If you are struggling to pay the bills and afford groceries, you may qualify for SNAP benefits. SNAP stands for the U.S. government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and it’s designed to help low or no income individuals and families pay for food.
Depending on how much money you make, and how many people live on your home, you may be able to get direct food aid payments from the government. These payments are usually handed out in the form of an electronic benefits card, or EBT for short, which you can use to buy food at your local grocery store.
You can even buy food directly from some farmers markets.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s covered, and what’s not covered, by SNAP benefits.
What’s Covered by SNAP Benefits?
The overall goal of the SNAP program is to ensure that every person living in the United States has access to nutritious food. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and over 40 million people are relying on money from the government to pay for groceries.
As a general rule of thumb, essential food items are covered, and non-essential items are not. The food items you can buy are generally based on having a well-balanced diet. Here is a full list of what’s covered, and why:
- Fruits and Vegetables. Each day, it’s recommended that people eat fruits and vegetables rather than unhealthy snacks. Fresh fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes are convenient to buy and store, and kids usually love them. Veggies are also important to eat every day. If storing or purchasing fresh veggies is an issue, look in the frozen or canned food section.
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish. Your body needs protein to thrive, which is why SNAP benefits cover your standard meats like beef, chicken, turkey, and fish. If you really want to maximize your SNAP money, and if you have an oven, roasting a whole chicken is one of the best ways to feed your family. You can then use the leftovers to make homemade chicken soup. For under $20, you can feed your family for several days. You will just need to pick up some extra ingredients like carrots, celery, rice or noodles, or potatoes, depending on what your family likes to eat.
- Dairy products. Everyday daily staples like milk, yogurt, cheese, and eggs are covered. That’s because dairy products are a recommended food group, as they contain calcium and other essential nutrients. Wondering if ice cream is included? You’re in luck. It probably is.
- Bread and cereal. Bread and cereal provide essential carbohydrates, which your body needs for energy. Once your EBT card is funded by your local social services agency, you can purchase your normal sliced bread, fresh bread from the bakery section, bagels. You’ll also be able to buy your favorite packaged cereals, such as Cheerios, Special-K, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Wheaties.
As a side note, if you’re looking to maximize your EBT spend, we recommend buying generic cereal brands instead of the name brands. In most cases, it’s hard to tell the difference. The same holds true for most food products that you can buy.
What’s Not Covered By SNAP?
Here is a quick list of what’s not covered under the SNAP program:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Tobacco products
- Vitamins and supplements
- Cosmetics
- Cleaning supplies
- Hot foods that are ready to eat
- Pet foods
Your SNAP Journey
We hope that this post has helped you understand what products you can and can’t buy with your SNAP money. If you focus on buying healthy and nutritious food for you and your family, you won’t have any issues at the checkout line.
