Arkansas has petitioned the USDA to restrict SNAP benefits from being used to purchase junk food like soda and candy, aiming to improve the health of program recipients. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that the current system inadvertently supports the consumption of unhealthy options. The proposal, set to potentially take effect in July 2026, would still allow for the purchase of items like hot rotisserie chicken. The article's author supports this move as a first step but suggests further restrictions to focus SNAP on basic, healthy, and inexpensive foods, advocating for a return to a voucher system limited to essential items at major grocery chains.

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