St. Pete-Clearwater Sun

Florida’s roughly three million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients are waking up to new limits on what they can buy with their benefits, as restrictions on certain foods and drinks took effect today.

Beginning April 20, soda, energy drinks, candy, and ultra-processed shelf-stable prepared desserts can no longer be purchased using SNAP benefits in Florida. Florida received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August 2025 to implement these changes for a two-year period, under the Trump Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.

Florida officials say the changes are intended to provide low-income households with access to more nutritious foods, better aligning with SNAP’s intended purpose. Benefit amounts will not change — recipients will maintain their current allotments and can still use them at SNAP-authorized retailers.

The list of what is and isn’t allowed has some nuance. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade, plain sparkling waters, and drinks containing more than 50% juice or fewer than 5 grams of added sugar per serving remain eligible. Granola bars, Pop-Tarts, BelVita biscuits, and freshly prepared baked goods can also still be purchased. Blocked items include products like Twinkies, Oreos, and Chips Ahoy cookies, as well as energy drinks such as Monster and Red Bull.

Not everyone is on board with the changes. Community navigator Earlishia Oates raised concerns about diabetic seniors who rely on small amounts of candy to manage blood sugar levels, saying officials are “not thinking about the whole picture.” Others questioned whether the policy addresses the right problem. “Healthy foods are more expensive. Take the snacks out, lower down the healthy foods, then we can call it even,” said Cortez Everett, a Tampa-area SNAP recipient.

Retailers are required to work with their point-of-sale providers to automatically block newly restricted items at checkout and inform employees so they can assist customers with questions. Recipients will receive updates through the MyACCESS portal, text messages, and program materials, and in-store flyers will be available to help identify ineligible items.

The food restrictions are one of several changes underway for the program. Separately, Florida is implementing expanded work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill signed by President Trump, which now applies to able-bodied adults ages 55 through 64 and to parents without children younger than 14 — groups not previously subject to the rules. A DCF estimate projects about 181,000 Floridians will lose benefits under the new requirements.

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