Food stamp users in Florida are waking up to some big changes that took place in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that took effect April 20. The entitlement program’s beneficiaries can no longer use their EBT cards to purchase soda, energy drinks, candy, and “ultra-processed prepared desserts” such as Twinkies, cookies, cupcakes, and other packaged sweets.
They can continue to use their taxpayer-funded, free-food cards for fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy and other staples. They can also use their EBT cards for coffee, tea, bottled water, and sport drinks. On the snack side, they can use their EBT cards for granola bars, freshly prepared baked goods, and packaged “breakfast” foods such as toaster strudels and breakfast biscuits.
The federal government did not implement the restrictions, even though the state of Florida’s SNAP program receives subsidies from the government. Rather, this a state policy which is being implemented under a waiver program from the Trump administration.
Guess who’s not happy about the change?
“What am I supposed to buy now—just basics? None of the snacks go through on EBT.”
— MatrixMysteries (@MatrixMysteries) May 1, 2026
“I’m at checkout and it keeps declining—now I gotta use my OWN hard earned money for food."
The level of fraud and waste that went unnoticed for years is staggering. pic.twitter.com/jWHckERzlz
Other than the fact that this woman appears to be an able-bodied, young mother, it’s impossible to know from this video anything else about her, such as whether she has a job, how much she earns from that job, if she’s married or living with a partner in a two-income household, and what her other bills are.
According to Futbolete News, a mother with two children in the same household can receive up to $785 per month just in SNAP benefits, not including any other entitlement program benefits.
So, taken on face value, what we see in this one video is someone who is appears capable of holding a job sponging off of taxpayers for whatever her EBT card will get her. Instead of being grateful for having all of the nutrition options listed above, she’s angry that she can’t waste your tax money on unhealthy, non-essential foods with no nutritional value for her and her kids.
The Florida SNAP website said the reason for the change was “to better align the program with its intended purpose: providing low-income households with access to a more nutritious diet to alleviate hunger and combat malnutrition,” adding, “SNAP benefits can continue to be used to purchase the same healthy, nutrient-rich foods they always have, including fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy, and other staples that support a balanced diet and overall well-being.”
Of course, the health and nutritional benefits of this move are lost on SNAP benefit recipients who don’t know the first thing about healthy eating – people whose idea of a well-balanced diet includes the four major food groups: soda, ice cream, cookies, and cupcakes.
Florida just banned buying junk food with EBT cards.
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) April 25, 2026
This resident is furious that taxpayers will no longer fund her ice cream and coffee creamer.
"What are we supposed to do?"
The exact same thing every working American does when they want a treat
You pay for it out of… pic.twitter.com/97qNeFcS8z
Florida’s decision to put restrictions in place on what SNAP benefit recipients can buy was made possible by a new waiver program instituted by the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP benefits. States can now apply for waivers so that they can limit the foods and beverages that qualify for SNAP coverage.
According to Fast Company, “Florida is the 10th state to begin enforcing unhealthy food and drink bans through federal SNAP food restriction waivers.” Eight more states are expected to institute their own restrictions on SNAP purchase later in 2026. These states include Hawaii, Ohio, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Virginia.
In instituting its restrictions, Florida follows Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.
Fast Company, which used to be must-reading for leaders in growth industries, where innovation, hard work, and merit are king, went woke years ago, which explains this take on the junk food restrictions:
One major concern is the added burden placed on retailers. The Food Research & Action Center, a nonprofit advocacy group, warns that small and independent stores, which serve as critical access points for millions of program participants could be at risk of losing their authorization to accept benefits.
And then, of course, Fast Company reminded us that you and I are monsters if we allow welfare recipients to feel stigmatized by refusing to pay for their junk food, “Critics also argue that the restrictions stigmatize low-income Americans and strip away their freedom of choice without addressing the root causes of hunger."
An NGO called the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said that the restrictions in Florida will have an impact upon roughly three million SNAP recipients, and that nationally, SNAP counts 41 million participants.
None of this touches on the amount of likely fraud at play where people who don’t deserve those EBT cards are using them next to you in the checkout line every week, or the sheer number of illegal aliens spending your hard-earned money with their own EBT cards.
They call them “entitlement programs” for a reason. People feel entitled to spend your money on foods that contribute to their health problems, collectively creating an epidemic of such health problems as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and more. And all of that drives up your health insurance and healthcare costs, because you know they’re not paying for those benefits, either. You are.
My attitude is this. The moment I pay for your SNAP benefits, then I should have a say in how you can spend my tax money. If you want to choose unhealthy foods, then go earn your own money.
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