In a significant boost for Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) advocates, six additional states have secured waivers to prohibit the purchase of soda, candy, and other high-sugar junk foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program is federally funded but managed by individual states.
The waivers, which update the statutory definition of eligible food under SNAP, were granted to West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. These new purchasing restrictions will take effect in 2026.
With these approvals, a total of 12 states have now opted to limit SNAP purchases of junk food. Earlier this year, the Trump administration granted similar waivers to Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah.
“For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy, products that fuel America’s diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised the states—most with Republican leadership—for their push to improve the nutritional impact of SNAP. According to a Trump administration report released earlier this year, 42 million low-income Americans receive food stamp assistance each month, including one in five children under 17.
“It is incredible to see so many states take action at this critical moment in our nation’s history and do something to begin to address chronic health problems,” Rollins said. “President Trump has changed the status quo, and the entire Cabinet is taking action to Make America Healthy Again. … These state waivers promote healthier options for families in need.”
All 12 states with SNAP waivers will ban the use of benefits for sugary drinks, such as soda. At least eight also plan to prohibit candy purchases. Some, including Florida, Louisiana, and Nebraska, will explicitly ban energy drinks, while others, such as Arkansas, will target beverages with less than 50% natural juice.
ABC News medical correspondent Darien Sutton expressed skepticism about the policy’s effectiveness. “There’s no evidence that taking away access to soda will actually fight these conditions,” he said, according to ABC News. “Sugar is one of those culprits that you always have to be mindful of.”
He noted that U.S. dietary guidelines advise men to consume no more than 35 grams of sugar daily, and women no more than 25 grams.
