National Center for Benefits Outreach & Enrollment

• Medicare
• Medicaid
• Prescriptions
• Food & Nutrition
  • SNAP
  • NCOA's SNAP Challenge
• Energy
• Other Benefits

• BECs
• MIPPA
• Resource Library
• Promising Practices
  • Finding People
  • Outreach & Education
  • Application Assistance
  • Retention of Benefits
• About the Center
  • What We Do
  • Funders
  • Meet Our Staff
  • Contact Us

SNAP Challenge FAQs

Interested in knowing more about the rules for participating in a SNAP Challenge? Here are some frequently asked questions to guide you.

What if there is free food and coffee at a meeting, or someone brings food into the office? Can I eat it and still be living on the SNAP budget?

Try to resist freebies during the SNAP Challenge! Just ask yourself whether an older adult living on a SNAP budget would have access to the same free food and drink. For example, meetings at NCOA frequently feature an assortment of baked goods and pots of fresh coffee – but until the SNAP Challenge is over, we’ll be bringing food from home or going without.

Can I use the spices and staple ingredients that are already in my cupboard during the SNAP Challenge?

Try to use only the food that you’ve purchased for the week while you’re participating in the SNAP Challenge. If you want to use ingredients (such as spices or oil) that are already in your cupboard, calculate the cost of purchasing that item and include it in your budget for the week. For example, if one of your recipes calls for cumin, which you already have at home, estimate the cost of purchasing the cumin and add it to your overall budget—but make sure you don’t go over!

What if a friend invites me over for dinner?

If you’re invited to a meal during the SNAP Challenge, bring a dish from home to eat. It’s a good opportunity to talk about your experience and the importance of SNAP for seniors!

What can’t I include in my SNAP Challenge budget?

The following items cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits and should not be part of your SNAP Challenge budget:

• Prepared foods (such as a rotisserie chicken).
• Fast food.
• Alcohol.
• Cigarettes.

Get More Info

• Overview of the SNAP Challenge
• Resources

Sign Up

We'll send you our Benefits Alert enews twice a month.