You can use your EBT (SNAP) benefits to buy a wide variety of food items and some surprising products. Here’s a detailed overview:
Eligible Items You Can Buy with EBT
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products such as cheese and yogurt
- Breads and cereals
- Snack foods like chips, popcorn, and crackers
- Non-alcoholic beverages that are cold when sold, including iced coffee, fountain soda, fruit smoothies, and bottled water
- Coffee, tea, and cocoa (ground coffee, beans, pods, loose-leaf tea, and hot cocoa powder to prepare at home)
- Food-producing plants and seeds for growing your own food, including herbs
- Frozen pizzas and take-and-bake pizzas (ready-made hot pizzas are not eligible)
- Birthday cakes and food-based gift baskets (non-edible decorations must be less than 50% of the cake cost)
- Pumpkins (only edible ones, not ornamental)
- Energy drinks and protein or snack bars , if they have a Nutrition Facts label (not supplement facts)
- Infant formula and baby food
- Meal replacement shakes with Nutrition Facts labels
- Cold drinks, bottled water, and ice
Additional Notes
- You cannot buy alcohol, tobacco, pet food, vitamins, medicines, or non-food household items like soap or cleaning supplies with EBT.
- Some states participate in the Restaurant Meals Program, allowing eligible seniors, disabled, or homeless individuals to buy prepared meals at certain restaurants with EBT.
- You can use EBT for online grocery shopping and delivery at certain retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Instacart, though delivery fees are not covered by SNAP benefits.
- Military commissaries accept EBT for eligible shoppers.
- You can buy seeds and plants to grow your own food, which can help save money and improve nutrition.
This list includes both common grocery items and some less obvious ones like seeds for gardening, certain cold beverages, and birthday cakes
