Surprising items you can buy with SNAP food stamps.
Find some of the surprising items that SNAP food stamps and EBT benefits allow families to buy. This includes restaurant food in several states, some deli food or birthday cakes and more. Of course, the cost of the “non-traditional” eligible items need to be within the households EBT budget, but government rules and regulations do allow it. Find more information on what EBT food stamps will pay for, much of it may be a surprise to you.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the modern version of the federal government's food stamp program. Note that the name of SNAP often varies by state, but they do have the same rules and regulations set at the federal level. The benefit helps tens of millions of families pay for the groceries and items they need to feed their family. Knowing what purchases SNAP allows or prohibits will help you to wisely manage your monthly benefits.
General eligible items that food stamp EBT card does or does not pay for
In general, SNAP allows purchases of food items that require home preparation. EBT eligible items include meat, poultry and fish, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, bread, cereals and non-alcoholic beverages. Really what most people consider “traditional” groceries are allowed by SNAP. Payments for those goods are made by using an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card just as you would use a debit card. EBT will also pay for vitamins and nutritional supplements in some states.
SNAP does not allow the purchase of tobacco products, alcohol, soap, paper products and cleaning or household supplies. Also prohibited are purchases of toothpaste, cosmetics, hygiene items such as deodorant, diapers and baby wipes, grooming items, vitamins or medicine. With a few exceptions, SNAP cannot be used to buy hot food or food that will be consumed in a store. However there are free products people can get of those items, and look here for free samples by mail with no requirements.
Your EBT card cannot be used to buy pet food or toys, but nothing prevents you from purchasing "human" food for your animal family members. Buying a can of tuna to feed a dog or cat can be less expensive than buying a similar size can of cat food.
SNAP also does not pay for bag or delivery fees charged by a store. Therefore, families need to shop in store and can’t use companies like Instacart and others. However, if free delivery is available once you purchase a specified dollar amount, both SNAP and non-SNAP items are counted toward that total. Always remember that the use of SNAP benefits is not restricted to grocery stores.
Find a list of surprising stuff that can be purchased using SNAP benefits
The Restaurant Meals SNAP Food Stamp Program may surprise you in that it allows families to get prepared meals in several states. The federal Restaurant Meals Program, established in 1978, allows EBT card payments to buy food, meals and drinks at some fast-food outlets. These include McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, Popeye's, and Subway in states that are involved in the program.
- The programs focuses on elderly, disabled or homeless persons. Families recovering from a medical condition may also benefit from using an EBT card at a restaurant. The aim is to help people who may lack either the physical capability to prepare their meals at home or the necessary means to store and cook food at their place of residence.
- Participating states of the Restaurant Meals Program include California, New York, Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland, Virginia and Rhode Island. Even if a state opts in to the program, each county must also choose whether or not to participate. As a result, the number of restaurants where SNAP benefits can be used is very limited. To determine whether fast-food outlets will accept SNAP benefits, look for a sign stating that EBT payments are accepted. Get details about restaurants that accept EBT near you.
An EBT card can be used to pay for mid-to high end food. While is is an option, doing so may be a poor use of the limited amount of funds provided as part of SNAP benefits. Food stamps can pay for deli purchases, seafood, steak and pizza, which may surprise many people.
- Some deli food in grocery and convenience stores can be purchased with an EBT card. This primarily includes cold food such as packaged sandwiches, sliced lunch meat and salads. Hot foods like a rotisserie chicken or steamed shrimp and food meant to be consumed immediately or on the premises such as soup and chili can't be purchased.
- Steak, lobster, seafood and other shell fish can be purchased with an EBT card although they may be rather pricey. Therefore a low-income family on SNAP, while they can pay for those goods, need to carefully consider the cost. Similarly, organic food qualifies for purchase although it is typically more costly. While such purchases may surprise many recipients, doing so not be the wisest use of your limited funds, but they are allowed.
- Pizza can be purchased from take-and-bake outlets like Papa John's or a local grocery store since the pizza will be cooked elsewhere. However, baked pizzas from places like Pizza Hut and Domino's cannot be purchased unless the outlet participates in the Restaurant Meals Program.
- SNAP food stamps can be supplemented with items from a pantry or soup kitchen too. As while each free food distribution center has different types of products offered (often based on donations) many people are pleasantly surprised to find organic items, high end meat and more. Locate a free food distribution center in your area.
 High-energy drinks can be also be surprisingly purchased with SNAP food stamps as an item if the label or packaging contains nutritional information. If the label on your energy-boosting beverage only includes supplemental information, then the drink is considered a supplement and, like vitamins and medicine, cannot be purchased using SNAP funds. Approved beverages include Red Bull, Monster Energy and Bang Energy Drink.
Food stamps can pay for gift baskets, cakes and some junk food. Maybe surprisingly, Thanksgiving or Christmas gift baskets, stockings and tins can be purchased using SNAP benefits so long as the food value of the items is clearly worth more than 50% of the purchase price. A large stuffed animal toy that is said sold with a small box of candy would not qualify since the toy is obviously worth more than the candy.
- However, a gift basket of meats, cheeses, cookies or snacks that also includes a small toy could be purchased since the food value clearly exceeds the toy value. Even an Easter basket filled with edible treats can be purchased using SNAP but Easter baskets filled with toys cannot be bought.
- Birthday cakes are covered by SNAP benefits if the decorations are minimal. The edible portion of the cake must make up at least 50% of the value. Cakes that include costly, extravagant decorations such as those often found on wedding cakes may not qualify for purchase as the decoration value may exceed the value of the edible portion of the cake.
- While not recommended (due to lack of nutritional value), food stamps will surprisingly pay for what is traditional “junk food” or snacks. An EBT card can be used to pay for junk food such as candy, cookies, ice cream, soda, chips and crackers can all be purchased with SNAP funds even though may lack significant nutritional value.
A SNAP EBT card can pay for planting, hunting and fishing item. Many people do not know this and would find this unusual, but that stuff can be bought. Plants, fruit trees, roots and seeds that produce food for personal consumption can be purchased, which makes sense. For example, if you want to grow tomatoes or carrots, SNAP will cover the cost of the seeds.
- Seeds and plants that make cooking spices may also surprising qualify. The seeds must produce items to be used for food and not simply for decoration. Food grown with seeds or plants purchased with SNAP benefits cannot be sold.
- Hunting and fishing equipment can be obtained with SNAP benefits in some rural areas where there are few stores and people hunt or fish year-round as a way of life to put food on the table. For example, in rural Alaska, many people have a subsistence lifestyle in which hunting and fishing is essential to provide sufficient food for the family.
There are surprising locations that accept the use of food stamps. EBT cards can be used at butcher shops, meat markets, gas stations, vitamin and convenience stores. Farmers markets in all 50 states accept SNAP funds although the market must be licensed to accept payments. Some U-pick berry farms also accept EBT payments. Read more on using food stamps at a farmers market.
- SNAP food stamp EBT cards cannot be used to purchase food at wineries, liquor stores or other outlets where the sale of alcoholic beverages is the primary activity. Of course they can’t pay for beer, wine, or alcohol too.
- While you cannot purchase items from a local Starbucks stand-alone store, what is a huge surprise to many is that you may be able to buy your favorite Frappuccino, a canned beverage or packaged foods from a Starbucks kiosk located within a grocery store. The reason being is that items sold in that location are considered grocery items.
In many states, EBT cards can be used to purchase eligible groceries online from Amazon, Kroger, and other online retailers. Any grocery store that has an online presence will accept food stamps. In addition, seniors or the elderly with a certain need can buy pet food, including for dogs or cats, with SNAP food stamps.
- When browsing online, Amazon provides a list of EBT eligible items that can be purchased. Individual listings also state whether the product is EBT-eligible. Just add your EBT card as a payment method and use it to checkout. Other businesses accepting online EBT card payments in many states include Walmart, ShopRite and Safeway.
SNAP Food Stamps - EBT will help people get a free tablet. This is the result of government programs such as Lifeline. Free cell phones or tablets, including Apple iPhones or Samsung Galaxy units, are provided to people on food stamps and that have an EBT card. The federal government, working with telecommunication companies, ensures that low-income people on public aid, including SNAP, are eligible for a wireless device so that they have a way to communicate and/or access the Internet. Get a free tablet with food stamps.
SNAP food stamps have some flexibility that may surprise you
Thousands of products are eligible for purchase with SNAP funds from the basics to provide daily nutrition requirements to fun foods that, though less nutritious, make life more enjoyable. There are even other SNAP purchasing rules. In addition to these surprising items that can be bought, making use of coupons, sale events and purchasing inexpensive seeds to grow some of your food can maximize your SNAP benefits and help ensure that you and your family won't go hungry.
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