Can CalFresh/EBT be used for candy, soda and junk food purchases?
Recently got approved for CalFresh and I'm a bit confused about what I can actually buy with my EBT card. My neighbor told me that you can't use food stamps for candy, chips, or soda anymore because of some new health policy. But then when I was at the store yesterday, I saw someone buying energy drinks with their EBT card! Can someone clear this up for me? What exactly are the restrictions on CalFresh for junk food and sweets? I have three kids and while I try to feed them healthy, sometimes treats are nice especially with summer coming up. Don't want to get embarrassed at checkout trying to buy something not allowed!
19 comments
Join the conversation
Hugo Kass
Yes, you absolutely CAN use CalFresh benefits to purchase candy, soda, chips, energy drinks, ice cream, and other "junk food" items. There are currently no restrictions on these types of foods at the federal level for SNAP/CalFresh. The basic rule is that CalFresh can be used for any food items meant for human consumption EXCEPT hot prepared foods, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamins/supplements, and non-food items. Your neighbor might be thinking of proposed legislation that has been discussed but never actually implemented, or possibly confusing it with WIC which has very specific nutritional guidelines.
0 coins
Simon White
•Thank you so much! That's a relief. You're right, maybe she was thinking about WIC - I know my sister-in-law has that for her baby and she can only buy specific things.
0 coins
Nasira Ibanez
ive been using calfresh for years and buy soda and chips all the time lol. ur neighbor doesnt know what their talking about. only things u cant buy is hot food from the deli, alcohol, and cigarettes. everything else in the grocery store thats food is pretty much fair game
0 coins
Khalil Urso
•Actually, you also can't buy vitamins or medicines with CalFresh, even if they're sold in the grocery store. And pet food isn't covered either! Found that out the hard way when I tried to buy my cat's food with my EBT 😩
0 coins
Myles Regis
While technically you CAN buy junk food with CalFresh, I always feel like people are judging me when I do. One time the person behind me in line made a loud comment about "taxpayer dollars for candy bars" when I was buying my kids some treats for Halloween. Now I'm always nervous about what I put in my cart. Anyone else experience this kind of judgment?
0 coins
Brian Downey
•That's horrible! People can be so rude. I've definitely felt those judgmental stares too. But remember - CalFresh is there to help families afford FOOD, and that includes treats sometimes! Don't let others make you feel bad about feeding your family. Most people have no idea what circumstances led someone to need benefits in the first place.
0 coins
Jacinda Yu
•This is unfortunately a common experience, but please know you have every right to purchase whatever food items you choose with your benefits. The SNAP/CalFresh program is intentionally designed to allow recipients dignity and choice in their food purchases. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, you can always speak to a store manager as this kind of harassment shouldn't be tolerated. Remember that for many families, occasional treats are an important part of normal childhood experiences and family celebrations.
0 coins
Landon Flounder
There are some states that have TRIED to ban junk food purchases with SNAP benefits but California isn't one of them. Politicians talk about it every few years but nothing ever passes because it's complicated to implement and kinda discriminatory tbh. Your benefits, your choice! 👍
0 coins
Simon White
•That's interesting! Do you know which states have tried to do that? Just curious if this is something that might eventually happen in California too.
0 coins
Landon Flounder
•Maine, New York, and Wisconsin have all tried but the USDA has rejected these proposals. So you don't need to worry about it happening in CA anytime soon. The federal government would have to change the rules for all states.
0 coins
Hugo Kass
Just to add some practical advice - while you CAN buy any food items with CalFresh, your benefits will stretch further if you focus on ingredients for home cooking rather than pre-packaged snacks. I'm not saying never buy treats, but budgeting your CalFresh dollars for mostly staples will help them last all month. The CalFresh Healthy Living program has some great resources for low-cost, healthy meals that kids actually enjoy: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/DCDIC/NEOPB/Pages/CalFreshHealthyLiving.aspx
0 coins
Simon White
•Thanks for the link! I'll definitely check that out. And you're right - I need to make the benefits last all month so planning better would help. Appreciate all the advice everyone!
0 coins
Brian Downey
Has anyone else had trouble reaching the county office to ask these kinds of questions? I tried calling last month with a similar question and was on hold for over an hour before getting disconnected. So frustrating!
0 coins
Myles Regis
•OMG YES!! I've been trying to reach someone for WEEKS about my recertification and keep getting the runaround. Either endless hold times or they transfer me and I get disconnected. It's like they don't want us to actually talk to a real person!!
0 coins
Khalil Urso
•I was having the same issue with endless hold times until I tried using Claimyr. It's a service that waits on hold with the CalFresh office for you and then calls you when a real person answers. Saved me hours of frustration when I needed to sort out a verification issue. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 that shows how it works. Their website is claimyr.com if you want to check it out. Wish I'd known about it sooner honestly.
0 coins
Brian Downey
•Thanks! Never heard of that before but definitely going to look into it. Anything to avoid those ridiculous hold times!
0 coins
Callum Savage
This whole debate about junk food and EBT is so classist anyway. Like rich people don't buy ice cream and chips?? Everyone deserves treats sometimes regardless of income. My family was on CalFresh when I was growing up and those little treats sometimes were what made things feel normal when everything else was stressful.
0 coins
Simon White
•You make a really good point. I hadn't thought about it that way before. Thanks for sharing your perspective!
0 coins
Isaac Wright
As someone who works in a grocery store, I can confirm that CalFresh/EBT works for pretty much all food items including candy, soda, chips, etc. The only things that get declined are hot prepared foods (like rotisserie chicken or food from the deli counter), alcohol, tobacco, vitamins/supplements, and non-food items. I've seen customers successfully buy energy drinks, ice cream, cookies, you name it. The system automatically knows what's covered and what isn't, so if it goes through, you're good! Don't stress about it - your benefits are meant to help you feed your family however works best for you.
0 coins