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August 25, 2026 / 4:07 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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A Trump administration effort aimed at discouraging Americans on food stamps from using the government nutritional aid to buy soda is having an impact, a new study shows. Recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits cut their sugary drink purchases by more than 12% from January to June of this year after new state-level restrictions on what people can buy with food stamps took effect, according to a working paper released this week by economic and public health experts at the University of Chicago, MIT and Stanford University. That reduction in purchases is equivalent to a person buying 34 fewer 12-ounce cans a year, the study notes. The findings could help shape the often contentious public debate over whether SNAP recipients should be allowed to use food stamps to pay for soda, candy and other unhealthy foods. Reducing Americans' consumption of sugary drinks has become a priority under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leader of the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again," or MAHA, movement. As of May, nearly 37 million Americans received food stamps, according to the Department of Agriculture. Participation in SNAP has fluctuated over the years, driven by both economic conditions and eligibility rules, according to the Pew Research Center. In the years following the 2008-09 housing crash, for example, the share of Americans on food stamps surged to nearly 19%.According to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP recipients in 2026 received an average of $188 per month in food stamps, or $6.17 per day.More state bansIn March, Kennedy said during an event in West Virginia that the federal government would end "taxpayer-subsidized soda assistance" for SNAP recipients. Two months later, the Agriculture Department started issuing waivers to states, allowing them to redefine which foods are SNAP-eligible.
