35 Items You Can Buy With Food Stamps

The stigma associated with food stamps no longer exists, so if you haven’t applied for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, that shouldn’t be the reason why.

Instead of having to use bulky food coupons that call attention, SNAP now gives you an EBT card that can be swiped when checking out. In other words, buying food with SNAP is 100 percent discreet.

Need more reasons to apply for food stamps? The monthly benefits increased for the first time in ages to help families buy more food. And if that wasn’t enough, it’s now easier to qualify for SNAP, and you can use your benefits for online grocery delivery from Instacart, Walmart, and Amazon.

Now that you have several reasons to apply for SNAP, let’s take a closer look at what you can purchase with those benefits.

Foods You Can Buy With Your EBT Card

Many think that food stamps can only be used towards absolute necessities like bread, milk, vegetables, etc. While those can be purchased with your EBT card, you can buy a lot more. Here’s a list that showcases most of the SNAP-eligible items at your disposal:

1. Water
2. Non-alcoholic beverages
3. Soda
4. Fruits
5. Vegetables
6. Fish
7. Cereal
8. Bread
9. Dairy
10. Meat
11. Shellfish
12. Poultry
13. Snacks
14. Plants to grow your own food
15. Seeds to grow your own food
16. Deli meats
17. Deli cheeses
18. Live seafood items like shrimp, oysters, lobster, and clams
19. Chicken nuggets
20. Ice cream
21. Popsicles
22. Frozen yogurt
23. Gum
24. Mints
25. Bagels
26. Donuts
27. Muffins
28. Cupcakes
29. Crackers
30. Cookies
31. Chips
32. Brownies
33. Birthday cakes
34. Gift baskets where over half of the total price consists of food items
35. Energy drinks with a Nutrition Facts label on the back (not Supplement Facts)

Are there more things you can buy with your EBT card? Yes, but that list displays most of them. What do those items have in common? They’re all considered “food.” And even though some may not seem so healthy, Congress allows for them since it would take too much time and money to ban such items.

Things You Cannot Buy With Your EBT Card

Although you could use all of your monthly SNAP benefits on items like those listed above, you may be wondering if other everyday purchases are eligible. Unfortunately, you cannot buy the following with your EBT card:

• Hot or prepared foods that you can eat in the store.
• Liquor, wine, and beer
• Cigarettes and tobacco
• Pet food
• Vitamins or supplements (if it has a Supplement Facts label, you can’t buy it)
• Cleaning and household items
• Cosmetics and hygiene products
• Prescriptions or medicine
• Soap
• Paper products
• Live animals (unless they’re live seafood)

It’s worth noting that SNAP rules frequently change, so you may be able to buy certain items in the future with your EBT card. If you do not have one yet, go here to apply.