Your EBT card operates like a debit card, and if you get SNAP benefits, you can only use it on SNAP-eligible items.
But the SNAP program, which is meant to help low-income households afford groceries, covers some things that may come as a surprise, like birthday cakes and food baskets. Here's a list of the 20 most surprising things you can buy with EBT.
In general, you can use SNAP/EBT to buy#in-general-you-can-use-snap-ebt-to-buy
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products, like cheese and yogurt
- Bread and cereals
- Snack foods, like chips, popcorn, and crackers
- Non-alcoholic beverages (that are not hot when sold)
- Food-producing seeds and plants
- Ground coffee, coffee beans, or pods
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Surprising things you can buy with EBT#surprising-things-you-can-buy-with-ebt
Here are the 20 most surprising things you can buy with EBT, outside of the normal categories you might associate with SNAP.
Food and takeout#food-and-takeout
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.
1. Pizza#1-pizza
Ready-made pizza is not eligible for purchase with your SNAP benefits. But you can buy take-and-bake pizza from a supermarket or a place like Papa Murphy’s with SNAP and cook it easily and quickly at home. Frozen pizzas are also SNAP-eligible.
2. Middle Eastern (halal) food#2-middle-eastern-halal-food
“Look for local Middle Eastern-owned meats stores that also have a restaurant attached,” says Julianna Lai, a policy and community content specialist at Propel. “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.”
3. Restaurant meals and fast food #3-restaurant-meals-and-fast-food
Some states take part in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP). This allows eligible SNAP recipients to buy and eat meals at restaurants with their SNAP benefitd. You may be 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 may also be eligible if you are a spouse of a SNAP recipient who is eligible for the RMP. Read our complete guide to restaurants that take EBT here.
Help with shopping#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.
4. Online grocery pickup or delivery #4-online-grocery-pickup-or-delivery
You can use your SNAP benefits when shopping for groceries online, through a service like Instacart or directly from a grocery store like ALDI. You can usuallgy 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, since SNAP won't cover those extra costs. To shop online, you add your EBT card to your payment options in your account. Then select the SNAP option at checkout. The Propel app also offers some special discounts for shopping online.
5. Military commissary items #5-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.
6. Farmers market foods #6-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 with your SNAP benefits. Any item that is EBT-eligible at a grocery store should also be eligible at your farmers market.
DIY items#diy-items
If you like cooking, gardening, and growing your own food, you have some options with your SNAP EBT benefits.
7. Food-producing plants and seeds #7-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 can 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.”
8. Seasonings, oils, condiments, herbs, and spices #8-seasonings-oils-condiments-herbs-and-spices
Having these items on hand can make cooking more enjoyable and easier and add flavor to your food, and they're all SNAP-eligible.
9. Hunting and fishing gear#9-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.
10. Live fish or shellfish #10-live-fish-or-shellfish
“Live fish, such as lobsters and other shellfish, may be purchased with SNAP benefits,” Lai says. But live animals and birds (like a live chicken) are not eligible.
Celebratory items#celebratory-items
Birthdays, holidays, graduations, and other special occasions are reasons to celebrate. You may want to buy cakes, gift baskets, or seasonal items like pumpkins with your EBT card. Here are the details on what’s SNAP-eligible.
11. Cakes#11-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.
12. Food-based gift baskets #12-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.”
13. Pumpkins (as long as they're the edible kind)#13-pumpkins-as-long-as-theyre-the-edible-kind
In the fall, you’ll often see storefronts 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#beverages
Many cold drinks are SNAP-eligible. Most hot drinks are not, unless they're cold when you buy them.
14. Energy drinks#14-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.
15. Cold drinks #15-cold-drinks
Cold drinks, but not hot, are SNAP-eligible. This means you can buy iced coffee, fountain soda, fruit smoothies, and more with your EBT card.
16. Coffee, tea, and cocoa #16-coffee-tea-and-cocoa
Prepared hot beverages are not SNAP-eligible. But you can buy ground coffee, whole beans, or pods and loose-leaf tea or teabags and then make them at home. You can also buy packets of hot cocoa powder. Iced coffee is also SNAP-eligible.
17. Bottled water and ice #17-bottled-water-and-ice
Bottled water is a SNAP-eligible item. You can also buy bagged ice or block ice using your SNAP benefits.
Nutritional support items#nutritional-support-items
Sometimes you might need items that help boost nutrition. Here are a few you can buy with your SNAP benefits.
18. Meal replacement shakes#18-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.
19. Protein or snack bars #19-protein-or-snack-bars
Protein or snack bars count as food and are SNAP-eligible. Some protein powders are also EBT-eligible.
20. Infant formula and baby food #20-infant-formula-and-baby-food
If you have an infant or child in your household, you can use your SNAP benefits to buy some necessary food items. These include formula, cereals, juices, and baby food.
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, which does not have a dollar amount. WIC recipients can use their card to buy approved items at grocery stores or WIC retailers.
Things you can't buy with SNAP#things-you-cant-buy-with-snap
There are lots of items that are never SNAP-eligible, including alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, supplements, medications, and household non-food items, like toilet paper and diapers. Dog and cat food is also not SNAP-eligible. Generally, if you can't eat or drink it, it's not SNAP-eligible.
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Understanding more about SNAP benefits#understanding-more-about-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 Lai. “ 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.
