Do you ever wonder what items you can buy with food stamps? One of the most questions we often get from readers is whether you can buy energy drinks with SNAP EBT. The USDA has very specific rules regarding the items you are eligible to purchase with SNAP benefits. In this post, we are going to address the question of Energy Drinks and provide a list of energy drinks you can buy with food stamps.
In addition, after reading this article, you will know whether you can use your SNAP EBT card to purchase red bull, monster energy, Nos Evergy, Bang Energy and similar drinks.
Next, we will provide a list of what you can and cannot purchase with SNAP/Food stamps.
Lastly, we will answer some of the frequently asked questions about what you can and cannot buy with SNAP.
Energy Drinks You Can Buy with Food Stamps
You can also use your food stamp card to buy some energy drinks.
However, not all energy drinks are eligible under USDA rules regarding what can and cannot be purchased with SNAP.
To better understand which energy drinks can be purchased with a food stamp card, let’s break down the two types of energy drinks.
Nutrition Facts VS Supplement Facts
If the energy drink has a “Nutrition Facts” label, it is considered a food item by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits.
However, energy drinks that have a “Supplement Facts” label, are classified by the FDA as supplements and are, therefore, not eligible to be purchased with SNAP.
Below is a list of some of the energy drinks that can and cannot be purchased with food stamps.
List of Energy Drinks You Can Buy with Food Stamps
- 3D Energy Drink
- Adrenaline Shoc Smart Energy
- Alani Nu Sugar-Free Energy Drink
- Amino Energy
- Amp Energy
- ASPIRE Healthy Energy
- Bang Energy Drink
- Bing Beverage
- C4 Energy
- FEEL Natural Energy Drink
- GURU Organic Energy Drink
- Hiball Energy
- Java Monster
- Kill Cliff: Ignite Clean Energy
- Liquid I.V. Energy Multiplier (Mix)
- Monster Energy
- Mountain Dew Game Fuel Zero
- Mountain Dew Kickstart
- Ninja Melk Energy Drink
- NOS Energy Drink
- Red Bull
- Reign
- Rockstar Energy Drink
- RUNA Clean Energy
- Sambazon Amazon Energy Drink
- Solimo Energy Drink (Amazon Brand)
- Starbucks Doubleshot Energy
- Strike Force Energy Drink Mix
- UPTIME Energy Drink
- V8 +Energy
- Wingman Smart Energy
- X2 Natural Energy Drink
- Yerba Mate (Organic Alternative to Energy)
- Zevia Energy Drink
List of Energy Drinks You CANNOT Buy with Food Stamps
- 5 Hour Energy Shots
- Bang Shot
- CELSIUS Sparkling
- CUT Energy + Weight Loss (By Hydroxycut)
- FITAID Recovery Blend
- Jocko GO Energy Drink
- Jump Start Energy Shot
- Pureboost Clean Energy Drink Mix
- Stacker 2 Extreme Energy Shot
- Tweaker Energy Shot
- Zipfizz Healthy Energy Drink Mix
What you can purchase with Food Stamps
Here’s a complete guide on what you can and cannot purchase with your SNAP EBT card:
What items can be purchased with SNAP Benefits?
- Food or food products meant to be eaten by people
- Seeds to grow vegetables and plants that provide food, such as basil or tomato
- Baby formula, diabetic, and diet foods
- Spices, herbs, pectin, shortening, and other edible items used for cooking
- Water and ice labeled for human consumption
- Snack foods
What items cannot be purchased with SNAP Benefits?
- Prepared hot foods in grocery stores
- Any prepared food (hot or cold) sold and meant to be eaten at the store
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco
- Cleaning products, paper products, toiletries, and cooking utensils
- Pet supplies
- Items for food preservation such as canning jars and lids, freezer containers, or food wrapping paper
- Medicines, vitamins, or minerals
- Items for gardening such as fertilizer and peat moss
Frequently Asked Questions on What you can buy with EBT
Here are some of the questions we have received from readers about what you can and cannot buy with SNAP EBT:
Can You Buy Coffee with EBT Card?
Yes, you can buy packaged coffee, including instant coffee and K cups for Keurig. You can also buy creamer.
However, you cannot buy hot coffee because you cannot use an EBT card to buy hot liquids.
Can I buy diapers with EBT Card?
Even though nearly 30% of parents in the United States cannot afford diapers, which can cost up to $100 every month per baby, they are NOT covered by food stamps.
Is baby formula eligible with SNAP Card?
Yes, you can purchase baby formula, including Similac with your SNAP EBT card and there is actually no limit on how much formula you can buy.
You can also purchase formula for your child even well beyond 12 months of age.
Energy Drinks You Can Buy with Food Stamps Summary
We hope this post on the list of energy drinks you can buy with food stamps was helpful to you!
If you have more questions about your EBT or SNAP Benefits, please let us know in the comments section below.
For more help on what and where you can use your New York EBT Card, check out our other articles here:
What Fast Food Restaurants Take EBT in New York?
How to Use New York EBT Online at Amazon
Get Free Admissions with New York EBT Card
How to Get a Free Phone With New York Food Stamps
New York to see 25% Increase in SNAP Benefits
New York EBT Deposit Dates for 2021
Rochester SNAP Eligibility Guide