Since April 20, roughly 3 million Floridians who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have faced a new reality at grocery store checkout lines: they can no longer use benefits to purchase certain food items the state deemed unhealthy, including sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed foods.
The move is part of a two-year pilot program aimed at encouraging healthier eating. Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF) said the goal is to “better align SNAP with its intended purpose: providing low-income households access to a more nutritious diet to help alleviate hunger and combat malnutrition.”
However, the decision has sparked concerns among recipients, including parents, health professionals and food banks. Dr. Michelle Kirwan, a pediatrician and former chief medical officer of the Center for Family & Child Enrichment in Miami Gardens, said the policy may fall short without a stronger support system.
“I think the goal is important. Pediatricians agree that sugary drinks are harmful and diet-related disease is a major issue for children,” Kirwan said. “If you’re not addressing access, affordability and education, restrictions alone are unlikely to significantly improve health outcomes.”
What’s on the restricted list?
The new restrictions target beverages sweetened with added sugars or artificial sweeteners, such as Coca-Cola and energy drinks like Red Bull or AriZona Energy. Candy bars, gummies and shelf-stable prepared desserts, such as Twinkies or Swiss Rolls, are also banned.
SNAP recipients can still purchase sparkling water, sports drinks like Gatorade, coffee, tea and drinks containing more than 50% juice or less than 5 grams of added sugar per serving. Granola bars, Pop-Tarts and fresh bakery items also remain eligible.
“By excluding soda, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed shelf-stable prepared desserts, the state is taking a proactive step to ensure SNAP benefits are used for more nourishing foods,” the DCF said.
Florida is one of 22 states that requested waivers from the U.S. Department of Agricultureto modify SNAP rules, though its policy is among the nation’s strictest; most states only proposed restrictions on soft drinks and candy.
The move aligns with the federal “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. The DCF notes that the restrictions will not reduce the amount of benefits recipients receive.
Parents navigating changes
For Natasha St. Cyr, a mother raising an autistic son, SNAP benefits are essential while she struggles with unemployment and rising living costs.
“I rely heavily on SNAP for food,” St. Cyr said. “It’s already hard to manage the amount that we’re given. I have to ration out what I can afford for the entire month.”
Currently receiving about $500 monthly, she says the budget barely covers basic groceries. St. Cyr said she plans every trip around sales and buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deals — many of which now feature restricted items.
“I just recently went to the grocery store, and it gave me anxiety,” she said. “I have to go to the store now without my child to avoid a breakdown tantrum if he wants something that is not on the SNAP-approved benefits.”
While St. Cyr considers herself health-conscious, she believes families should be able to afford occasional treats.
“We don’t drink soda in my house all the time anyway,” she said. “But it’s like every once in a while, we may have like a Friday pizza night, and he likes to have a Sprite.”
With summer approaching and school-provided meals ending, St. Cyr worries about the compounding pressure of food insecurity.
“When school is out, he has breakfast and lunch at school no more,” she said. “So with the cuts that we received, it’s going to be very strict budgeting.”
Living near Liberty City, St. Cyr notes that healthier options are limited and often expensive.
“I have to go to another part of town to get healthier options, and those healthy options are very expensive,” she said.
She says community organizations have become critical support systems. She credited The Resource Room with helping to stabilize her family during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
St. Cyr believes the state's focus is misplaced.
“If you wanted to make the U.S healthy, how about going to the companies that are making the food?” she asked. “Not only are you taking away things from people, but you’re creating more anxiety. That is not making America healthy.”
Not every parent opposes the changes.
Raquel Hall, a mother of four living in Overtown, said the restrictions haven't significantly impacted her household because her family already follows a mostly plant-based diet. Hall prepares most meals herself and focuses on natural, often organic foods.
“Everything that I give to my kids is natural, sometimes organic, even though it costs a little bit more, but I know that in the long run, it helps them,” she said.
While she acknowledges the changes may affect other recipients, Hall encourages them to look for healthier options.
“As far as like a regular parent, it's 2026, we all have healthier options. So I don't feel like it should affect them,” she said.
She suggests that parents join Amber’s Room, an after-school enrichment program in the Villages of Liberty City that provides academic support and wellness programming, noting that 100% of the students receive free lunch.
Pediatricians’ perspectives
Kirwan said sugary drinks, candy and ultra-processed foods are linked to health concerns, but said restrictions alone will not solve those issues.
“Childhood obesity has definitely increased over time. Type 2 diabetes in children has definitely increased,” she said. “So decreasing these types of foods is a good goal, but it has to be balanced with support.”
She warns that removing familiar foods without affordable alternatives creates new stressors.
“When you take away those foods that they’re used to eating, you may get food refusals from children, which can affect growth and nutrition overall,” she said.
Convenience also dictates shopping habits for overwhelmed parents working multiple jobs.
“Fast food is convenient. Shelf-ready processed food is convenient,” Kirwan said. “When you remove that convenience, just having healthier foods is not alone the solution. They have to be able to prepare it. That's when the education comes in.”
Kirwan also highlighted the reality of food deserts. In neighborhoods where the only accessible options are corner stores or dollar stores, transportation becomes a major barrier to accessing fresh produce.
She argues for a broader strategy, including expanded summer meal programs.
“If we truly want to improve children’s health, we have to make the healthy choice easy and accessible and not just the only allowed choice,” Kirwan said.
Filling the gap
SNAP changes could push more families toward food banks as healthier grocery options remain more expensive.
At the Village (FREE)DGE & Pantry in Liberty City, staff are already seeing the fallout. CEO and founder Sherina Jones reports an increase in visitors searching for restricted and unrestricted items.
“They’re here for things for the children because of the changes in SNAP, to get different things like snacks and stuff for the children,” Jones said.
The pantry operates six days a week and serves roughly 150 people daily, a number that climbs to around 250 during major grocery distribution days. The pantry relies heavily on partnerships with food rescue organizations.
“We do have relationships with Cisco, with Food Rescue South Florida, that rescue groceries from grocery stores,” Jones said. “In those things, there are sweets like cakes and snacks and things that they would like to eat.”
Still, she worries the restrictions could unintentionally push more families deeper into food insecurity.
“Not knowing what they can and cannot buy with SNAP now, they will come here because there’s no restriction on what they can get,” Jones said.
James Mungin II, the pantry’s operations manager, noted that the combination of inflation and benefit restrictions creates a perfect storm for low-income residents.
“Groceries keep going up and then y’all cut SNAP on top of that,” Mungin said. “So people are going to start thinking, ‘Well, they got juice over there at the pantry, they got snacks over there, maybe I can save some money.’”
Mungin admitted the restrictions in place added pressure on food banks to increase capacity, but insisted they are ready to meet the challenge.
“When SNAP got cut last year, we went to two distributions a day,” he said. “We were able to go to the people who support us already and say, ‘More people need food. This is what we need,’ and they came through.”
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest lack-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
