of that happening.”
“I want SNAP recipients to have candy and soda. This is a fine use of my tax dollars. We all need our little treats to get through the horror of knowing the atrocities being committed with our other tax dollars.”
“Poor people don’t deserve treats you guys /s”
“No one said they couldn’t. They just have to use their own money.”
“That’s fine. Only a finite amount of money anyway, benefits aren’t a 100% free ride. Want to waste money? Go ahead. Still spending the rest of your money, EBT only happens 12 times a year.”
Texas has made a page here with a fully detailed spread of information on the upcoming ban and what their options will be as the hard date approaches next month.
