Florida SNAP benefit changes: Here's what to know

ORLANDO, Fla. - Starting on Monday, April 20, 2026, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Florida will no longer include soda, energy drinks, candy, and some dessert snack foods.

Florida is one of a number of states that have implemented similar changes to what drinks and foods are eligible to be bought under SNAP.

"Florida made this change to better align SNAP with its intended purpose: providing low-income households access to a more nutritious diet to help alleviate hunger and combat malnutrition," reads Florida's SNAP website. 

What items are no longer allowed to be purchased using SNAP benefits in Florida?

• Soda
• Energy drinks
• Candy
• Ultra-processed prepared desserts

What does that mean?

Here is how candy, prepared desserts, energy drinks, and soda are defined under Florida law:

Candy

A product that involves the preparation of sugar or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, caramels, gummies, and hard candies or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces.

Not allowed:

• Candy, chocolate bars, gummy candies, like Hershey's, Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, Annie's Fruit Snacks, M&Ms, etc. This also includes trail mix containing candy, according to the SNAP website. 

Allowed:

• Granola bars, breakfast toaster strudels and pastries, and breakfast biscuits are OK, including BelVita and Pop-Tarts.

Soda

A beverage that is made with carbonated water and that is flavored or sweetened with added sugar or artificial sweeteners such as corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose.

Not allowed:

• Most regular sodas, diet sodas, or zero-sugar sodas, like Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Pepsi, or Diet Pepsi, etc. This also includes generic-branded sodas.

Allowed:

• Carbonated water – plain or naturally flavored – is OK, like LaCroix, Waterloo, and Bubly, or similar brands.
• Any beverage that is more than 50% vegetable juice or fruit juice by volume, or contains less than 5 grams of added sugar is also OK, like Gatorade or Powerade.

Energy drinks

A beverage containing at least sixty-five (65) milligrams of caffeine per eight (8) fluid ounces that is advertised as being specifically designed to provide metabolic stimulation or an increase to the consumer's mental/physical energy. 

Not allowed:

• Energy drinks like Monster, Red Bull, Celsius, 5-Hour Energy, etc. This includes generic brands.

Allowed:

• Sports drinks, like Gatorade and Powerade are OK, as are tea, coffee, and tea-based and coffee-based drinks.

Desserts

A processed, shelf-stable, ready-to-eat, pre-packaged sweet food intended for immediate consumption without any further preparation. This would include foods mostly made out of "chemically" modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal whole foods.

Not allowed:

• Twinkies, Ho Hos, Swiss Rolls, Oatmeal Creme pies, Chips Ahoy, etc. This includes generic brand names too.

Allowed: 

• Granola bars, breakfast toaster strudels and pastries, and breakfast biscuits are OK, including BelVita and Pop-Tarts.
• Freshly prepared baked goods.

When do the new rules start and end?

The exemptions begin April 20, 2026, and will last for at least two years – through April 19, 2028.

The changes are part of a two-year demonstration project. 

What are SNAP Benefits? 

SNAP benefits help provide food for low-income families. Families apply for SNAP benefits. There are strict work- and income-based requirements to be eligible for benefits under the program. 

Click here for more information on who is eligible and not eligible for SNAP benefits.