Find List of eligible food stamp items – As the government always thinks about how it can help its citizens and for this, the government comes up with different programs to help low-income citizens. The government comes with programs that help people to buy the things that they need. It is because in the US many families and individuals are low-income. Those people cannot afford to purchase one-time food and that’s why they have to face many problems in their life. So, the government thinks about them and makes new ideas to help them.
For helping low-income people, the government comes with the SNAP program. Under this program, eligible participants will get its benefits and they will get a SNAP card. With the use of the card, they can purchase their food and have a healthy meal. Under the SNAP benefits, cardholders will get nutritious food that helps them to stay healthy and fine. However, if you are a SNAP or EBT cardholder and want to know about the food items that are eligible to purchase with the card then you can read this article.
In this article, you will know about the food items that are eligible to purchase with SNAP or EBT card according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Because USDA manages what products a cardholder can purchase or not. Basically, the main aim of the SNAP program is to provide healthy and nutritious food to eligible people. So that they don’t face any issues and can live a better life by eating good food.
Not only this, but you can know about the SNAP and EBT card-eligible items and what items are not eligible to purchase with the card. But if someone tries to purchase the products that are not eligible to purchase with the card then they have to end up going to jail or face big troubles. So, it’s very important for the SNAP or EBT card beneficiaries what food products they can purchase and what not. Let’s continue and get full info about this.
Highlights of this Post
List of eligible food stamp items
You can see a complete list of the food products that one can buy with food stamps. But you cannot buy the food items like hot foods or the food that is sold to be eaten in the store like restaurant that accept ebt food stamp food. You can see the SNAP-eligible food items with the specific items. Let’s continue and look at the list of eligible food items.
What are the SNAP Eligible Food Items include
Here is the list of SNAP-eligible food items given. You can see what products the SNAP card holders can purchase. These are:
- Dairy Products
- Bread and Cereals
- Water ad non-alcoholic beverages
- Meat and poultry
- Vegetables and fruits
- Fish and shellfish
- Seeds and plants (grown for at-home consumption)
- Snack items and soda
All these products are eligible to buy with the SNAP benefits from the store.
What are the Examples of eligible SNAP EBT Food Items
Some cardholders as well as store owners doubt their minds about what products eligible EBT cardholders can purchase. That’s why here a specific food items list is given. So that cardholders and store owners both can have a clear idea about the EBT-eligible food items. Let’s look at the list of SNAP EBT food items list:
- Chips
- Snack crackers
- Steak
- Cookies
- Cupcakes
- Gum and mints
- Birthday cakes
- Bakery items like donuts, muffins, and bagels
- Chicken Nuggets
- Brownies
- Energy drinks (with nutrition)
- Popsicles and frozen treats
- Live seafood including shrimp, clams, oysters, lobsters
- Ice cream and frozen yogurt
All these are the items that are eligible to purchase with SNAP EBT benefits or cards.
Also Read : Walmart Accept EBT Card SNAP Food Stamps As Payment
Ebt eligible non food items
Even for some items, the FDA has some guidelines. Such as:
Energy Drinks
The energy drinks that have the nutrition label are considered to buy with a SNAP or EBT card. But the energy drinks that have a supplement label are not considered to purchase under the SNAP benefits, because those drinks are considered supplements.
Live Animals
A person cannot purchase live animals to eat. However, live animals like lobsters and other shellfish can purchase under SNAP benefits.
Pumpkins
A SNAP or EBT cardholder can purchase the pumpkins for their food. But the pumpkins and gourds that are available in the market for decoration purposes, those one cannot purchase with their SNAP or EBT card.
Holiday Gift Baskets
Same, if you want to purchase any kind of holiday gift basket that contains both food and non-food items then it is not eligible to purchase with a SNAP card. But if the amount of the non-food product does not exceed more than 50% of the purchase price, then it may be possible to purchase, but only for selected items. To know more about this, one can visit the official website.
Birthday or other occasion cakes
Birthday cakes and cakes for other special occasions can purchase with their EBT or SNAP card. But if they also try to purchase non-edible items then they must not exceed 50% of the purchase price of the cake.
That’s why before purchasing any item it is necessary to check all the details about that if the product is eligible or not to buy.
What items are food stamp eligible
In the above, you see that there are various items that one can purchase with their EBT card. But here is the list given that shows which products one cannot purchase with their EBT card food stamp benefits. Let’s continue and look at the list:
- Pet food and supplies
- Paper and soap products
- Cigarettes and tobacco
- Beer, wine, and liquor
- Cleaning and household supplies
- Personal hygiene items and cosmetics
- Hot food items and prepared food
- Medicines and prescriptions
- Vitamins and supplements
- Live animals (except shellfish)
- Any items with supplement facts label
It is important for the buyers as well as for the store owners to know what items are coming into the SNAP or EBT card benefits. Because if the owner does not follow the rules or tries to not give the proper benefit of the EBT cards to the cardholders then it will consider as constitutes Food Stamps Fraud. And if the owner did food stamp fraud then he has to face big problems or he has to go to jail for this as well.
For this, the government also uploads some videos on its website, so that store owners or retailers can watch them and under what could happen if they did not provide proper benefits of EBT cards to the cardholders.
Food Stamps EBT Frequently Asked Questions
Here are various questions and answers mentioned that can help you to know about the SNAP EBT card benefits and other related things. So, let’s continue and look at those frequently asked questions.
Can you buy energy drinks with food stamps?
If you have the SNAP EBT Card, then you are eligible to purchase the energy drinks. But you can purchase only those energy drinks that have the nutrition label to be eligible for purchasing under EBT benefits. You have to make sure that the energy drink you are buying has a nutrition label because if the energy drink does not have a nutrition label it is not eligible to purchase under the SNAP benefits. Because these types of drinks are considered supplements by the USDA. So, they are not eligible to purchase under the SNAP EBT benefits as per the rules.
Can you buy cold rotisserie chicken with EBT?
It is because, according to the USDA rules, SNAP EBT benefits do not allow to purchase the of cold or hot rotisserie chicken. The USDA SNAP rules prohibited spending on prepared and heated foods. As, you read above in the article that the food is not eligible at the stores, but if someone is eligible to eat at restaurants then they are eligible for this.
Can I buy deli Food with SNAP EBT?
A SNAP or EBT card holder is not eligible to purchase any kind of cold or hot food from the stores. But yes one can purchase deli meats, cheese, and others. Along with them, from the deli, one can also buy cold, uncooked items with their EBT card. If you don’t know which products you can purchase then you can ask at your deli counter for SNAP EBT-eligible food items.
Can you buy a Birthday or ice cream cake with EBT?
Yes, one can purchase a birthday cake or ice cream with their EBT card. Such as for birthdays, and other special occasions one can purchase cake easily under their SNAP benefits. But here is one condition for purchasing the birthday cake, the value of any non-edible decorations and not more than 50 percent of the purchase price of the cake. If they try to purchase the cake with the card, then they are not eligible to purchase the cake with the SNAP EBT card.
Can you buy Vitamins, Supplements, and Power Bars with EBT?
If you want to purchase vitamins, supplements, power bars, energy drinks, and other products then those products must meet eligibility requirements. Like, the products that have the nutrition label on them, those products are eligible food. If any item has the supplement facts label and is classified by the FDA then those items are not eligible for purchase.
Can I purchase a pumpkin with my EBT card?
Yes, one can purchase the pumpkin with their EBT card and food stamps benefits. But they cannot use their SNAP EBT card benefits to purchase the pumpkins and gourd that are used for decoration or ornamental decorations.
Can you buy Pet food with SNAP EBT?
No, one cannot purchase pet food with their SNAP EBT card. For example, pet food or supplies, dog food, dog treats, cat food, cat litter, toys, and other such things one cannot buy by using their SNAP EBT card. You can check for this on the USDA website as well. If you try to purchase any kind of pet food with your SNAP EBT card that means you are trying to violate the law. And for this, you may go to jail. So, don’t try this.
List of Eligible Food Stamp Summary
Now, you see that in this article complete list of foods is given that a person can purchase with the use of their SNAP EBT card. However, these items are important for retailers as well. So that they could know what items they have to sell to the cardholders. However, if someone asks for other things that they cannot purchase with the SNAP EBT card then it is a violation of the rules and for this, they have to face a big problem. You can know more about the food items and other things related to SNAP and EBT card benefits and more. However, if you think to purchase some other items with the eligible items then you can ask for them from the retailer or can check the eligible items’ list