SNAP benefits change for over 3 million Texans next week; here's what to know

Texas bans sugary drinks, snacks from SNAP benefits

Starting April 1st, Texans will no longer be able to use food stamps to buy sugary drinks and snacks. FOX 4's Steven Dial has more.

DALLAS - Starting next week, Texans will no longer be able to buy sugary drinks and snacks with SNAP benefits. Here's what you need to know.

What are the SNAP changes starting April 1?

Under the new rules, the 3.3 million Texans who rely on SNAP benefits will no longer be able to use their Lone Star Cards to buy candy, gum, or sweetened drinks. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issued the reminder as part of a final push to educate retailers and recipients before the deadline.

The policy change follows a waiver approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August 2025, a move championed by Gov. Greg Abbott and the Trump Administration to shift the program’s focus toward long-term health outcomes.

In Dallas and Tarrant Counties, about 10% of households receive SNAP benefits.

What can't I buy with my SNAP card starting April 1?

Effective April 1, 2026, SNAP recipients will not be allowed to use SNAP benefits to purchase:

• Candy, such as:Candy barsGumTaffyNuts, raisins or fruits that have been candied, crystalized, glazed or coated with chocolate, yogurt or caramel
• Candy bars
• Gum
• Taffy
• Nuts, raisins or fruits that have been candied, crystalized, 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, including non-zero sugar Gatorade or Powerade and sodas or drinks made with less than 50% vegetable or fruit juice.

What can I buy with my SNAP card?

People can buy:

• Fruits, vegetables, garden seeds, and plants that produce food
• Milk, milk substitutes and other dairy products
• Bread and cereal
• Meat, fish and poultry
• Beverages that:Contain milk or milk products like soy, rice or similar milk substitutesHave more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume
• Contain milk or milk products like soy, rice or similar milk substitutes
• Have more than 50% vegetable or fruit juice by volume

To learn more about what you can and can’t buy using SNAP, visit the SNAP Food Benefits webpage.

Miami Beach, Florida, Publix grocery store, Coca Cola, Sprite, soda bottles and 12 packs on shelf. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

What they're saying:

Celia Cole, the CEO of Feeding Texas food banks, talked to FOX 4's Steven Dial about the changes to SNAP.

"Milk or milk substitutes, regardless of their sugar content. Anything that has 50% more vegetable or fruit juice is still allowed. Things like Pedialyte, which is so important, are still allowed, and then, obviously, everything else that they've been able to use their SNAP benefits for in the past; meat, dairy, produce, canned goods, things like that, are all still allowed. Nothing else is changing."

Critics of the change say the health push sounds good on paper, but many who rely on SNAP benefits for food rely on convenience stores and gas stations for food and drinks, as they do not have access to fresh food.

Reports also show that sugary drinks and candy are not purchased in a high number by SNAP recipients.

"I think we are hopeful that we can, you know, pay close attention and surface those concerns if they come up, because obviously we don't wanna prevent people from using their SNAP benefits for their health and for the diets that they need," Coale said.