15 Surprising Things You Can Buy With EBT (SNAP Benefits)

Most people know that they can purchase basic foods and standard groceries with EBT at grocery stores like Walmart and Kroger, but there are actually some surprising things you can buy with EBT both in-store and online at retailers like Amazon.

So are you wondering what can you buy with EBT? Let me clear that, apart from food items, you can also buy EBT eligible non food items.

In this post, we will explore some crazy things you can buy with EBT or food stamps.

What Are Some Surprising Things You Can Buy With EBT?

Many people don’t realize the variety of items that can be purchased with EBT benefits beyond basic groceries. Here are some surprising things you can actually buy with EBT cards.

Energy Drinks

You can use SNAP benefits to buy energy drinks, but only if they meet the USDA’s strict standards. When it comes to buying energy drinks with EBT, It depends on the label:

• Nutrition Facts label
• Supplement Facts label

Energy Drinks with a standard “Nutrition Facts” label are considered food items by the FDA and can be purchased with SNAP benefits. This includes popular brands like Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar.

While

Energy Drinks with Supplement Facts labels cannot be bought with EBT cards as they don’t meet USDA standards. If the label just highlights herbal ingredients and says “Supplement Facts,” you probably can’t buy it with food stamps. That include 5-Hour Energy, Bang, and Tweaker.

Check each energy drink individually to see if it has a nutrition label before purchasing with EBT.

Coffee and Tea

Coffee or tea is classified as a cold or hot beverage. Cold Drinks (both coffee and Tea) can be purchased with EBT if they are intended for home consumption.

While Hot drinks (coffee, lattes, tea, etc.) are not eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits.

What You CAN Buy with EBT:

• Cold coffee and tea drinks intended for home consumption like iced coffee, cold brew, frozen blends, and refrigerated bottled tea.
• Fountain drink versions of coffee and tea beverages.
• Coffee and tea drinks that are sipped while in line at the store.
• You can buy coffee and tea products like grounds, beans, and bags with your EBT. This way, you can use your benefits to enjoy your favorite hot drinks at home.

What You CAN NOT Buy with EBT

• Hot coffee and tea drinks made on-site, including lattes, mochas and other heated espresso beverages.
• Hot drinks of any kind, since hot prepared foods are not eligible for SNAP benefits.

Food online

EBT cards can be used to purchase food online through participating retailers like Walmart, Food city, Amazon Fresh, and Instacart. This opens up many more options beyond just what is available at your local supermarket.

Remember that SNAP benefits may only be used to purchase eligible food; delivery fees and other associated charges cannot be covered.

Some states are currently participating in the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot. That includes:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Texas
• Virginia
• Washington

Check out participating retailers in your state.

Dairy Products

All types of dairy items, including milk, cheese, yogurt, butter and more can be purchased using EBT cards since the dairy product is considered food item. Some common dairy products that are EBT-eligible include:

• Milk – whole, 2%, skim, flavored, shelf-stable
• Cheese – blocks, shredded, slices, strings, spreads
• Yogurt – Greek, regular, drinkable, flavored
• Cottage cheese, Cream cheese
• Ice cream, ice milk, sherbet
• Butter and margarine
• Creamers – powdered, shelf-stable, refrigerated
• Whipped cream
• Eggs

So feel free to grab any dairy products your household enjoys, from a basic gallon of milk to indulgent ice cream treats.

Water and bags of ice

Can you buy ice with food stamps? Yes, You can use your EBT card to buy bottled water and bags of ice

Bottled water can help you stay hydrated and avoid drinking dirty water. While Bags of ice can also keep your food cold when you don’t have access to electricity or a fridge.

You can use your SNAP benefits to buy crushed or block ice. So remember to stock up these items as needed.

Seeds and Plants

Seeds and Plants are the EBT eligible non food items. You can purchase Garden seeds and edible plants with EBT cards as they are used to produce food for human consumption.

• Eligible seeds include those for growing vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other edible plants such as tomato, pepper, lettuce, strawberry etc.
• Fruit trees and edible food producing roots and bulbs also qualify, like asparagus crowns, onion bulbs, raspberry bushes.
• Additionally, seeds and plants used to grow spices for cooking like basil, cilantro, oregano, garlic and onion sets can be bought with EBT.

However, remember that EBT cannot be used to purchase:

• Non-food-producing plants
• Plants used to make alcohol or tobacco products
• Plants considered to be luxury items

Hemp Food Products

Hemp Food Products You CAN Purchase with EBT:

• Hulled hemp seeds
• Hemp seed protein powder
• Hemp seed oil
• Food products containing hemp seeds, protein powder or oil

These ingredients have been generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA and contain no THC or CBD.

Hemp Products You CANNOT Purchase with EBT:

• Whole hemp plants, leaves, shoots
• CBD oil or any CBD-containing products
• Foods containing CBD or other controlled cannabinoids
• Medicinals with hemp/cannabis

While hemp seeds and their derivatives are EBT-eligible, whole hemp plants and any cannabis-derived components are considered ineligible controlled substances.

Always check the ingredients on hemp products before purchasing with EBT.

Baby Formula

Baby formula and other infant foods can be purchased using EBT benefits.

Eligible items include infant formula, baby cereals, pureed jarred foods, pouches, juice boxes and bottles for infants.

SNAP understands that Buying formula and healthy baby foods is essential for infant development and ensures child nutrition needs are met.

Other jarred baby foods containing fruits, vegetables, grains and meats are also EBT-eligible. Snap also allows essentially any edible food product intended for consumption by babies or meant to supplement breastfeeding.

So parents and caregivers can feel confident using their EBT cards to stock up on all necessary items to feed babies.

Restaurant Meals

The Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) allows eligible SNAP recipients to use EBT benefits to purchase prepared meals at approved restaurants in participating states.

Households must have an elderly (60+), disabled, or homeless member to qualify. Spouses of clients who meet these criteria are also eligible.

States choose which local restaurants can participate, and the USDA Food and Nutrition Service authorizes restaurants to accept EBT cards. Typically fast food chains and affordable family restaurants are selected to best serve the target audience.

The RMP is not available in all states, but in those where it is implemented, it provides critical food access to SNAP recipients who may face barriers to purchasing and preparing their own meals.

The program allows them to use their benefits at participating restaurants to get hot prepared foods.

Check with your local SNAP agency to see if your state has an active RMP.

Produce From a Farmers Market

America’s Direct Marketing Farmers and Farmers’ Markets (DMFs/FMs) are excellent resources for buying fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods. The FNS is committed to improving access to food for SNAP beneficiaries and supporting economic growth for farmers and producers.

Most markets and small farm retailers are now equipped to accept SNAP payments for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy and other grocery items.

To use your EBT card at a farmers market, first, find vendors displaying the SNAP accepted sign. Some may have wireless EBT card readers to process payments on the spot.

Others will have a central market location to swipe your EBT card in exchange for vouchers to use at vendor booths.

Buying directly from nearby farmers gives you the opportunity to get hold of fresh and organic produce which might be too expensive at regular supermarkets.

You can find a farmers market by searching United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Farmers Market Directory.

Hunting and Fishing Equipment

In Alaska, some Households that receive SNAP benefits live in remote areas where access to food stores is extremely difficult. These households rely on hunting and fishing as a food source for survival.

In such cases, SNAP benefits or EBT cards can be used to buy hunting and fishing equipment necessary to get food for the household.

This equipment includes:

• Nets
• Fishing Lines and rods
• Harpoons
• Knives
• Hooks
• Bows and Arrows

and other equipment essential for subsistence hunting and fishing.

The eligible households are issued identification cards that shows their ability to purchase the equipment.

Gift Baskets

You can purchase gift baskets with EBT as long as the cost of eligible food items in the basket is more than 50% of the total purchase price.

For example,

A $ 20 holiday gift basket containing mostly eligible food items, fruits, nuts, cookies, cheeses (around cost $15), and a small toy (around cost $5) could be purchased with EBT.

But

If the cost of Nonfood items or Toys is more than $10, then it cannot be bought with SNAP benefits as it exceeds 50% of the value.

Gift baskets containing any ineligible items like alcohol, tobacco, pet food or toys can never be bought with EBT, regardless of overall value.

So be sure to check the label and do some math before making your purchase. With that said, there are plenty of eligible gift baskets out there that you can buy with your EBT benefits. So go ahead and treat yourself or a loved one to a special gift!

Military commissary items

Military Commissaries are like grocery stores, but they’re located within military facilities in the United States and abroad. SNAP benefits can be used to pay for military commissary surcharges established by federal law.

Military Commissaries offer great value to SNAP customers because their prices are at the cost of goods, while other retailers include additional costs in their pricing.

Additionally there is a 5% surcharge that’s used for construction, repair, improvement, and maintenance. This surcharge is similar to overhead costs at other retailers, but it’s a separate charge. The good news is that if you use SNAP benefits to pay for items, this surcharge is waived, and you won’t be charged a user fee if you use an EBT card.

Live lobsters and other seafood

Generally, SNAP benefits cannot be used to buy live animals, such as those used for livestock or pets.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule and you can buy with EBT card:

• Live shellfish like lobster, crabs, or clams can be bought with SNAP benefits.
• Fish can also be purchased live at the point of sale, but they need to be removed from the water before leaving the seller’s premises.
• Other live animals, including birds, can be bought with SNAP benefits if they are slaughtered before leaving the seller’s premises.

Cooking wine

Wine, beer, and liquor cannot be purchased with EBT benefits. However, there is an exception for cooking wine, wine vinegar, and vanilla extract.

Wine that is specifically marketed and labeled as “cooking wine” or “culinary wine” can be bought with SNAP benefits as it is considered an eligible food.

What Can’t You Buy With Food Stamps?

The USDA manages SNAP benefits and their website clearly mentions that SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase certain items.

• Alcoholic beverages
• Tobacco products
• Vitamin supplements
• Medicines
• Live animals
• Pet food
• Cleaning products
• Paper products
• Hot foods

There are some exceptions, like cooking wine. But in general, SNAP benefits are intended for human grocery items, not non-food essentials or prepared meals.

FAQs

Conclusion

There are a wide range of surprising things you can buy with EBT beyond the typical groceries and household necessities. From seeds and plants to baby products and even online groceries, food stamps or SNAP benifits provides a various options for individuals and families in need.

It’s important to research and understand the guidelines for EBT usage, but with the right knowledge, SNAP recipients can take advantage of these unexpected benefits.