Why can't we use CalFresh/EBT to buy hot prepared foods in grocery stores?

its a federal rule not ca rule, snap/calfresh is food assistance not restaurant assitance. Only raw ingredients r covered, nothing premade thats hot/ready to eat. dumb rule i agree

There's actually a good explanation for this. The official SNAP (CalFresh) rules were designed to help people buy groceries for home preparation, not ready-to-eat meals. The federal government distinguishes between grocery items and restaurant-type food, and hot prepared foods fall into the restaurant category. That's why cold prepared items (like deli sandwiches) are allowed but hot foods aren't - they're drawing a line between grocery and restaurant-style purchases. However, there are exceptions! California has the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) in certain counties for elderly, disabled, and homeless CalFresh recipients. If you qualify, you can use your EBT at approved restaurants and even buy hot foods at some grocery stores. You might want to check if you qualify and if your county participates.

This drives me CRAZY too!!! I'm a single mom working two jobs and sometimes I just need to grab something quick for my kids. I can buy a COLD rotisserie chicken that's been refrigerated but not a HOT one?? Even though it's the EXACT SAME FOOD??? The system is designed to make our lives harder I swear. Just another way to control what poor people can eat IMO.

I understand the frustration completely. The rule dates back to the Food Stamp Act of 1977, which specifically prohibited using benefits for hot foods or foods ready for immediate consumption. The intention was to stretch taxpayer dollars by focusing on ingredients rather than convenience foods, which typically cost more per serving. If your housing situation makes cooking difficult, you might want to look into these solutions: 1. Ask your county worker if you qualify for any exceptions or the Restaurant Meals Program 2. Check if your county offers any additional assistance programs specifically for people with limited cooking facilities 3. Some counties have emergency housing programs that might help improve your living situation Also, have you tried contacting your county CalFresh office about your specific situation? Sometimes getting through by phone can be challenging, but I recently discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that helps you skip the phone queue and connects you directly with a CalFresh worker. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8. Might be worth a try if you want to discuss your specific situation with your county worker.

Have you tried this workaround? Some stores will let you buy the hot food if you ask them to refrigerate it first. Sounds weird but I've done this at my local grocery - just asked them to put the hot chicken in the fridge for a bit and then ring it up as cold prepared food. Sometimes they're cool about it if you explain your situation. Worth a try!

i heard some counties let u buy hot food with ebt during disasters, happened after those big fires up north few yrs ago. wish theyd just make it permanent

btw if ur in LA, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Diego, Alameda or a few other counties, u can use ur EBT at some fast food places if ur homeless, disabled or elderly (over 60). its called RMP (restaurant meals program

Just to add some context - the hot foods restriction is part of the federal SNAP regulations under 7 CFR 271.2. The definition of eligible food specifically excludes "hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption." If you're interested in advocating for change, you could contact your representatives in Congress since this would require a federal law change. The California Department of Social Services can't modify this rule at the state level without federal approval.

I totally feel your frustration! I'm in a similar situation - tiny apartment with barely any cooking space. What's helped me is buying things like pre-cooked rice, canned beans, rotisserie chicken from the cold case, and microwave steamable vegetables. Not ideal, but you can put together decent meals without much actual cooking. Also, some stores sell "meal kits" in the refrigerated section that count as groceries - they're not hot so they're EBT eligible. It's definitely not as convenient as grabbing hot food, but it's been my workaround for quick meals when I'm exhausted after work.

This rule has always bothered me too. I work in food service and see how much food waste happens when hot prepared foods have to be thrown out at the end of the day instead of being available to people who could really use them. The distinction between hot and cold seems arbitrary - a rotisserie chicken is literally the same nutritional value whether it's hot or cold, but one is "allowed" and one isn't. It's especially frustrating for people in your situation with limited cooking facilities. I hope more advocates push for federal reform on this issue because it really doesn't make sense in today's world where so many people live in small spaces or work multiple jobs and need convenient meal options.

I completely understand your frustration - this rule has never made sense to me either! I'm a college student living in a dorm with just a mini fridge and microwave, so I'm in a similar boat with limited cooking options. What I've learned is that the rule was created decades ago when most people had full kitchens and cooking from scratch was more common. But nowadays with so many people living in tiny apartments, dorms, or transitional housing, it's really outdated. The fact that you can buy the exact same chicken cold but not hot is just ridiculous - you're paying for the same food either way! I've started looking for grocery stores that have good selections of cold prepared foods that I can just reheat in the microwave. It's not ideal, but at least it's something. Really hoping this rule gets changed someday because it definitely makes life harder for people who are already struggling.

This rule is so frustrating and honestly feels discriminatory against people in non-traditional housing situations. I'm a social worker and I see this issue constantly with my clients who live in SROs, transitional housing, or just can't afford apartments with full kitchens. The "hot food = restaurant" logic made sense maybe 50 years ago, but now it just punishes people for being poor or having unstable housing. What really gets me is that a $5 hot rotisserie chicken could feed someone for 2-3 meals, but they're forced to spend more money on less nutritious options that fit the arbitrary "cold" rule. The system claims to promote nutrition and food security but then makes it harder for people to access affordable, ready-to-eat protein. It's backwards and needs federal reform ASAP.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to find this discussion! I just moved to California and ran into this exact same issue at my local grocery store last week. I was so confused when the cashier told me I couldn't buy a hot rotisserie chicken but could buy the same chicken cold from the deli case. Reading through everyone's experiences and explanations here has been super helpful - especially learning about the federal origins of the rule and the Restaurant Meals Program exceptions. It's clear this is a widespread issue affecting so many people in different housing situations. I'm in a studio apartment with just a hot plate too, so I totally relate to the frustration. Thanks to everyone who shared workarounds and resources like the Claimyr service - this community seems really supportive and knowledgeable about navigating these challenges!

As someone new to this community, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I just started receiving CalFresh benefits and had no idea about this hot food restriction until I tried to buy a warm soup at the grocery store deli counter yesterday. The cashier looked at me like I should have known, but honestly, where are we supposed to learn these rules? I've been reading through all your experiences and it's both frustrating and comforting to know I'm not alone in thinking this makes no sense. The explanations about the federal origins help me understand WHY the rule exists, but it definitely feels outdated for how people actually live today. I'm in a shared housing situation where kitchen access is limited, so this really impacts my daily meal planning. Thanks to everyone sharing workarounds and resources - this community seems like such a valuable place to learn about navigating these systems!

As someone who just joined this community, I'm so glad I found this discussion! I literally experienced this exact same frustration yesterday at Whole Foods - I was trying to buy their hot bar items with my EBT card and was told I couldn't, but I could buy the same exact food from their cold prepared section. It makes absolutely no sense! Reading through everyone's experiences here has been really validating because I thought I was going crazy. I'm a grad student living in a tiny studio with just a microwave and mini fridge, so prepared foods would be such a lifesaver for my schedule and budget. The explanation about this being a federal rule from 1977 really puts it in perspective - the world has changed so much since then but the rules haven't caught up. Thanks for sharing all the workarounds and resources, especially that Claimyr service for getting through to case workers. This community seems like such a great resource for navigating these confusing systems!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful to have found this thread! I just moved to California and had this exact same experience at my local grocery store - I was so confused when I couldn't buy a hot rotisserie chicken but could get the cold one right next to it for the same price. Reading everyone's explanations about the federal rule dating back to 1977 really helps me understand the "why" even though it still feels completely outdated. I'm living in a small apartment with very limited cooking facilities, so this restriction definitely impacts my daily meal planning. It's both frustrating and reassuring to see how many people are dealing with this same issue. Thanks to everyone who shared workarounds and resources - this seems like such a supportive community for navigating these confusing benefit rules. I'm definitely going to try some of the suggestions mentioned here, and maybe look into contacting my representatives about updating these outdated federal regulations!

As someone new to this community, I'm so relieved to find this discussion! I literally just had this exact experience at my local grocery store this morning - I was trying to buy a hot chicken tender meal from the deli and the cashier had to explain that I could only get it if it was cold. I stood there feeling so embarrassed and confused, especially since I could see other customers buying the same food with regular payment methods. Reading through everyone's stories here makes me realize this is such a widespread issue that affects so many people in different living situations. I'm currently staying in a transitional housing program where we only have access to a microwave and small shared refrigerator, so prepared foods would make such a difference for my nutrition and budget. The historical context about the 1977 federal rule really helps explain why this exists, but like everyone else has said, it feels completely out of touch with how people live today. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and workarounds - it's comforting to know there's a supportive community here that understands these frustrations and is willing to help newcomers navigate these confusing systems!

As someone new to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I recently moved to California and encountered this exact same frustrating situation at my local Vons - I was trying to buy hot soup from the deli counter and was completely baffled when told I couldn't use my EBT for it. Like so many others here, I'm living in a small space with very limited cooking facilities (just a hot plate and mini fridge), so prepared foods would be such a game-changer for my budget and nutrition. Reading through everyone's experiences and the explanations about the federal rule dating back to 1977 really helps me understand the bigger picture, even though it still feels completely out of touch with modern living situations. I'm especially grateful for all the practical workarounds people have shared - the tip about asking stores to refrigerate hot food first is genius! It's both comforting and concerning to see how many people are dealing with this same issue. Thanks to everyone for creating such a supportive space to discuss these challenges. I'm definitely going to look into some of the resources mentioned here, like the Claimyr service, and maybe even reach out to my representatives about updating these outdated federal rules.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really glad I found this discussion! I just started receiving CalFresh benefits last month and had this exact same frustrating experience at Ralph's yesterday. I was trying to buy one of their hot rotisserie chickens and the cashier explained I could only get it if it was cold. It made no sense to me - same chicken, same price, just different temperature! Reading through everyone's explanations about the federal rule from 1977 really helps me understand where this comes from, but wow, it feels so outdated for how people actually live today. I'm renting a room in a shared house where I only have access to a mini fridge and microwave in my room, so prepared foods would be perfect for my situation and budget. It's both frustrating and comforting to know so many others are dealing with this same issue. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and creative workarounds - this community seems like such a valuable resource for navigating these confusing benefit rules. Definitely going to try some of the suggestions mentioned here!