TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — If you receive SNAP benefits, restrictions are coming to what you can purchase with your card.
Here's how the USDA describes the four exclusions:
WATCH: Nutrition education top of mind in University Area as Florida nixes soda, candy from SNAP benefits
Excluded Foods:
- “Candy” means a product that involves the preparation of sugar or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, caramels, gummies, and hard candies or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces.
“Prepared Desserts” means a processed, shelf-stable, ready-to-eat, pre-packaged sweet food intended for immediate consumption without any further preparation. This would include foods mostly made out of “chemically” modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal whole foods.
Excluded Beverages:
- “Soda” means a beverage that is made with carbonated water and that is flavored or sweetened with added sugar or artificial sweeteners such as corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose. “Soda” does not include carbonated water which is plain or naturally flavored or any beverage that is greater than 50 percent vegetable or fruit juice by volume, or that contains less than five grams of added sugar.
- "Energy drinks" means a beverage containing at least sixty-five (65) milligrams of caffeine per eight (8) fluid ounces that are advertised as being specifically designed to provide metabolic stimulation or an increase to the consumer's mental physical energy. "Energy drinks" does not include coffee or tea or any substantially coffee or tea-based beverage.
The USDA approved Florida's waiver request to launch a "demonstration project". The project is set to launch at the start of 2026 and wrap up by the end of 2027. However, a three year extension is available.
In that time, the state will look into the effects of cutting those types of food out, including: reduction of diseases/illnesses, changes in behaviors, increase nutrition knowledge.
According to the waiver the state submitted to the USDA, as of April 2025, Florida had a statewide SNAP caseload of 1.68 million households and 2.98 million individuals.
LaTiecea Hailey-Brown is the Chief Operating Officer of the University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC). It's a neighborhood that is no stranger to the impacts of food insecurity.
“Our area is a food desert,” Hailey-Brown said. “We do our best to support the community. With the adjustments to SNAP, we need to educate families about their food options.”
She says when she first heard about the changes coming to SNAP benefits, she knew her team would get to work helping people understand the change and the other options available.
“When you take something away, you can’t just give a one-sentence explanation. That's not going to land well,” Hailey-Brown said. “We aim to provide valuable, comprehensive information and alternatives.”
She says some community members turn to local convenience stores or dollar stores for food options.
“A lot of times, people go to the nearest store, which isn’t always well-stocked with healthy choices,” she noted. “We’ll work with local vendors to ensure that they carry items available on the SNAP list.”
UACDC provides various programs designed to teach families about nutrition and cooking skills.
“We want them to grab fresh vegetables from our garden and learn how to prepare them,” Hailey-Brown explained. “Imagine someone experiencing squash for the first time, taught how to cook it right from the garden. It’s about creating new habits.”
Julian Gines, Outreach Manager at UACDC, echoed Hailey-Brown’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of community education.
“It’s vital to have access to healthy foods here,” Gines said. “We need to support our residents in navigating these changes and making better choices.”
UACDC has established its community garden over the past six years, promoting fresh food options for local families.
“We need to show residents that food doesn’t just magically appear at the store,” Guynes said. “They get to see the entire process from seed to table, which is crucial for understanding.”
UACDC has set up initiatives such as "Tuesdays Together in the Garden" and "Harvest Thursdays" to promote nutrition education.
“People are thankful for the fresh food opportunities,” Gines added. “We encourage questions. It’s all about fostering curiosity and knowledge.”
However, not everyone agrees with the restrictions. Joan McCray lives in University Area. She feels the change won't have its intended effect.
“They're going to buy anyway,” McCray added. “They have to use their money."
Data from the USDA paints a clearer picture of the motivation to cut sugary drinks and food for the benefits.
Its data shows that soda ranks as the most frequently purchased item using SNAP benefits.
The project guideline from the USDA points to national spending estimates for Fiscal Year 2025 and research from the Foundation for Government Accountability. They report that SNAP expenditures on sweetened beverages, candy, and prepared desserts surpassed total spending on fruits and vegetables. FGA’s January 2025 report states that SNAP participants are projected to spend approximately $20.8 billion on these low-nutrition items in Fiscal Year 2025, while spending just $11.4 billion on fruits and vegetables.
Meantime, in April, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said data shows 1 in 5 children and 2 in 5 adults in the United States are obese and 1 in 3 children ages 12-19 have pre-diabetes.
Florida's waiver application narrows that data down to the state level.
The state says approximately 62% (1,855,278 individuals) of SNAP recipients are also receiving Medicaid for their health coverage. The 2023 Florida Diabetes Advisory Council report noted that Medicaid expenditures for diabetes care rose from $248 million in State Fiscal Year 2016–2017 to approximately $950 million in State Fiscal Year 2020–2021.
The state says it plans to provide additional education to SNAP households and the general public about alternative healthy options for food and drinks.
Hailey-Brown says they'll do their best to continue to be a trusted voice in their corner of the state.
“We will work with local stores and the community to ensure they have access to healthy options,” Hailey-Brown stated. “It’s all about making sure families have the knowledge they need to thrive.”
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