
Food stamp recipients spend significant portions of their allotments on junk food.
| Top Items Purchased with Food Stamps | |||
| Rank | Item Purchased | Rank | Item Purchased |
| 1 | Soft Drinks | 11 | Candy |
| 2 | Fluid Milk | 12 | Infant Formula |
| 3 | Ground Beef | 13 | Frozen Pizza |
| 4 | Bag Snacks | 14 | Refrigerated Juices/Drinks |
| 5 | Cheese | 15 | Ice Cream |
| 6 | Baked Breads | 16 | Coffee and Creamers |
| 7 | Cold Cereal | 17 | Cookies |
| 8 | Fresh Chicken | 18 | Water |
| 9 | Frozen Handhelds and Snacks | 19 | Shelf Stable Juice |
| 10 | Lunchmeat | 20 | Eggs/Muffins/Potatoes |
As explained by Angela Rachidi and Thomas O’Rourke at the American Enterprise Institute, the food stamp program “has no nutritional standards, allowing participants to purchase any food or beverage product intended for consumption, except alcohol. As a result, data show that sizable portions of SNAP dollars purchase nonnutritious foods, such as sugary beverages and ultra-processed foods, which can lead to poor health.”



