Saving Money / Food
6 min Read
Written by Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by Cory Dudak
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For the longest time, you could only use your SNAP benefits to save on buy groceries in brick-and-mortar grocery stores and the like. However, since more people shop online than ever before, big online retailers like Amazon quickly adapted and will allow you to shop with your electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card for a number of things. Some of those things might surprise you.
According to the USDA, SNAP benefits are for the purchase of items in the following categories:
- Fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products
- Breads, cereals, canned vegetables and pantry staples
- Other foods such as snacks, seeds and non-alcoholic beverages
However, within these general guidelines, there are some surprising things you can buy with EBT on Amazon and here are 13 of them.
Also see other eight surprising things you can purchase with EBT.
Atkins Bars
Before the keto diet, there was the Atkins diet — one of the first low-carb strategies for weight loss. Some of their “Endulge” and protein meal bars qualify as food on Amazon and you can purchase such delicious flavors as chocolate nut chew and blueberry Greek yogurt. Not all their bars are SNAP eligible, so be sure to double-check.
Coffee Pods
Though you can’t purchase an actual cup of hot coffee with EBT, Keurig owners rejoice — you can purchase Keurig coffee pods on Amazon with your EBT. And the online retailer has a deal on a 40-pod coffee sampler for $19.95 — more than a month’s worth of daily coffee for less than $1 per pod.
Energy Drinks
Everyone needs a boost from time to time and energy drinks can provide that in a gulp. But only those that have a “nutrition facts” label. Fortunately, you can purchase energy drinks like Monster, Celsius and BANG with your EBT at Amazon. If your energy drink has a “supplement facts” label, it’s not covered by EBT. This Tropical Vibes Celsius pack of 12 for $20.04 is EBT-eligible.
Emergency Kit Food Supply
In case of emergencies, disaster experts recommend you have as much as a week’s worth of food stored in case you can’t leave your home. Amazon sells a variety of Augason Farms four-gallon pails of emergency food supply that you can purchase with EBT.
Food Decorating Items
Some of the decorative elements you need to make a cake, cookies or cupcakes are sometimes SNAP eligible on Amazon; for example, Wilton’s cookie icing ($5.69) and unicorn sprinkles ($14.25).
Gift Baskets
According to the USDA, some gift baskets are SNAP eligible, so long as 50% of the items are food-based. At Amazon, you can get a few different kinds of gift baskets. Broadway Basketeers chocolate gift basket ($32.95) includes a variety of tasty chocolate treats. California Delicious meat and cheese gift basket ($91.26) and David’s Cookies brownie and cookie basket ($42.95) are other options you can buy with SNAP.
Indoor Planting Kit
SNAP does allow for seeds or seedlings that can produce food and Amazon offers multiple Back to the Roots growing kits with your SNAP benefits, such as the indoor cherry tomatoes garden kit ($11.59).
Meal Replacement Shakes
There are a number of reasons why someone might need a meal replacement shake — from illness to dieting. These shakes include a high number of vitamins and minerals and thus qualify as food and are SNAP eligible. This 12-pack chocolate shake bundle by Atkins qualifies at $17.48.
Pet Treats
Amazon allows for some nuance in the area of food for pets, particularly when it comes to dog treats. Some that are SNAP eligible include this $13.14 tub of Old Wisconsin beef bites.
Protein Powder
Depending on the way a protein powder is classified — as a food versus a supplement — they can be purchased with EBT. To qualify, the powder must be sold as a food — typically this means it has a nutrition facts label versus a supplement facts label. You can buy these at Amazon with EBT so long as the item says it is SNAP eligible. Quest’s Cinnamon Crunch protein powder is a perfect example at $31.51.
Spam
The iconic meat in a can made popular in the ’50s might not be your taste, but a lot of people still like to make fun dishes with it. And Amazon is happy to make it available in a variety of quantities and flavors starting at $3.98 for EBT purchase.
Toys That Include Food
Amazon has a nice little gray area around items that are not specifically food but include food items or in this case, candy. You can purchase the Groovy Growing Candy Lab ($15.39), the Gross Gummy Candy Lab ($21.75) or the Rainbow Gummy Candy Lab ($10.99) with EBT and other toys that include candy or food, though be sure to double-check the SNAP eligibility before you buy.
Toys That Resemble Food
Though toys, in general, are not typically counted as SNAP eligible, this $9.99 Oosh slime cotton candy toy is, perhaps because it resembles food.
What You Can’t Buy With SNAP on Amazon
Just like all other stores, you still can’t buy the following items, per USDA guidelines:
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines and supplements — look for a supplement facts label to determine if it’s considered a supplement. Food items will typically have a nutrition facts label.
- Live animals — with the exception of shellfish, fish removed from water and animals slaughtered before store pick-up.
- Foods that are hot at the point of sale.
- Any nonfood items such as pet foods, cleaning or household supplies, hygiene items or cosmetics.
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