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Are Energy Drinks EBT Eligible? (Find out)

Energy drinks are marketed to give the consumer a “pick-me-up” – giving them a sudden burst of energy.

They have had a long history as a popular energy source for those looking to get a quick energy boost. These energy drinks are often perceived as a drink for teens, adults can also benefit from energy drinks.

Even though energy drinks have many benefits, these benefits come with a price – these energy drinks are costly and not really pocket-friendly.

People with low income would think of spending their dollars on the things which are needed by them rather than something they want.

However, you can buy energy drinks through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

It is noteworthy, that not all energy drinks, but many energy drinks are EBT eligible. So you can buy these energy drinks through EBT.

If you are interested in knowing more about EBT and which energy drinks can be bought through EBT or which energy drinks are EBT eligible, then you should continue reading the article!

What is Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)?

EBT is an electronically operated system that allows low-income working families to purchase cash assistance benefits, a program known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a food stamp program, a welfare program, or government food assistance.

This Electric system requires an EBT card, you can just swipe the card at the SNAP retailer stores. You cannot use these EBT cards at any store, because not every store accepts them.

The purpose of EBT is to provide additional support for families who are struggling to make ends meet and reduce the number of people who are dependent on the social safety net.

EBT card
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Most states have the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which delivers benefits through a national coupon program or a state-run food bank.

Foods with SNAP or WIC stamps on the packaging can generally be purchased at any supermarket, and they’re available at most corner stores, too.

Foods that have these stamps on them are often healthier than those without them—for example, foods like fruits and vegetables are more likely to be high in fiber and low in saturated fats.

Federal assistance programs such as SNAP, S-NEP, SBP, NSLP, etc., are anti-poverty efforts, offering low-cost, fixed-portion meals to more than 40 million Americans in need of assistance.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and provides benefits to working families; the Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (S-NEP) provides nutrition education for children in school; the School Breakfast Program (SBP) ensures that all school children have access to a nutritious breakfast every day.

How to Apply for SNAP?

If you feel you need to “apply” for SNAP you must first get a County Food Stamp Application and then submit your application.

To apply, visit the SNAP/EBT website. The application will ask you a series of questions to determine if you are eligible to apply for food stamps.

They have certain criteria to check your eligibility for the SNAP which will be based on your income which must be at or below the line of poverty.

What Can You Buy with EBT?

It should be known that EBT does not cover everything; it can only be used for buying food as the main purpose of SNAP is to not let you starve.

EBT will not give you the benefit of buying cleaning items and other such products.

Now you must be wondering what qualifies as food? Just to be clear, anything which has a nutrition fact label on it qualifies as food and you can get these products with the help of your EBT card.

However, if anything has a label of supplemental fact, then your EBT card will not cover it as a supplement does not qualify as food.

Eligible Food Items

The following table summarizes the food items that can and cannot be bought using SNAP benefits:

Can be boughtCannot be bought
Bread and cerealsBeer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, tobacco
Fruits and vegetablesPet foods
Meats, fish, poultryVitamins and medicines
Dairy productsFood that will be eaten in the store
Seeds and plants that produce foodHot foods
Food items that can and cannot be bought using SNAP

Difference Between Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts Label

A supplement is often referred to as a pill, capsule, or liquid. The major difference between a supplement and a nutrition product is that supplements are not food and thus have no nutritional value.

They are primarily used to provide additional nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, to those who may not consume enough of that particular nutrient or who may not consume the right nutrient, such as those with iron deficiencies.

If we are to compare supplements and nutrients then the former can be defined as a product that is sold to enhance the body’s ability to help itself. Nutrition can be defined as a product designed to provide nutrition, support the body’s systems and help with recovery.

Nutrition Facts

The Nutrition Facts label on food packages provides information about the quantity, nutrient and energy content, and other information about the food.

The nutrition facts label is used to provide information about the nutrition content of a food or beverage. As well, the nutrition facts table label must appear on the front of the package.

Nutrition Facts label
Products with Nutrition Facts label are EBT eligible

Supplement Facts

The Supplement Facts label, which is found on the packaging of dietary supplement products, provides information about the quantity, type, and quality of the ingredients in the product.

The supplement facts label is used to provide information about the ingredients in a supplement. Moreover, the supplement facts label is displayed on the back of the package.

Nutrition facts and supplement facts two labels are often confused, but they are actually very different as we already discussed above.

Supplement facts label
Products with Supplemental Facts labels are not EBT eligible

Can You Buy Energy Drinks with Food Stamps?

Many energy drinks come with the label of nutrition facts rather than supplement facts; the drinks, which have a nutrition fact label on them can be bought with the help of EBT.

The drinks, which have nutrition facts come under the category of food, and these energy drinks are EBT eligible.

Let’s see a few popular energy drinks and check if they are EBT eligible or not so that you can easily get them through your SNAP account.

Can You Get Monster Energy Drinks on EBT?

Monster energy drinks are caffeine drinks that are often marketed as providing energy and enhancing performance.

They come in a variety of flavors and contain a variety of ingredients such as taurine, caffeine, Panax Ginseng Extract, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, vitamins, etc.

If you are wondering if you can avail Monster energy drink through SNAP then the answer is Yes.

The monster energy drink has a nutrition facts label on it which qualifies it as a food and beverage, therefore Monster energy drink is EBT eligible.

Energy drinks are ebt eligible
Monster energy drink is Ebt eligible

Can You Buy Red Bull with EBT?

Red Bull, when first introduced, was a non-carbonated drink. However, following its introduction to the U.S. in 1987, it was reformulated to be carbonated.

Today, the red bull drink is extremely popular and comes in various flavors as well as in sugar-free versions. The good news is that Red Bull comes under the section of food and beverages as it has a nutrition fact label on it.

Therefore, you can easily get it through SNAP and Red Bull is EBT eligible.

Nutrition facts label on the back of Red Bull
Red Bull is EBT eligible

Can You Buy Rockstar Energy Drinks With Food Stamps?

Rockstar energy drink is another famous energy drink, which has around 160 mg of caffeine with many other ingredients like Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Taurine, Glucuronolactone, Inositol, L-Carnitine, Guarana Seed, Milk Thistle Extractives, Niacinamide, etc.

If you are someone who loves to drink Rockstar energy drink, then there is a piece of good news for you, you can have Rockstar energy drink through EBT.

What Energy Drinks Can You Buy With EBT?

The following energy drinks are EBT eligible:

  • 3D Energy Drink
  • ASPIRE Healthy Energy
  • Bang Energy Drink
  • C4 Energy
  • GURU Organic Energy Drink
  • Java Monster
  • Kill Cliff: Ignite Clean Energy
  • Monster Energy
  • NOS Energy Drink
  • Red Bull
  • Reign
  • Rockstar Energy Drink
  • RUNA Clean Energy
  • Strike Force Energy Drink Mix
  • Wingman Smart Energy
  • Zevia Energy Drink

There are more energy drinks that can be bought through EBT.

Know more about Food Stamps

Final Verdict

Drinking energy drinks have become as common as having a cup of coffee recently, however, there is a huge difference between a simple cup of coffee and a can of energy drinks.

Most people cannot afford to simply buy energy drinks along with other expenses in their low incomes.

Luckily, there are energy drinks, which are EBT eligible so you can easily enjoy them.

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