6 more states approved to remove unhealthy foods from SNAP benefits

Six more states have joined the growing list across the country approved for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program food-choice waivers that will prevent benefits from being used on certain processed foods and drinks. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the approval for Hawai'i, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee to "amend the statutory definition of 'food for purchase'" under the federal program in 2026. This brings the list of states approved for SNAP food-choice waivers under the Make America Healthy Again initiative up to 18. These waivers allow states to amend what the food assistance benefits -- colloquially referred to as food stamps -- can be us