In April 2025, two states in the United States marked a milestone by becoming two more on the list of those that asked the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for permission to ban certain products potentially harmful to the health of recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP benefits), also known as “food stamps.”
These initiatives, led by Republican governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Arkansas) and Mike Braun (Indiana), seek to reform the program to promote healthy food choices in movements that, at another time, would have been criticized if they came from the Democratic opposition. The idea, say the governors, is that SNAP benefits do not enhance public health problems such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Why SNAP benefits now limit the purchase of some foods
Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that she has asked the federal government for permission to ban things like sodas (even diet ones), juices with less than 50% real fruit, candy like Kit Kats, and even artificially sweetened products. But be careful, because now they would allow you to buy hot roast chicken, which was previously prohibited. If the USDA approves this, the changes would begin in July 2026, and people have 30 days to give their opinion.
Huckabee Sanders said the current SNAP rules are “fueling obesity, diabetes and chronic disease,” and also added: “Right now you can use the food stamps to buy a Coke or a candy bar at a gas station, but not for an Arkansas rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.”
He also mentioned that Arkansas spends $300 million a year on Medicaid treating diseases related to poor diets, and that taxpayers are “paying for the poor health of others.”
But it’s not just Arkansas. The same day, Indiana, with its governor Mike Braun, asked something similar to the USDA: they want to remove sodas and candy from SNAP benefits. Of course, their proposal is more modest: they do not include anything about adding roast chicken or other things.
Braun also announced other measures, such as requiring more work requirements for SNAP recipients, better verifying people’s income and checking for errors in program payments. He presented all of this at an event called “Make Indiana Healthy Again,” along with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the famous Dr. Oz.
The Arkansas and Indiana proposals have the support of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who has signaled that she will approve state requests to restrict SNAP-purchasable foods. This support aligns with the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, promoted by President-elect Donald Trump and supported by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health.
How much is the maximum SNAP benefits in 2025?
As established by the USDA, the maximum amounts depend on several factors, mainly the family’s income and assets, as well as the housing situation (ownership of a residential home). It is also determined by the number of people who reside in the household and depend on benefits:
- 1 person: $292
- 2 people: $536
- 3 people: $768
- 4 people: $975
- 5 people: $1,158
- 6 people: $1,390
- 7 people: $1,536
- 8 people: $1,756
- Each additional person: $220
These amounts are for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Other territories such as Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin Islands have higher benefits because the cost of living is higher than in contiguous states.
