SNAP Healthy Choice Waiver
What is Colorado Healthy Choice Waiver?
The Colorado Healthy Choice Waiver aims to promote healthier choices and health outcomes among SNAP participants. To test this approach, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to buy “soft drinks,” defined as nonalcoholic beverages with natural or artificial sweeteners or beverages with less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume.
When will it go into effect?
The Colorado Healthy Choice waiver will be implemented statewide on March 1, 2026.
How will the Colorado Healthy Waiver impact SNAP recipients?
This will change the beverages that are eligible to be purchased with SNAP benefits.
What foods/drinks could no longer be purchased with SNAP benefits?
Any beverage that contains natural or artificial sweeteners. That would include:
- Soda
- Diet Soda
- Pop
- Cola
- Soft drinks
- Sports drinks
- Energy drinks with added sugar or artificial sweeteners
- Pedialyte
- Sweetened iced teas
- Sweetened coffees
- Beverages consisting of less than 50 percent natural fruit or vegetable juice by volume
This waiver does not limit the purchase of any foods under SNAP benefits.
What beverages will you still be able to purchase using SNAP?
- Any unsweetened beverage such as bottled water and seltzer.
- Any beverage that contains milk or milk products, i.e; soy milk, coconut milk, rice milk, almond milk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, etc.
- Products commonly referred to as “infant formula” or “baby formula.”
- Ensure
- Beverages consisting of at least 50 percent natural fruit or vegetable juice by volume.
What do retailers need to know?
This waiver has been approved by both Colorado’s Governor and the USDA. This waiver is a first step in improving healthy food choices within the Colorado SNAP program by removing the purchase of specific beverages from SNAP benefits, beginning on March 1, 2026. For Colorado retailers, this means SNAP benefits can no longer be used to purchase specific ineligible items at your location, including those with added sugar, artificial sweeteners, or with less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume. Colorado Department of Human Services looks forward to working with our retailers to implement these changes.
- Please see the FAQ for additional information
- Please refer to this Beverage Matrix (insert link) to see which products will not be eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits on March 1, 2026
- Please fill out this form (Google Form) if you have immediate questions or feedback regarding this waiver
Colorado Healthy Choice Information Sessions:
CDHS will host several informational sessions to provide information for Colorado Retailers who sell SNAP products. The goal of these sessions is to provide retailers with additional information, address questions related to this waiver, and offer support in navigating the changes to SNAP benefits. Retailers are not required to attend these sessions.
Information Sessions for Retailers will be held monthly on the following dates:
- November 19, 2025
- December 10, 2025
- January 14, 2026
- February 19, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Colorado Healthy Choice waiver?
The Colorado Healthy Choice Waiver aims to promote healthier choices and health outcomes among SNAP participants. As part of this waiver, SNAP benefits can no longer be used to buy “soft drinks,” defined as nonalcoholic beverages with natural or artificial sweeteners or beverages with less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume.
- What purchases are being excluded?
Soft drinks, defined as non-alcoholic beverages that contain natural or artificial sweeteners and beverages that have less than 50% fruit or vegetable juice by volume.
- What beverages can you still purchase using SNAP benefits?
Infant formula, milk, milk products, milk substitutes, beverages with more than fifty percent fruit or vegetable juice by volume.
- When will purchase restrictions begin?
March 1, 2026.
- Do the restrictions affect every SNAP user regardless of which state issues them?
This waiver will apply to any SNAP participant who purchases at a retailer within the state of Colorado, regardless of where the SNAP participant lives.
- Do the restrictions follow the cardholder into other states?
No. The Colorado Healthy Choice Waiver applies to purchases made in Colorado. SNAP transactions are subject to the rules of the state where the purchase is made.
- Will there be any changes to SNAP eligibility requirements?
No.
- Is restricting purchases a stepping stone to further reductions in SNAP? What impact could these restrictions have on SNAP?
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food benefits to families with lower incomes to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.
- As of June 2025, approximately 334,500 Colorado households and 615,000 people, including children and older adults, receive monthly benefits.
- Colorado wants to ensure that Coloradans can easily use their benefits to buy nutritious foods that keep them healthy. This includes petitioning for the inclusion of healthy foods and food products that are currently excluded from Colorado’s SNAP program.
- CDHS is committed to addressing food insecurity through programs like SNAP, which not only improve access to nutritious food but also contribute to better physical and mental health across Colorado.
- What impact could these restrictions have on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)?
This waiver does not modify the food products available through WIC. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment administers WIC. Please send WIC-related questions to them. Please visit this site to get more information: https://www.coloradowic.gov/homepage