Food stamp recipients also would be barred from using their benefits to buy nonfood items, such as soap or toothpaste, as well as alcohol or tobacco.

Antihunger groups oppose SNAP food restrictions, saying that research shows that program participants are no more likely than other low-income Americans to buy sugary drinks or snack foods.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a plan to restrict the types of food that can be purchased with food stamps, becoming one of the first governors to seek federal permission to ban items like soda and candy from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Governors of Arkansas, Idaho and Indiana all said they would submit a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The move follows a similar announcement from the governor of West Virginia last month. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, whose department oversees SNAP, has said she would approve such waivers.

(The Center Square) – Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she wants her state to eat healthier.