Latest news with #non-SNAP
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Indiana bans sugary drinks, candy from SNAP
Once a week, a single mother and her two young children sit around a table to play a board game. Between turns, the three of them bite into a candy bar and sip a can of soda. The mother, who is on SNAP, has a job, but has a limited income so she can't afford to take her children on vacation or to the movie theater, said her friend Stephanie Boys, an associate professor of social work and an adjunct professor of law at Indiana University. To that mother, Boys said game night with a little treat is how she makes memories with her children. 'They eat healthy the rest of the time, it's just that's their family time,' Boys said. 'She is on such a limited budget that she doesn't know if she'll be able to afford the weekly treat.' Her friend's son is autistic, Boys said, so he relies on structure and always looks forward to family game night, which includes their weekly sweet treat. Boys said her friend has been stressed further because her son only takes his medicine with a sip of ginger ale. 'Having that weekly night to look forward to is very important to him. It's going to be even more difficult than with a neurotypical kid to try to explain, 'we're still going to play our games, we just might not have our soda with it,'' Boys said. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently signed a waiver filed by Indiana officials to remove sugary soft drinks and candy from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. 'More taxpayer-funded SNAP dollars are spent on sugary drinks and candy than on fruits and vegetables. Indiana is proud to lead the way in the Make America Healthy Again agenda by making this common sense move to return the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to its intended purpose: nutrition,' said Indiana Mike Braun in a statement. Braun's statement claimed purchases of sugary drinks, desserts and candy exceed the combined sales of fruits and vegetables on SNAP, but data does not bear that out. A USDA study from 2016 showed soft drinks comprise around 5% of each dollar spent in SNAP and candy amounts to 2%. The vast majority — 80% — is spent on meat, fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, eggs, dairy and prepared foods. Children enrolled in SNAP consume 43% more sugary drinks than non-SNAP recipients with similar incomes, according to Braun's statement. Boys and Leslie Lenkowsky, professor emeritus in public affairs and philanthropic studies at Indiana University, said they haven't seen that statistic in SNAP reports and aren't sure where Braun received that information. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was in Indianapolis in April to roll out Braun's Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative and stated that every governor should follow Braun's lead. Lenkowsky said the U.S. has had various food stamp programs that have gone through many changes in eligibility rules and restrictions over the years. Indiana's ban on sugary drinks and candy will be hard to enforce, he said, because it will rely on merchants at stores telling customers they can't make those purchases using SNAP. What will likely happen, Lenkowsky said, is that people on SNAP will try to re-budget to see if they can afford soda and candy another way. If not, he said what could happen is people negotiate with their friends or neighbors that they will buy them a grocery item or two on their SNAP benefits if the other person buys them soda or candy. While the pendulum may shift on food benefits, Lenkowsky said the bottom line is that people in poverty need support. 'People may be poor and needy, but they deserve respect,' Lenkowsky said. Boys said she wasn't surprised that Indiana was approved to remove sugary soft drinks and candy from SNAP because some U.S. Congressmen and women have proposed similar actions. Arkansas filed a similar waiver to Indiana's by banning soft drinks and candy, Nebraska filed for a waiver to ban sugary drinks and energy drinks from SNAP, and Iowa filed a waiver to ban anything that's eligible for sales tax, which bans sugary snacks and drinks, from SNAP, Boys said. 'I think we're going to see more and more states asking for these waivers,' Boys said. But waivers like this don't address food deserts or access to healthy foods, Boys said. People who use SNAP typically live closer to a convenience store than a grocery store, so there's more access to snacks and processed foods, she said. While convenience stores do sell some healthy items, like apples and bananas, the cost of those foods is greatly marked up compared to a grocery store, Boys said. Government officials should work toward incentivizing healthier eating in another way, she said. Removing sugary drinks and candy from SNAP will put more of a stigma on children who live in poverty, Boys said. For example, Boys said at her children's school students are encouraged to bring candy on standardized test days to share with the class. Under this change, some students won't be able to participate. 'If their friends come to school with candy and they don't have that, it's hard for parents to explain why they can't buy that. Especially when you go to the grocery store and at check out there's all this candy right in front of you,' Boys said.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Indiana bans the use of SNAP for soda, candy after Trump administration approval. What to know
The Trump administration has signed off on Gov. Mike Braun's plan to restrict food-stamp recipients in Indiana from using their benefits to buy soda or candy, meaning those purchases will be prohibited starting in January. Braun announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the state's waiver allowing the state to restrict those purchases from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits. "Indiana is proud to lead the way in the Make America Healthy Again agenda by making this common sense move to return the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to its intended purpose: nutrition," Braun said in a statement. A few other states have requested similar waivers from the U.S.D.A. under the Trump administration. The Trump administration also signed a more restricted waiver request from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and a request from Nebraska to ban soda and energy drinks. Arkansas and Idaho also have sought waivers. "Soaring obesity rates have brought our nation and state to a crossroads," said Reynolds, as reported by the Des Moines Register. "To promote healthy eating and protect future generations from disease — and to ensure SNAP fulfills its core function — we need a change. Those pushing back against Indiana's request include U.S. candymakers. 'SNAP participants and non-SNAP participants alike understand that chocolate and candy are treats – not meal replacements," said Chris Gindlesperger, senior vice president for the National Confectioners Association. "In fact, candy purchasing patterns are basically equivalent between SNAP and non-SNAP families – with only about 2% of SNAP purchases being candy." Experts who study the SNAP program previously have said they still expect SNAP recipients to buy soda and candy at normal rates, even with the ban in place. For example, rotisserie chickens also aren't allowable SNAP purchases, but people still purchase them, just not with benefits, Northwestern University professor Diane Schanzenbach previously told IndyStar. "I think that what this will do is increase the administrative costs of SNAP and not really change behavior potentially at all or not very much," Schanzenbach said. About 600,000 people in Indiana used SNAP in 2022, according to federal data. The average monthly benefit is $162 per person. About 23% of the households receiving SNAP received income from wages or work, according to USDA. Once the ban on candy and soda purchases with SNAP benefits goes into effect, not all candy will be banned. That's because of Indiana's tax code. Braun cited specific Indiana code to define the soft drinks and candy that he sought to ban as eligible purchases under SNAP. Candy is defined in Indiana code as "a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces." The code specifically does not include recipes that contain flour. Twix bars, with their crunch cookie bases, don't qualify. Nor does a Reese's Take 5, which has pretzels. "Based on this definition, many items commonly considered to be candy, including many candy bars, are not classified as 'candy' for Indiana sales tax purposes," according to the Indiana Department of Revenue's 2023 sales tax information bulletin. Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@ Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana bans SNAP for pop, candy after Trump administration approval
Indianapolis Star
23-05-2025
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana bans the use of SNAP for soda, candy after Trump administration approval. What to know
The Trump administration has signed off on Gov. Mike Braun's plan to restrict food-stamp recipients in Indiana from using their benefits to buy soda or candy, meaning those purchases will be prohibited starting in January. Braun announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the state's waiver allowing the state to restrict those purchases from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Benefits. "Indiana is proud to lead the way in the Make America Healthy Again agenda by making this common sense move to return the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to its intended purpose: nutrition," Braun said in a statement. A few other states have requested similar waivers from the U.S.D.A. under the Trump administration. The Trump administration also signed a more restricted waiver request from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, and a request from Nebraska to ban soda and energy drinks. Arkansas and Idaho also have sought waivers. "Soaring obesity rates have brought our nation and state to a crossroads," said Reynolds, as reported by the Des Moines Register. "To promote healthy eating and protect future generations from disease — and to ensure SNAP fulfills its core function — we need a change. Those pushing back against Indiana's request include U.S. candymakers. 'SNAP participants and non-SNAP participants alike understand that chocolate and candy are treats – not meal replacements," said Chris Gindlesperger, senior vice president for the National Confectioners Association. "In fact, candy purchasing patterns are basically equivalent between SNAP and non-SNAP families – with only about 2% of SNAP purchases being candy." Experts who study the SNAP program previously have said they still expect SNAP recipients to buy soda and candy at normal rates, even with the ban in place. For example, rotisserie chickens also aren't allowable SNAP purchases, but people still purchase them, just not with benefits, Northwestern University professor Diane Schanzenbach previously told IndyStar. "I think that what this will do is increase the administrative costs of SNAP and not really change behavior potentially at all or not very much," Schanzenbach said. About 600,000 people in Indiana used SNAP in 2022, according to federal data. The average monthly benefit is $162 per person. About 23% of the households receiving SNAP received income from wages or work, according to USDA. Once the ban on candy and soda purchases with SNAP benefits goes into effect, not all candy will be banned. That's because of Indiana's tax code. Braun cited specific Indiana code to define the soft drinks and candy that he sought to ban as eligible purchases under SNAP. Candy is defined in Indiana code as "a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces." The code specifically does not include recipes that contain flour. Twix bars, with their crunch cookie bases, don't qualify. Nor does a Reese's Take 5, which has pretzels. "Based on this definition, many items commonly considered to be candy, including many candy bars, are not classified as 'candy' for Indiana sales tax purposes," according to the Indiana Department of Revenue's 2023 sales tax information bulletin.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trump administration urges states to limit what can be bought with food stamps
By Leah Douglas (Reuters) -The Trump administration is calling on states to request waivers that would bar food stamp recipients from buying soda and other processed foods with their benefits, according to a Thursday op-ed by U.S. health and agriculture secretaries, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Brooke Rollins. The secretaries, in the USA Today op-ed, promised more shared initiatives to further the Make America Healthy Again agenda promoted by Kennedy and backed by President Donald Trump. Kennedy and Rollins said the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture were pursuing reforms to the nation's largest food aid program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and called on all governors to submit waivers to restrict what SNAP recipients can buy. "We will encourage taxpayer dollars to go toward wholesome foods, such as whole milk, fruits, vegetables and meats," the secretaries wrote. More than 41 million low-income people receive SNAP benefits, which are administered by the USDA. The call for waivers is the latest chapter in a years-long debate over whether SNAP recipients should be able to use their benefits to buy soda or other processed foods. Critics of restrictions, including some Democrats, see them as stigmatizing. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen on April 7 sent a letter to Rollins indicating the state would request a waiver to prohibit SNAP recipients from buying soda and energy drinks with their benefits, according to a state press release. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey in late March signed a similar letter of intent at an event with Kennedy, according to a state press release. There is little evidence that SNAP recipients consume significantly more soda than non-SNAP households. A 2016 USDA study found that soda was the top commodity category purchased by SNAP households and the No. 2 commodity for non-SNAP households, with the difference accounting for less than 1 cent per dollar.
Reuters
10-04-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Trump administration urges states to limit what can be bought with food stamps
April 10 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is calling on states to request waivers that would bar food stamp recipients from buying soda and other processed foods with their benefits, according to a Thursday op-ed by U.S. health and agriculture secretaries, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Brooke Rollins. The secretaries, in the USA Today op-ed, promised more shared initiatives to further the Make America Healthy Again agenda promoted by Kennedy and backed by President Donald Trump. Kennedy and Rollins said the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture were pursuing reforms to the nation's largest food aid program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and called on all governors to submit waivers to restrict what SNAP recipients can buy. "We will encourage taxpayer dollars to go toward wholesome foods, such as whole milk, fruits, vegetables and meats," the secretaries wrote. More than 41 million low-income people receive SNAP benefits, which are administered by the USDA. The call for waivers is the latest chapter in a years-long debate over whether SNAP recipients should be able to use their benefits to buy soda or other processed foods. Critics of restrictions, including some Democrats, see them as stigmatizing. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen on April 7 sent a letter to Rollins indicating the state would request a waiver to prohibit SNAP recipients from buying soda and energy drinks with their benefits, according to a state press release. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey in late March signed a similar letter of intent at an event with Kennedy, according to a state press release. There is little evidence that SNAP recipients consume significantly more soda than non-SNAP households. A 2016 USDA study found that soda was the top commodity category purchased by SNAP households and the No. 2 commodity for non-SNAP households, with the difference accounting for less than 1 cent per dollar.
