Montana health department looks to ban candy, sweetened drinks from SNAP purchases

Montanans who receive public funds to help pay for groceries may soon be barred from using that money to purchase soft drinks, candy and other items the government deems junk food.

Nearly 73,000 Montanans receive monthly benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often referred to as food stamps or SNAP, a federally-funded program for low income individuals that’s administered by state health departments.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services on Monday submitted an application to the federal government requesting permission to restrict SNAP to certain foods, an initiative that’s been championed by the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again platform.

“This waiver is a critical step in addressing the growing concern of diet-related chronic conditions across our state,” said Charlie Brereton, health department director, in a statement. “By aligning SNAP purchases with national dietary guidelines, we are directly supporting Montana’s goal to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks, candy and other foods that contribute to adverse health outcomes, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes.”

About one in three adults in Montana suffer from obesity, state data shows, which medical experts say can be linked to diet. It, along with other chronic diseases that are often tied to nutrition, is more prevalent in low income communities.

According to a study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the program, approximately 20% of SNAP spending nationally is used to buy sweetened beverages, candy and other processed foods.

Supporters of SNAP changes like the one Montana has proposed say that putting guardrails around what items can be purchased using the public benefit will help shift people’s dietary choices toward healthier options and slow the proliferation of poor health outcomes.

Critics counter that the restrictions unfairly reduce optionality for public benefits recipients and suggest that people who don’t make much money don’t deserve the right to make their own choices about what they eat.

Already, SNAP benefits can’t be spent on tobacco or alcohol. Most hot or prepared foods are also excluded.

If approved, Montana would join 22 other states that have rolled out similar restrictions.

The Trump White House has shown an appetite for restricting SNAP purchases, and even included an incentive in the Rural Health Transformation Program, the $50 billion pot of money tucked into last year’s federal budget package, for states whose applications included plans to roll out such changes.

Montana, which has been awarded more than $1 billion through the program over the next five years, put in its rural health grant application that it planned to change SNAP parameters.

The state’s waiver looks to target candy and prepared desserts as well as sweetened drinks that have 10 grams of sugar per eight ounces and energy drinks. It carves out packaged protein bars and fresh baked goods as well as pure fruit juice, milk and electrolytes.

“Shifting SNAP dollars away from these products supports healthier choices without reducing benefits, altering eligibility or limiting access to staple foods,” wrote Gov. Greg Gianforte in a letter to the federal agriculture secretary.

The health department’s proposal comes after two bills that would have codified similar restrictions failed to pass the 2025 Legislature.

Proposals backed by Billings Republicans in each chamber, Sen. Daniel Zolnikov and Rep. Sherry Essman, would have directed the state health department to apply for a similar waiver.

Neither bill made it out of its original chamber.

Opponents included commerce and small business groups who noted that the burden of enforcing these rules would fall on retailers. The state distributes debit cards to SNAP recipients and adds funds to it every month, but it’s the cashiers who are responsible for determining if purchases are eligible.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture must sign off on the waiver before it can be implemented.