WASHINGTON — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., alongside Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins, is urging about 15 states to seek federal waivers that would block Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users from purchasing items like soda and other sugary products.
Their goal is to address rising obesity rates. However, critics argue that this plan is more punitive than productive, doing little to help low-income families access healthier food options.
Studies show that families receiving SNAP buy junk food at similar rates as non-recipients. Limiting their choices, critics say, only deepens stigma without solving the root problem.
A 2023 Cleveland Clinic survey found that nearly half of respondents cited the high cost of healthy food as the top barrier to better diets. Rising grocery prices, driven in part by tariffs, are expected to make fresh fruits and vegetables even more expensive.
SNAP provides about $6 per person per day. Critics say this amount is too low to cover nutritious groceries. Rather than adding restrictions, experts recommend increasing SNAP payments and expanding access to affordable, healthy food.
Evidence supports this. When the child tax credit was temporarily expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, many low-income parents used the extra money to buy healthier food.
Poor communities often lack stores with quality produce. Meanwhile, fast food marketing targets these neighborhoods heavily, offering quick, appealing but unhealthy options.
Researchers say poverty contributes to poor health not just through diet, but also through stress, limited job opportunities, and shrinking support systems. These broader challenges make unhealthy food choices more common among low-income families.
There are models that have shown promise. The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), launched under the 2014 Farm Bill, funds local projects that help SNAP recipients afford fruits and vegetables. However, fewer than 1% of SNAP users currently benefit from it.
The “Double Bucks” initiative, now in over 25 states, matches SNAP funds for purchases of locally grown produce. Bipartisan support is growing for bills like the Supporting All Healthy Options When Purchasing Produce (SHOPP) Act, which would extend these kinds of incentives to include frozen fruits and vegetables.
Critics argue that if Kennedy and Rollins truly want to improve nutrition, they should invest in programs like GusNIP and SHOPP, promote healthy cooking, and make whole foods more affordable and accessible.
“We should be helping families stretch their SNAP dollars,” said one advocate. “Restrictions don’t work. Empowerment does.”
Instead of limiting what families can buy, experts say the focus should be on increasing options and trust. When given support and access, most people make healthy choices for themselves and their families.
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