Indiana is launching Smart SNAP, a new initiative to promote healthier food choices. Beginning January 1, 2026, sugary drinks and candy will no longer be eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. This change is part of Governor Braun’s Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative. Learn more about what this means for you by visiting the Smart SNAP webpage.
Governor Braun signed Executive Order 25-55: Making Indiana Healthy Again by Enhancing Nutrition in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on April 15, 2025, instructing the FSSA Division of Family Resources to apply for a waiver from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to exclude candy and soft drinks from SNAP eligible products.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved DFR’s SNAP Food Restriction Waiver on May 22,2025, and the exclusion of candy and sugary drinks from being purchased using SNAP benefits will begin Jan. 1, 2026.
Timeline:
- April 15, 2025
- Governor Braun signed Executive Order 25-55: Making Indiana Healthy Again by Enhancing Nutrition in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Division of Family Resources submitted the SNAP Food Restriction Waiver
- May 22, 2025 – USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved the waiver
Smart SNAP definitions:
- Candy: A preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. The term does not include any preparation requiring refrigeration
- Sugary drinks: Non-alcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners. The term does not include beverages that contain milk or milk products, soy, rice, or similar milk substitutes, or are exclusively naturally sweetened using natural vegetable and/or fruit juice
