Shoppers using SNAP benefits in four more states are seeing a shorter list of what the card will cover at checkout. Restrictions on soda, other sweetened drinks and, in three of the states, candy took effect Nov. 1 in Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia.
The rules do not change who qualifies for SNAP or how much a household receives. They change which items the benefits can pay for, and the lists differ from one state to the next.
What Each State Now Restricts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture tracks the state rules on its SNAP food restriction waivers page, last updated Nov. 3, 2026. The page lists Nov. 1, 2026, as the implementation date for all four states, with these restricted categories:
Montana: high-sugar beverages, energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts.
North Dakota: sweetened beverages, energy drinks and candy.
South Carolina: candy, energy drinks, soft drinks and sweetened beverages.
Virginia: “sweetened beverages.”
Virginia is the only one of the four that does not restrict candy. Montana’s list is the broadest, since it also covers packaged desserts.
For households planning school lunches around what the card still covers, Frenzhub has a list of easy lunch ideas for kindergarten kids. Frenzhub’s list of budget foods that even the wealthy eat covers more low-cost basics, and Craftingyourhome.com has a rundown of food items worth keeping on hand before a supply disruption.
Montana’s Rules Cover Packaged Desserts
Montana’s state social services agency, DPHHS, spells out its definitions on its SNAP food restriction page. High-sugar beverages are drinks made with carbonated or flat water that contain more than 10 grams of sugar per 8 fluid ounces. Candy includes gummies, licorice, hard candies and chocolate in bar or piece form. Shelf-stable prepared desserts include packaged cookies, snack cakes and shelf-stable pastries.
The state’s list of items that can still be bought is just as useful. Artificially sweetened drinks, drinks that are more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice, milk, milk substitutes, coffee and tea all remain eligible. So do protein bars, store-made bakery items, sugar-free gum, and baking ingredients such as chocolate chips, sprinkles and baking mixes. Families who bake at home can keep stocking the basics, much like the pantry items in Craftingyourhome.com’s list of the kitchen staples grandmothers kept within arm’s reach.
Coffee drinkers are unaffected, since Montana excludes coffee and tea from its energy-drink definition. Households brewing at home can compare machines in this guide to the best Keurig coffee makers.
North Dakota Also Covers Artificially Sweetened Drinks
North Dakota draws a tighter line on beverages. According to North Dakota’s state waiver page, restricted drinks include those with 5 grams or more of added sugar, any amount of artificial sweetener, or less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice, along with drink mixes. Energy drinks and shots with 65 milligrams or more of caffeine per 8 ounces, or stimulants such as guarana or taurine, are also out.
Candy in North Dakota includes chocolate bars, gummies, caramels, taffy and licorice, plus non-bakery items dipped or coated in chocolate or candy coating. Milk and milk substitutes, unsweetened drinks, tea without added sugar, granola and cereal bars, and baking ingredients such as honey, sugar, flour, maple syrup and chocolate chips remain eligible, the state says.
The state also notes that the rules apply to purchases made in North Dakota regardless of which state issued the benefits, and that online retailers must block restricted items on orders delivered to a North Dakota address.
Virginia Targets Soda, Including Sugar-Free Versions
Virginia’s restriction is limited to sweetened beverages, but the category reaches further than sugary soda alone. Restricted drinks include regular soda, sugar-free and zero-sugar soda, carbonated energy drinks, and carbonated drinks with 5 or more grams of added sugar per serving, Richmond station WRIC reported as the rules took effect on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Many drinks are still covered in Virginia, according to the station, including non-carbonated energy drinks, unsweetened seltzer, lemonade, juice, iced tea, iced coffee, milk and milk alternatives, yogurt drinks and infant formula.
South Carolina’s waiver covers candy, energy drinks, soft drinks and sweetened beverages, and the USDA table lists the same Nov. 1 implementation date for the state.
What Stays the Same, and Which States Are Next
Outside the new restrictions, SNAP’s core rules have not changed. Benefits can still be used for produce, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, breads, cereals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, according to the USDA’s page on SNAP-eligible food items. Seeds and plants that grow food are also eligible. Alcohol, tobacco, hot foods sold ready to eat, and nonfood items such as pet food, cleaning supplies and paper products were already excluded nationwide.
In practice, a restricted item can still be bought, just not with SNAP. Montana’s page says retailers must update their point-of-sale systems to block restricted items, and North Dakota says restricted items scanned at checkout cannot be paid for with benefits. Those items can still be paid for another way, such as with cash or a debit card.
The four Nov. 1 states join others already enforcing similar rules. USDA’s table lists earlier implementation dates in 2026 for Utah and Indiana on Jan. 1, Idaho and Oklahoma on Feb. 15, Louisiana on Feb. 18, Texas on April 1, Florida on April 20 and Arkansas on July 1.
More are scheduled. USDA lists Wyoming for Feb. 1, 2027, Kansas and Missouri on Feb. 15, 2027, Hawaii and Ohio on April 1, 2027, and Nevada on Feb. 1, 2028. Each state publishes its own product definitions, so a drink that is eligible in one state can be blocked across the border.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Anselm Schüler – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
