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Food Stamps

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Food stamps are meant to act as a supplement to the weekly grocery bill for people who need a hand up, although some of the restrictions imposed on them can be a bit of a head-scratcher. Here’s the definitive list of what passes through, and what needs to be put back on the shelf.

Food Items

It may seem easy to know what is and isn’t a food item, but the USDA Food and Nutrition Service has pretty strict guidelines as to what qualifies. Something like a frozen pizza, loaf of bread or head of lettuce is obviously a food item, but what about a store-made hot sandwich or slice of pizza? Not so much. Even something as simple as meat gets a line drawn across it, as the meat has to be cut up and not alive.

The list of foods that’s okay to use a SNAP card with are:

 

  • Breads and cereals
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Meats, fish and poultry
  • Dairy products
  • Seeds and plants that produce edible foods

 

The following is a list of foods that can’t be bought with a SNAP card:

 

  • Food that contains alcohol or tobacco in it
  • Foods that aren’t edible for humans, like pet food
  • Hot foods sold at the point-of-sale, like the aforementioned slice of pizza
  • Vitamins and supplements

 

Although the USDA FNS doesn’t allow recipients to use food stamps for hot foods at point-of-sale, they do make an exception for qualified homeless, elderly or disabled people in certain areas that provide low-cost meals.

Junk Foods/Luxury Items

This is where the line gets a little blurry, because some people’s idea of junk food may not be congruous with the USDA FNS’, like a high-protein granola bar that’s low on sugar and fat. Recipients can buy typical “junk foods” like ice cream or soft drinks if they have a nutritional label on them, and “luxury” foods that don’t, like seafood or steak.

When it comes to iffier foods like energy drinks or power bars, the same stipulations are maintained: the foods have to have a nutritional label on them. If they have a supplements facts label, like on protein mixes or shakes, then they’re not eligible food items.

Not Eligible

It’s almost easier to make a list of what people can’t buy with food stamps, as those stipulations are crystal clear:

 

  • Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
  • Non-food items like pet food, soap, paper products or household supplies
  • Vitamins and medicine
  • Hot foods
  • Food that can be eaten in the store
  • Cosmetics
  • Gift baskets with non-food items
  • Ornamental gourds
  • Live animals

 

Interestingly, Alaska residents can use their food stamps to buy a bow and arrow because in rural areas, residents sometimes use that equipment to catch their own natural, free-range food.

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