OPINION: Let SNAP recipients buy hot food

As Hunger Action Month highlights the importance of food security, we need to talk about a hot (pun intended) issue: Why can’t SNAP benefits be used to buy hot foods?

The harm in the hot food ban

Since the 1964 Food Stamp Act passed (SNAP benefits), there have been rules around what counts as eligible nutrition. SNAP benefits can buy pork chops but not a live pig. They’re good for orange juice, but not Vitamin C. You know what food they can’t buy? A roast chicken.

In the 1970s, Congress redefined what counted as eligible food and hot foods were no longer allowable. Similarly, there are eternal political conversations about restricting so-called “junk food” as well. As long as America’s SNAP program has existed, people of privilege and means have been restricting the food autonomy of others without understanding the true costs of poverty.

Who’s affected most?

• Older adults and people with disabilities: Disabled Americans are twice as likely to experience food insecurity as their able-bodied counterparts. Almost 7 million seniors are low-income and food insecure in America today. Both disability and age complicate our capacity for self-care. Denying the “convenience” of hot foods puts an additional burden on already vulnerable and marginalized people.

• Homeless people: When people do not have access to a kitchen, they cannot safely cook or store food. This not only leads to food waste but also limits nutrition options to food that can be eaten without cooking or hot meals from local aid organizations. Everyone deserves to eat every day.

• Time-poor households: More than one in five American workers participate in SNAP, and most SNAP participants who can work do so. Thirty percent of SNAP participants report not having enough time to make healthy meals from scratch. People with multiple jobs, young children or other caregiver duties struggle to time to prepare fresh meals.

Hot to go

Alaskans love Costco rotisserie chickens, and Costco is well aware. Nationally, they sold 132 million at $4.99 apiece in 2023. Ironically, a seven-pound raw bird costs nearly $12 at Costco, yet SNAP recipients cannot use their benefits to buy cheaper food.

SNAP recipients should be able to make the food choices that are right for them and their families. If that is sometimes buying hot food, then it’s sometimes buying hot food. These outdated rules create unnecessary, class-based barriers to nutrition.

The benefits of a hot change

SNAP is effective. It lifts people out of poverty, protects children and is a major economic driver. Hot food purchases with SNAP would make life easier for millions of Americans. It would benefit personal health and household budgets as well:

• Better health outcomes: Studies show SNAP participants with better access to food have better overall health — this is true for children and adults.

• Improved convenience: Time poverty leads to high levels of stress, self-neglect and poor food choices. Hot and ready food can offer options for a healthier life balance.

The bottom line

This isn’t just about convenience — it’s about food justice, self-determination and choice. Choosing our food is important and SNAP recipients deserve the same personal agency as anyone with cash or credit card.

Food security in Alaska is a critical issue. Groups like the Alaska Food Policy Council, the Alaska Food Coalition and others work to ensure every Alaskan has nutritious and affordable food — no matter what. Let’s roast this outdated rule and get SNAP recipients access to ready-made meals.

Hannah C. Hill is executive director of Bread Line and a board member of the Alaska Food Policy Council. Hill lives in Fairbanks.

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