20 surprising things you can buy with EBT

Your EBT card operates like a debit card, which means you can use it for some things that may come as a surprise, such as birthday cakes and food baskets. Ahead, we’ve compiled a list of the 20 most surprising things you can buy with EBT.

Understanding SNAP benefits

SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The program exists to help individuals and families who are facing food insecurities buy groceries.

The program serves as a government safety net. But research from 2017 shows the benefits may not be enough to support a healthy diet. Often recipients must figure out how to stretch their SNAP benefits each month. What can help? Knowing all the possibilities of what you can buy.

For example, “there are tons of healthy food incentive programs for SNAP recipients, especially at farmers markets,” advises Julianna Lai, the policy and community content specialist at Propel. “ Double Up Food Bucks and Market Match programs are in almost every state.”

These programs provide you a dollar-for-dollar match on any produce you buy. Or, they provide you 50% off fresh fruits and vegetables. “You essentially double the amount of benefits you have when you buy locally,” Lai adds.

In general, you can use SNAP/EBT to buy:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, poultry, and fish
• Dairy products
• Breads and cereals
• Snack foods
• Non-alcoholic beverages (that are not hot when sold)
• Food-producing seeds and plants

Restrictions and limitations

Several items are not SNAP-eligible. These include hot foods, alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, supplements, medications, household non-food items, and live animals. But you’ll find some useful details about things you can still buy below. For example, although you can’t get ready-made hot pizza, you can buy already-assembled take-and-bake options from many retailers.

Eligibility and application

To get food stamps, you need to apply to the program in your state. Each state decides who can get benefits and issues them. Food stamps are also available in Washington, D.C., Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico has its own version, the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP).

Your age, income, immigration status, work status, and more can affect your eligibility. Read our guide for more information about applying and eligibility.

Surprising things you can buy with EBT

Below, we’ve categorized the 20 surprising things you can buy with EBT. You’ll find ways to make cooking and shopping easier and ways to maximize your benefits.

Help with cooking

Cooking can take up one of your most valuable resources, time. If you need a little help saving time on cooking, here are some great workarounds.

Pizza. Ready-made pizza is not eligible for purchase with your SNAP benefits. But you can buy Papa Murphy’s or another take-and-bake brand’s uncooked pizza with SNAP and cook it easily and quickly at home. The Papa Murphy’s website says, “Place your pickup order online and select the EBT/SNAP payment method during checkout. Then bring your EBT card and another payment method for any remaining balance to pay in-store. EBT/Snap payments must be processed in-store.”

Middle Eastern (halal) food. “Look for local Middle Eastern-owned meats stores that also have a restaurant attached,” Lai says. “Some will sell you the food cold, then cook it for free.” Or they may charge a few cents for the cooking. “[This] follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines of not selling hot foods,” she explains. “They sell it to you as raw or uncooked and don’t cook it until it’s paid.”

Restaurant meals. Some states take part in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). This allows eligible SNAP recipients to buy and eat prepared meals at restaurants. You are eligible if your state participates and you meet certain requirements. All members of your household must either be age 60 or over, disabled, or unhoused. You are also eligible if you are a spouse of a SNAP recipient who is eligible for the RMP. Read our complete guide to RMP here.

Help with shopping

Going grocery shopping also takes up valuable time. And sometimes getting to a grocery store can be inconvenient. You might have limited transportation options, for example. Here are a few ways to make shopping a little easier.

Online pickup or delivery. You can use your SNAP benefits when shopping for groceries online. And you can schedule a pickup or delivery. For a list of online retailers that accept EBT, select your location using this map. You may have to pay for delivery fees using another method, such as a debit or credit card, though. To shop online, you add your EBT card to your payment options in your account. Then select the SNAP option at checkout. By the way, the Propel app offers some special discounts for shopping online.

Military commissary items. Military commissaries also serve as grocery stores. You can find them on military bases in the United States and overseas. Only some people are eligible to shop at military commissaries. These include active-duty and retired personnel, Medal of Honor recipients, veterans with disabilities, and authorized family members.

Commissaries often sell food at discounted rates, but shoppers pay a surcharge. If you are a SNAP recipient, you do not have to pay a surcharge. You can even shop military commissaries online using the CLICK2GO app. Use the SNAP/EBT filter to find eligible items. Then select SNAP/EBT at checkout.

Farmers market foods. Do you have a farmers market near you? If you’re looking for one, check out this list. Farmers markets are a great place to shop for local fruits, veggies, herbs, meats, honey, and more. Any item that is eligible at a grocery store should be eligible at your farmers market.

DIY items

If you like cooking, gathering, or growing your own food, you have some options with your SNAP EBT benefits.

Food-producing plants and seeds. You can use your EBT benefits to buy plants and seeds for growing your own food, including herbs. Home gardens help ease food insecurity. They also boost physical activity, mental health, and intake of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

One plus of growing your own food involves the ability to preserve and store it. “With a bit of work,” Lai says, “the produce grown during the warmer months can become stores of jam, salsa, sauce, dried herbs, and frozen ingredients. You can also make money by selling surplus at your local farmstand.”

Homegrown food may last longer, Lai adds. This is because it goes directly from your garden to your fridge. It does not have to undergo shipping and stocking first.

“There are definitely still some costs involved,” she says, “like ensuring your garden is properly fertilized and watered and time for getting a hang of gardening, preservation, and storage. That said, I’ve heard anecdotally that being able to buy seeds with SNAP has saved entire neighborhoods money.”

Seasonings, oils, condiments, herbs, and spices. They are all SNAP-eligible.

Having these items on hand can make cooking more enjoyable and easier. Plus they can make your food more flavorful. For example, adding a little kosher salt and lemon juice can make many vegetables tastier.

Hunting and fishing gear. If you live in a part of Alaska without much grocery store access, you can apply for an ID card to buy items used for hunting and fishing with your SNAP benefits. You can’t use the gear for commercial use, though. “Each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if the community of residence is considered to have limited retail access,” Lai says. 

You can buy nets, lines, hooks, fishing rods, harpoons, knives, ice augers, and more. “The purpose of this exception was to allow communities that don’t have great access to retail stores and have historically relied on subsistence fishing and hunting to continue living as they have for generations,” Lai says.

Live fish. “Live fish, such as lobsters and other shellfish, may be purchased with SNAP benefits,” Lai says. But live animals and birds are not eligible.

Celebratory items

Birthdays, holidays, graduations, and other special occasions are reasons to celebrate. You may wish to buy cakes, gift baskets, or seasonal items like pumpkins. Here are the details on what’s SNAP-eligible.

Cakes. Do you have a birthday, anniversary, or another special occasion coming up? You can buy a cake with your SNAP benefits. The value of any non-edible decorations on the cake cannot be more than 50% of the cake cost, Lai says.

Food-based gift baskets. You may wish to buy a discounted food-based basket to have for yourself. “These often include non-food items but are still eligible for SNAP/EBT,” Lai says. “Gift baskets that contain both food and non-food items are not eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits if the value of the non-food items exceeds 50% of the purchase price.”

Pumpkins. In the fall, you’ll often see store fronts packed with pumpkins. “Pumpkins are edible and eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits,” Lai says. “However, inedible gourds and pumpkins that are used solely for ornamental purposes are not eligible items.”

Beverages

Many cold drinks are SNAP-eligible. For hot drinks though, you have some workarounds.

Energy drinks. In some cases, you can buy energy drinks or other branded beverages with SNAP benefits. Whether a product is eligible depends on its label. Labels must meet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. “Energy drinks that have a nutrition facts label are eligible foods,” Lai says. “Energy drinks that have a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements and are therefore not eligible.”

How do you tell the difference between labels?

• A nutrition facts label lists the number of carbs, fat, protein, and more.
• A supplement label will generally only feature the ingredients.

Cold drinks. Cold drinks, but not hot, are SNAP-eligible. This means you can buy iced coffee, fountain drinks, smoothies, and more.

Coffee, tea, cocoa. Prepared hot beverages are not SNAP-eligible. But you can buy ground coffee, whole beans, or pods and loose-leaf tea or teabags. You can also buy packets of hot cocoa powder.

Bottled water and ice. Bottled water is a SNAP-eligible item. You can also buy bagged ice using your benefits.

Nutritional support items

Sometimes you might need items that help boost nutrition. Here are a few you can buy with your benefits.

Meal replacement shakes. Many meal-replacement shakes and protein powders are SNAP-eligible. They are not eligible if they have a supplement facts label, just like with energy drinks. A nutrition facts label lists the number of carbs, fat, protein, and more. A supplement label typically only features the ingredients.

Protein or snack bars. Protein or snack bars count as food and are SNAP-eligible.

Infant formula and foods. If you’re feeding an infant or child, you can use your SNAP benefits to buy necessary items. These include formula, cereals, juices, baby food, and other items.

Also check to see if you qualify for WIC benefits. WIC stands for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. People eligible for WIC will get a WIC card. It does not have a dollar amount. WIC recipients can use their card to buy approved items at grocery stores or WIC retailers.

FAQ

What can I buy with EBT?

In general, you can buy fruits, veggies, poultry, fish, meat, dairy products, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages (that are not hot when sold), and food-producing seeds and plants. Read the full article for more information.

Can I buy clothes on Amazon with EBT?

Clothes are not SNAP-eligible items.

Can you buy coffee with EBT?

You can buy iced coffee with your SNAP benefits. But prepared hot beverages are not SNAP-eligible. Instead, buy ground coffee, beans, or pods to make coffee at home.

Takeaway

SNAP is an imperfect solution to help people experiencing food insecurity. But knowing all the things you can buy, including some items that might surprise you, can help. Download the Propel app for even more tips and easier management of your benefits.