If you have just been approved for Ohio Food Stamps and issued a SNAP EBT Card, you are probably wondering what you can buy with an Ohio EBT card (Ohio Direction Card). See below for the answer to that question.
In this post, we will provide the list of eligible SNAP food items, including what you can and cannot buy with your Ohio SNAP EBT Card.
First, we will provide a list of places where you can use your Ohio SNAP EBT card to shop online for groceries for delivery.
Next, we will provide the list of food items you can purchase with your EBT card.
Lastly, we will answer the most frequently asked questions about foods you can and cannot buy with Ohio SNAP EBT Card.
This post will cover:
- What stores accept Ohio SNAP EBT cards online?
- What you can buy with an Ohio SNAP EBT card
- Ohio SNAP EBT Eligible Food Items FAQs
What stores accept Ohio EBT cards online?
If you are an Ohio SNAP EBT Cardholder in, you can shop online with your SNAP EBT Card for grocery delivery and pick-up at Walmart, Amazon, and other grocery stores through Instacart.
Here’s the full list of participating grocery stores:
ALDI
Amazon
BJs Wholesale Club
Buehler’s Fresh Foods
Dave’s Supermarket, Inc. DBA Dave’s Supermarket
Giant Eagle
Lucky’s
Meijer
Sam’s Club Scan and Go
Target
Walmart
Whole Foods
What you can buy with an Ohio EBT card
Ohio Food Stamps benefits can be used to purchase any food EXCEPT hot foods.
See below for the complete list of foods you are allowed to buy.
Additionally, we have listed below foods that you CANNOT buy with your Ohio Direction card.
Here is the list of eligible items youcan buywith yourOhio Food Stamps:
- Alcohol Mixers
- Baby Food (for example, infant formula, cereals, juices)
- Baker’s yeast
- Bottled water
- Baked Goods
- Breads and Cereals
- Cakes that are more than 50% edible
- Candy
- Coffee
- Cooking Ingredients
- Corn Husks
- Dairy Products
- Deli food (for example, cold sandwiches, subs, sushi, salads)
- Energy Drinks with a Nutrition Label
- Frozen foods (for example, Entrees, Frozen Dinners, frozen vegetables, and fruits)
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Gift baskets (if the value of food item is at least 50% of the total price)
- Honey
- Ice (such as, cubed, bagged, or blocked)
- Ice Cream
- Lunch Meat
- Meats, Fish, Seafood, and Poultry
- Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Nutrition and Dietary Supplements
- Organic foods
- Rotisserie Chicken (If it is in acold display case)
- Seeds
- Slimfast, Muscle Milk, Ensure
- Soft Drinks (Soda)
- Spices
- Sushi (deli packaged sushi to go)
- Uncooked Pizza
- Vegan foods
- Vegetable Plants
Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. However, we made sure to include our most frequently searched items by our readers.
What does EBT not cover?
You CANNOT use Ohio Food Stamps benefits to buy:
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
- Prepared Foods fit for immediate consumption
- Hot foods
- Any nonfood items such as:
– Pet foods
– Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies.
– Hygiene items, cosmetics
Other Items youcannotbuy with your Ohio EBT Card include:
- Charcoal
- Cod liver oil
- Cough drops
- Crabs (cooked and hot)
- Diapers
- Dietary Supplements (for example, GNC, and most protein powders)
- Dry ice
- Energy drinks with Supplement Information labels (for example, 5-Hour Energy)
- Fertilizer and insecticides
- Flax oil
- Fountain Drinks
- Gift baskets (if the food part of the gift basket is less than 50% of the total price)
- Ice cream cone/sundae
- Livestock (for example, live animals or birds)
- Cakes (that are more than 50% non-edible)
- Toilet paper
Ohio SNAP Eligible Food Items FAQs
We usually get questions from our readers about specific food items so we have provided answers to the most frequently askeditems.
Can I order groceries online and have my items delivered?
You can purchase groceries online using your Ohio SNAP EBT card and have them delivered.
However, you cannot use your food stamps benefits to pay for the delivery fee if you have one.
Walmart delivers in a radius of 9 to 10 miles from the physical store.
However, not all Walmart locations participate in delivery.
Can you buy energy drinks with Ohio Food Stamps?
Energy drinks that have a nutrition label are eligible foods you can buy with your Ohio SNAP benefits.
However, energy drinks that have a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements and are therefore not eligible under food stamps rules.
Can you buy cold rotisserie chicken with EBT?
Unfortunately, No. You cannot use Ohio SNAP to buy rotisserie chicken the program rules prohibit spending on hot foods.
Can I buy deli food with Ohio SNAP EBT?
You are not allowed to use Ohio SNAP to buy food you can eat at the premises or hot food in general.
You are only allowed to buy food you are taking home to prepare.
Therefore, when it comes to Deli foods, you cannot buy hot food from the deli or prepared foods like mac n cheese, chicken or sandwiches, stuff from the salad bar.
However, you can buy deli meats and cheeses and cold uncooked items from the deli with your Ohio SNAP EBT card as long as you are going to take them home to prepare.
Furthermore, some delis that take Ohio SNAP will display items that are eligible.
Can you buy a birthday or Ice Cream cake with Ohio Food Stamps?
Items such as birthday and other special occasion cakes are eligible for purchase with Ohio SNAP benefits as long as the value of non-edible decorations does not exceed 50 percent of the purchase price of the cake.
Can you buy Vitamins, Supplements, and Power Bars with Ohio SNAP?
The eligibility of vitamins and supplements, power bars, energy drinks, and other branded products must meet the following guidelines:
- Items that carry a nutrition facts label are eligible foods
- Items that carry a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements and are therefore NOT eligible
Can you buy Pet Food with Ohio Food Stamps?
No, you cannot use your Ohio SNAP EBT benefits to buy pet food.
This is directly from the USDA Website.
If you attempt to use your Ohio SNAP card to buy pet or dog food, you will be violating the law – which could land you in jail.
How about Diapers and Personal Hygiene Products?
Hygiene items like soaps, deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and cosmetics are not eligible to be purchased using Ohio SNAP.
Additionally, baby wipes and diapers aren’t SNAP-eligible and they are also not allowed under the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC).
Can you Buy “Junk Food” like Chips and Soft Drinks with Ohio SNAP?
Yes. While junk foods like chips, candy, snack crackers, ice cream, and soft drinks may not be particularly nutritious or healthy, they are eligible for purchase with Ohio SNAP benefits.
Additionally, while there have been calls by politicians to prohibit the purchase of “junk food” with SNAP benefits, a survey by the Huffington Post found there was no difference in “junk food” purchases by SNAP households and non-SNAP households.
Other Questions about Ohio SNAP Benefits
Here are other frequently asked questions about Ohio Food Stamps:
When will Ohioans be able to use EBT at Restaurants?
Ohio Food Stamps benefits cannot be used to purchase hot food at Restaurants.
That is because Ohio does not currently participate in the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP).
However, according to this report from Vice, a nationwide RMP will likely require action from Congress.
In December 2021, Democratic U.S. Reps. Grace Meng and Bobby Rush joined with Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to introduce a bill allowing SNAP benefits to be used for hot foods and certain prepared foods.
We will continue to monitor this bill and report any updates as we get more information.
The fact that you can use SNAP to purchase a frozen, breaded chicken, but not a hot rotisserie chicken, frankly, makes no sense.
I’m proud to introduce the SNAP PLUS Act today with @RepGraceMeng & @RepBrianFitz to fix this disparity and allow #SNAP to cover hot & prepared foods.
— Bobby L. Rush (@RepBobbyRush) December 21, 2021
How long will it take to receive Ohio Food Stamp benefits?
If your Ohio SNAP Application is approved by the Ohio JFS, you will start receiving benefits within 30 days from the date you submitted your application.
In addition, once you are approved for Ohio food stamp benefits, you will receive an Ohio Direction EBT Card in the mail.
An EBT Card, also known as an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card is similar to a bank debit card.
You will use the Ohio Direction Card to access your monthly food stamp benefits. Benefits can be used at local grocery stores and select online retailers.
Your monthly benefit will be loaded onto your Ohio Direction Card on an assigned date between the first and the 20th of the month
What you can buy with Ohio SNAP EBT card Summary
Here’s the bottom line:
Ohio SNAP benefits can be used to purchase any food EXCEPT hot foods.
Furthermore, you CANNOT use Ohio SNAP benefits to buy non-food items, including Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco.
Questions?
We hope this post on what you can buy with the Ohio SNAP EBT card was helpful.
If you have further questions about Ohio SNAP, or Ohio EBT Card, please let us know in the comments section below.
Be sure to check out our other articles about Ohio SNAP and Ohio EBT, including:
- Get 50% OFF Amazon Prime with Ohio EBT
- What Restaurants take Ohio Food Stamps?
- Are we getting Extra Food Stamps this Month in Ohio?
- How many people in Ohio are on Food Stamps?
- Stores that accept EBT online in Ohio
- 2023 Ohio Food Stamps/SNAP Increase
