Texas SNAP Banned Items 2026: Candy & Soda List (April 1)

Last Updated: April 19, 2026

Starting April 1, 2026, Texas became the first state to ban candy and sweetened drinks from SNAP purchases. If you use a Lone Star Card, you can no longer buy these items at checkout.

About 3.3–3.5 million Texans, including 1.7 million children, are affected by these changes.

Quick Summary:

Texas banned candy and all sweetened drinks from SNAP starting April 1, 2026.
Any beverage with 5 or more grams of added sugar per serving — or any artificial
sweetener — is now off-limits with your Lone Star Card. All candy is banned too,
including gum, taffy, and coated nuts. But ice cream, 100% juice, milk, and infant
formula are still fully covered.

What Changed on April 1, 2026

Texas officially restricted two categories of SNAP purchases starting April 1, 2026: sweetened beverages and candy.

This change was made possible through Senate Bill 379 (SB 379), passed by the 89th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.

The federal government approved the change through a USDA Food and Nutrition Service waiver in August 2025.

The waiver covers a two-year period, running from April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028, with options for up to three annual extensions after that.

Detail	Information
State Law	Senate Bill 379, 89th Texas Legislature
Federal Waiver Approved	August 2025
Effective Date	April 1, 2026
Waiver End Date	March 31, 2028
State Administrator	Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
Texans Affected	~3.3–3.5 million

Texas is part of a national wave of SNAP restrictions. The USDA has approved food restriction waivers for 22 states as of early 2026.

Other states with similar rules include Florida (effective January 1, 2026), Iowa, Indiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Texas is noted as the first state to fully implement sweeping soda-and-candy restrictions under a formal SNAP waiver.

Good to know: SNAP clients will not lose benefits if a restricted item accidentally passes through checkout. Compliance is the retailer’s responsibility — not yours. (Source: Texas HHSC)

Full List of Banned Sweetened Drinks (With Brand Examples)

Texas now bans any nonalcoholic beverage made with water that meets either of these two conditions. Understanding these rules will help you shop smarter with your Lone Star Card.

A drink is banned if it:

• Contains 5 grams or more of added sugar per serving, OR
• Contains any amount of artificial sweetener

Banned Drink Categories

Here are the types of drinks that are no longer SNAP-eligible in Texas:

Drink Type	Why It’s Banned	Common Examples
Regular sodas	5g+ added sugar	Cola, lemon-lime, orange soda
Diet sodas	Artificial sweeteners	Diet cola, zero-sugar sodas
Sweetened fruit drinks	5g+ sugar or artificial sweeteners	Fruit punch, flavored drinks with <50% juice
Sweet teas & lemonades	5g+ sugar or artificial sweeteners	Bottled sweet tea, lemonade
Energy drinks	65mg+ caffeine per 8 fl oz + marketed for energy	Most mainstream energy cans
Sports drinks	Added sugar or artificial sweeteners	Many electrolyte drinks
Flavored water	Artificial sweeteners or 5g+ added sugar	Many flavored sparkling waters

⚠️ Important: Even low-sugar diet drinks with any artificial sweetener — such as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, or acesulfame potassium — are banned. Zero added sugar does not automatically make a drink allowed.

⚠️ Note: Texas HHSC and USDA have not published an official UPC or brand-name list. Eligibility is based on the product’s label and ingredients — not the brand name. Always check the nutrition facts panel.

Full List of Banned Candy Items

All candy is now banned from SNAP in Texas — regardless of sugar content. Even low-sugar or dark chocolate options are no longer eligible. Here is a clear breakdown of everything that falls under the candy ban.

Banned Candy Types

• Candy bars (all types)
• Gum (all types, including sugar-free gum)
• Taffy
• Hard candies and drops
• Nuts, raisins, or dried fruits that are:
• Candied, crystallized, or glazed
• Coated with chocolate, yogurt, or caramel
• Roasted with a sweetener
• Other confections made with natural or artificial sweeteners

⚠️ Per Feeding Texas guidance: Any item classified as “candy” is banned — including dark chocolate and low-sugar candy options.

The law defines candy as confections made with natural or artificial sweeteners. This includes candy bars, gum, taffy, drops, and coated or candied nuts or fruit.

Foods That LOOK Banned but Are Still SNAP-Eligible

This is one of the most confusing parts of the new rules. Many sweet items look like they would be banned — but they are still fully SNAP-eligible. Knowing this list can save you time and frustration at checkout.

Still Allowed: Sweet Snack Foods

Item	Still SNAP-Eligible?	Reason
Ice cream	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Sherbet	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Frozen yogurt	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Ice pops and juice pops	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Sorbet	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Granola bars	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Trail mix (plain)	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy
Baking chocolate chips	✅ Yes	For cooking use only
Cake decorations	✅ Yes	For cooking use only
Sunflower seeds (plain)	✅ Yes	Not classified as candy

Why does ice cream stay allowed? The SNAP candy restriction specifically targets confections — not frozen desserts or dairy-based products. Ice cream, sherbet, and frozen yogurt are not legally classified as “candy” under SB 379.

To learn the full list of what you can and cannot buy, visit our complete guide: What Can You Buy With SNAP 2026.

The 5-Gram Added Sugar Rule Explained

The 5-gram added sugar rule is the key test for sweetened beverages. Once you understand it, reading labels becomes much easier. This rule only applies to drinks — not to food items like ice cream or snack bars.

How the Rule Works

A drink is banned if one serving contains 5 grams or more of added sugar.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Grams of Added Sugar Per Serving	SNAP Status
0g – 4g added sugar (no artificial sweetener)	✅ Still eligible
5g or more added sugar	❌ Banned
Any amount of artificial sweetener	❌ Banned regardless of sugar amount
0g sugar + sweetened only with Stevia or Monk Fruit + less than 5g added sugar	✅ Still eligible

Key definition: “Artificial sweeteners” under SB 379 means synthetic agents like aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and acesulfame potassium. Stevia and Monk Fruit are NOT classified as artificial sweeteners under this law. Drinks sweetened only with Stevia or Monk Fruit — and containing less than 5g added sugar — remain SNAP-eligible.

How to Read Nutrition Labels at Checkout

You don’t need to memorize brand names. You just need to know where to look on the label. Here is a simple 3-step process you can use before putting any drink in your cart.

3-Step Label Check

Step 1 — Find “Added Sugars” on the Nutrition Facts panel.
Look for the line that says Added Sugars (not total sugars). If it shows 5g or more, the drink is banned.

Step 2 — Check the Ingredients List.
Look for words like: aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame K (Ace-K), stevia (if combined with other sweeteners). If any synthetic sweetener is listed, the drink is banned — even if added sugar is 0g.

Step 3 — Check the Juice Content (for juice drinks).
If the front of the package says “juice drink,” “juice cocktail,” or “fruit punch,” check if it says 100% juice. If it does not, and it has 5g+ added sugar or artificial sweeteners, it is banned.

💡 Quick tip: Pure water, plain sparkling water with no sweeteners, and unflavored milk are always safe choices.

What About 100% Juice, Milk & Infant Formula?

Not all sweet or flavored drinks are banned. Several important categories remain fully SNAP-eligible in Texas — including some everyday staples for families and infants.

Drinks That Are Still SNAP-Eligible

Item	SNAP Status	Condition
100% fruit juice	✅ Eligible	Must be more than 50% real fruit juice by volume
100% vegetable juice	✅ Eligible	Must be more than 50% real vegetable juice by volume
Whole milk	✅ Eligible	Always eligible
Reduced-fat milk	✅ Eligible	Always eligible
Chocolate milk	✅ Eligible	Contains milk product — not classified as a sweetened drink
Soy milk, oat milk, almond milk	✅ Eligible	Milk substitutes are exempt
Rice milk	✅ Eligible	Milk substitutes are exempt
Infant formula	✅ Eligible	Always eligible
Baby food	✅ Eligible	Always eligible
Medical-grade electrolyte drinks	✅ Eligible	For treatment of dehydration illness
Coffee and coffee beverages	✅ Eligible	Explicitly excluded from the energy drink definition

Why is chocolate milk allowed? Chocolate milk contains a milk product. Under SB 379, dairy-based beverages are excluded from the sweetened beverage definition. This applies to dairy milk and approved milk substitutes like soy, oat, almond, and rice milk.

According to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, juice products must exceed 50% real fruit or vegetable juice by volume to remain SNAP-eligible. Products labeled “juice drink,” “fruit cocktail,” or “juice blend” typically do not qualify as 100% juice. For official program details, visit USDA FNS SNAP Program.

Are You Still Eligible for SNAP in Texas?

The candy and soda ban does not affect who qualifies for SNAP. Income limits and eligibility rules are unchanged. Your benefit amount is also unchanged — you simply cannot use your Lone Star Card on the newly restricted items.

If you want to check your household’s eligibility or estimate your monthly benefit, use our Texas SNAP Calculator 2026 to get an instant estimate based on your income and household size.

For a full breakdown of income thresholds by household size, see our detailed guide on Texas SNAP Income Limits in 2026.

For full Texas HHSC program information and official retailer guidance, visit the Texas Health and Human Services SNAP page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: April 19, 2026 | Sources: Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Feeding Texas, KSAT San Antonio, Senate Bill 379 — 89th Texas Legislature.