Food Stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a really important program that helps people with low incomes buy food. It provides a monthly allowance on an EBT card that can be used at most grocery stores and some farmers’ markets. But, even though SNAP helps a lot of people, it doesn’t cover everything. This essay will explain what kinds of things Food Stamps don’t pay for, so you understand how the program works.
Non-Food Items
One of the main things Food Stamps don’t cover is anything that isn’t food. This means that while you can buy groceries like bread, milk, and fruits with your EBT card, other everyday items are off-limits. It’s important to remember the purpose of SNAP is to ensure people have access to nutritious food, not to cover all their basic needs.
For example, you can’t use your EBT card to purchase things like paper towels, toilet paper, or laundry detergent. These are considered household supplies and not food. Similarly, things like pet food, even if it’s technically consumed, aren’t covered because the program focuses on human consumption.
This also extends to non-food items found in a grocery store. Think about things like vitamins, supplements, or over-the-counter medications. You won’t be able to pay for them using your SNAP benefits. The focus is squarely on providing assistance with the purchase of food for human consumption, which is why these other items are excluded.
This exclusion of non-food items is often a surprise to people new to the program. It is good to make a list of items that are not covered.
- Diapers
- Cleaning Supplies
- Pet Food
- Toiletries
Prepared Foods and Restaurant Meals
Another major restriction of SNAP is on prepared foods and restaurant meals. The rules are designed to make sure the money is used for cooking at home and to promote healthy eating. This means that even if a store sells food, like a hot rotisserie chicken, you may not be able to buy it.
Generally, you can’t use your SNAP benefits at a restaurant. While the rules might vary by state or locality, and some exceptions exist, you can’t usually order a meal and have SNAP cover the bill. The intent is to support cooking and preparing meals at home. This helps people to budget their SNAP benefits carefully.
There is an exception to this rule for people who are elderly, disabled, or homeless. Some states have a Restaurant Meals Program. It allows eligible individuals to use their SNAP benefits to buy meals at participating restaurants. However, this requires specific criteria and isn’t available everywhere.
Let’s say you want to order some pizza, you cannot use your EBT card. But, if you wanted to buy the ingredients to make pizza, like flour, sauce, and cheese, you could use your EBT card. Here are some examples that do not fall under this category:
- Fast Food
- Prepared Sandwiches
- Deli Counter Meals
- Restaurant Meals
Alcohol and Tobacco
It’s probably not surprising that SNAP benefits don’t cover alcohol and tobacco products. These are considered non-essential items and are not aligned with the goal of promoting nutritional health. This applies to all forms of alcohol and tobacco, regardless of price.
You can’t purchase beer, wine, or liquor with your EBT card. Even if you find these items in a grocery store, you would need to pay for them with cash or another form of payment. This restriction reflects the program’s focus on supporting food security.
The same rules apply to tobacco products. Cigarettes, cigars, and vaping products are all off-limits for SNAP purchases. Even if you’re a tobacco user, SNAP is designed to provide assistance only for food, and tobacco use is actively discouraged for health reasons.
This is another area where the rules are very clear. The rules help keep the focus on food by creating a simple list of items to be excluded.
| Item | SNAP Eligible? |
|---|---|
| Beer | No |
| Cigarettes | No |
| Wine | No |
| Vaping Products | No |
Non-Food or Non-Food-Related Items
Beyond the big categories of household items, prepared foods, alcohol, and tobacco, there are other items SNAP doesn’t cover. These often relate to health and wellness or luxury goods. It’s important to know these exceptions to make sure you use your benefits correctly.
For example, vitamins and supplements are not considered eligible for SNAP purchase. While these products might be used to improve health, they are considered separate from the basic food categories. Similarly, things like pet food, even if it’s intended for consumption, aren’t covered under SNAP.
This also extends to luxury food items like caviar or expensive imported cheeses. These items are not considered essential foods that the SNAP program covers. SNAP is focused on providing assistance with basic nutrition, so luxury items are not included.
There are a few surprising restrictions as well. You can’t use your SNAP benefits to buy any food that is imported from another country, or any living animal. There is a list of foods that cannot be purchased that often surprises people.
- Live Animals
- Imported Foods
- Vitamins
- Alcohol
In summary, SNAP is a helpful program, but there are important limits to understand. The goal of SNAP is to provide food to families who need it. Even though SNAP provides important assistance, it is designed to help families purchase food. Now that you know the rules, you can use it properly.