Beginning January 1, 2026, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to purchase sugary drinks or candy in Indiana.
INDIANAPOLIS – As part of Governor Mike Braun’s Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) is launching Smart SNAP, a bold new effort to improve the health of Hoosiers by aligning SNAP benefits with healthier food choices. Beginning January 1, 2026, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to purchase sugary drinks or candy in Indiana.
This initiative is a direct response to alarming public health statistics: 66 percent of adult Hoosiers are overweight or obese, 44 percent eat fruit less than once daily, and 27 percent eat vegetables less than once daily. Among WIC toddlers aged 2–4, 16 percent are overweight and 15 percent are obese. Additionally, 25 percent of high schoolers and 32 percent of youth aged 10–17 are overweight or obese. Governor Braun emphasized, “This isn’t the usual top-down, one-size-fits-all public health agenda. We’re focused on root causes… and taking on the problems in government programs that are contributing to making our communities less healthy.”
In April 2025, Governor Braun signed an executive order banning sugary drinks and junk food from SNAP purchases. Indiana was one of the first states to secure a USDA waiver to implement this change, and since then, 11 other states have followed suit. The Smart SNAP initiative is a cornerstone of the broader Make America Healthy Again movement…