The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, supported around 41 million Americans per month in 2024, providing a monthly stipend to buy groceries at participating stores. With the conservative Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement leading the charge, there has been a renewed push to limit what SNAP users can buy with their benefits.
“SNAP has looked essentially the same for over 60 years, despite scientific consensus that sugary drinks are harming our health,” Christina Roberto and Alyssa Moran from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine wrote in an opinion piece for Newsweek. “By subsidizing sugary drinks with SNAP, we are rewarding an industry that limits choices for lower-income families, ensuring the lowest-quality food is the most available and affordable option.”