What Can You Buy With Food Stamps in Texas: Candy and Soda Ban

In Texas, you can buy most groceries with food stamps: fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, bread, cereal, rice, pasta, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and even seeds and plants for a home garden. Starting April 1, 2026, Texas added one big exception to that list. Candy and sweetened drinks are no longer eligible for purchase with your Lone Star Card, even though federal SNAP rules still allow them.¹

Groceries That Qualify

Federal SNAP rules break eligible groceries into four staple categories, and Texas follows them. You can buy:

Fruits and vegetables, whether fresh, frozen, or canned
Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs
Dairy products, including milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter
Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta

Non-dairy alternatives like almond milk and oat milk count under the dairy category, and gluten-free pasta qualifies under breads and cereals.³

Beyond the four staples, SNAP covers snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and condiments. Seeds and plants that produce food for your household also qualify, so you can use your benefits to start a vegetable garden.²

The New Texas Ban on Candy and Sweetened Drinks

Effective April 1, 2026, Texas SNAP recipients cannot use the Lone Star Card to buy candy or sweetened drinks.¹ This is a state-level restriction that goes beyond baseline federal rules, which have historically allowed these items as long as they carried a “Nutrition Facts” label. Soda and candy purchases that used to go through will be declined at checkout after this date.

What You Cannot Buy

Some items are off-limits no matter where you shop:

Alcohol. Beer, wine, and liquor are never eligible.
Tobacco. Cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products cannot be purchased.
Non-food household items. Pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries, diapers, and menstrual products are all excluded.
Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. Anything carrying a “Supplement Facts” label is ineligible, even when it looks like food.
Live animals. The narrow exceptions are shellfish, fish already removed from water, and animals slaughtered before you pick them up at the store.

The Label Test

The “Supplement Facts” versus “Nutrition Facts” distinction is what trips people up. Flip the package over. If the label at the top says “Supplement Facts,” your card won’t cover it. If it says “Nutrition Facts,” it’s generally eligible, subject to the new Texas restriction on candy and sweetened drinks. An energy bar with a “Nutrition Facts” label works; a protein shake with a “Supplement Facts” label does not.⁴

Gift Baskets

Gift baskets that bundle food with non-food items follow a 50-percent rule. If the non-food items make up more than half the price, the whole basket is ineligible. A $14.99 basket with a stuffed bear and a small box of chocolates fails the test because the toy is worth more than half the price. Any package containing alcohol, tobacco, or pet products is always ineligible, regardless of the ratio.⁴

Hot Foods, Cold Prepared Foods, and Restaurants

Food that is hot at the point of sale is not eligible. A rotisserie chicken from the deli counter, a hot sandwich, or soup from a hot bar will not go through on your Lone Star Card under normal circumstances.²

Cold prepared foods are different. Items the store assembles or prepares but sells cold are eligible, including fresh salads and salad bars, deli sandwiches, meat and cheese platters, prepared seafood sold cold, and even scooped ice cream in a cone or cup.⁵ The rule is temperature at checkout: sold cold, it qualifies.

Some states run a Restaurant Meals Program that lets certain SNAP recipients who are elderly, disabled, or experiencing homelessness buy prepared meals at participating restaurants. Texas does not currently operate this program.⁶

During major disasters, Texas can request a temporary federal waiver that lets SNAP households buy hot, prepared foods with their benefits. This has happened during past flooding events, when the governor’s office secured approval for affected counties to purchase items like rotisserie chicken and deli foods with the Lone Star Card for a limited period.⁷⁸ These waivers are temporary and limited to specific counties declared disaster areas.

Where the Lone Star Card Works

Your Lone Star Card works at any store authorized to accept SNAP. That covers most grocery stores, supermarkets, and supercenters displaying the SNAP/EBT logo. Many convenience stores accept it too, though their selection of eligible items tends to be limited and prices higher.⁹

Farmers Markets

Many Texas farmers markets accept the Lone Star Card. The Double Up Food Bucks Texas program matches every SNAP dollar you spend at participating farmers markets with a dollar toward Texas-grown fruits and vegetables, up to $30 per market day. The matching funds come as market tokens you can spend at any participating vendor in your area. Not every market participates, so check before you go.

Online Grocery Shopping

Texas SNAP recipients can buy groceries online from approved retailers, and the same eligibility rules apply online as in-store. One catch: delivery fees, service charges, and convenience fees cannot be paid with SNAP benefits. You will need a separate payment method for those costs.¹⁰¹¹

1
Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Purchase Restrictions
2
Food and Nutrition Service. What Can SNAP Buy
3
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Staple Foods
4
Food and Nutrition Service. Food Determinations – Eligible Food (Excluding Meal Services)
5
Food and Nutrition Service. Retailer Eligibility – Prepared Foods and Heated Foods
6
Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
7
Food and Nutrition Service. Disaster Assistance
8
Office of the Texas Governor. Governor Abbott Announces 26 Additional Counties Eligible for SNAP Hot Foods
9
Texas Health and Human Services. SNAP Food Benefits
10
Texas Health and Human Services. Buying Food Online with SNAP
11
Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online