Louisiana faces high rates of diet-related illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease. Improving diet quality is one of the most effective ways to prevent these outcomes. Frequent purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages, energy drinks, and candy add calories with little to no nutritional value.
To support better choices without increasing burden on families or stores, Louisiana is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to align SNAP purchasing rules with public health goals by removing a number of low-nutrition items (soft drinks, energy drinks, and candy) from SNAP eligibility.
These changes do not affect benefit levels or household eligibility. They preserve broad customer choice while helping families build healthier shopping habits.
