The LuLac Eddition #5, 645, May 2nd, 2026

 

 

FOOD-TASTIC NEWS

NEW 

FEDERAL BILL WOULD

ALLOW FOR HOT

MEALS FOR SNAP RECIPIENTS

A rotisserie chicken purchased pre-made from the grocery store can be an absolute lifesaver. It's already crispy and seasoned, ready to add to your favorite chicken-based dish or enjoy on its own, saving you time and effort in the kitchen. However, it's a grocery item that has become out of reach for many because it's not covered by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Now, a bipartisan bill aims to change that.

In April, a group of U.S. senators, including both Republicans and Democrats, introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act, which, if passed, would update SNAP rules to make hot rotisserie chicken eligible for purchase using the government assistance program.

“America’s best (and delicious) affordability play is Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken,” Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who co-sponsored the bill with Republican Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia, among others, said in a statement. “It’s one of my family’s favorites, and I’m proud to join this bill with Sen. Justice for all to try. SNAP funds would be well spent to feed our nation’s families who need it.”

Can the Government Tell SNAP Users What to Eat?

As the Associated Press reported, the hot chicken product was previously excluded from SNAP benefits, along with other prepared foods, to promote home cooking. But, as these lawmakers argue, it's both an outdated policy and one that penalizes families who may already be time-strapped and in need of affordable dinner options.

It's important to note that the change would apply only to hot rotisserie chicken, not to all hot prepared foods. As a 2020 USDA policy memorandum explained, "Heated foods, hot foods, and cold prepared foods are not considered staple foods," thus, ineligible for SNAP. Cold chicken has been, and will remain, eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits, as well.

There’s also a second bill on the table, the Hot Foods Act of 2025, introduced by Grace Meng, a Democratic representative from New York. Rather than merely permitting SNAP users to buy rotisserie chickens, Meng's bill would "allow recipients to use their benefits to buy hot foods like prepared rotisserie chickens, hot sandwiches, soups, and more."

“Millions of American families rely on SNAP daily to put food on the table. It simply doesn’t make sense to restrict them from using their benefits to buy hot meals while allowing them to buy the exact same type of meal cold or frozen,” Meng said in a 2025 statement about the bill. “The Hot Foods Act removes this dated rule preventing people from purchasing hot foods with SNAP, giving flexibility to working parents, people with disabilities, and the many hard-working Americans who need to put food on the table every day. I am proud to work across the aisle to make this commonsense change.” However, the bill has been sitting with the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture since the spring of last year.

“The Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act is a commonsense solution to an unnecessary problem. Right now, a SNAP family can buy a cold rotisserie chicken, but the moment it’s hot, it’s off limits. There is no nutritional difference. There is no logical difference. There is only an outdated technicality that forces grocery stores to heat chickens and cool them back down just to comply, wasting energy, degrading quality, and adding cost," Harrison Kircher, the president of the National Chicken Council, added in the statement. "Rotisserie chicken — a real food — is the most affordable complete protein in the grocery store. At around $7, it can feed an entire family. For the 42 million Americans on SNAP, that matters enormously."

As Kircher noted, around 42 million Americans rely on SNAP benefits to ensure they have access to food at home. However, the bill comes as SNAP benefits are under fire. As Food & Wine previously reported, SNAP benefits stalled during the government shutdown in late 2025, forcing recipients to rely on community food banks or go without.

These Popular Grocery Items Will Soon Be Off Limits to SNAP Recipients in These States

In February, Food & Wine also reported on the coming SNAP changes under President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which cut $287 billion in funding for the SNAP program over a 10-year period. Those changes include new work requirements, under which adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents under age 14 will be required to work, volunteer, or participate in a voluntary work program for at least 80 hours per month to remain eligible. All recipients are also required to inform the state if their employment falls below an average of 20 hours per week. Critics, such as Michigan State Representative Kristian Grant, say “these changes place unnecessary burdens, both physical and bureaucratic, on older adults and low-income workers.”

But hopefully, this small change to the rotisserie chicken rule can do some good.

“Allowing folks on SNAP to buy hot rotisserie chickens is truly just commonsense. It’s as basic as you can get to help busy parents or grandparents put something as simple as this on the table to feed their families," Senator Justice added in a recent statement. "We have to give people the option to put a healthy, protein-dense choice on the table that actually tastes good and doesn’t take an hour and a half to cook."

Well this is a good idea and I commend the bi partisan support. But it should never be forgotten that the Republicans are making it harder for SNAP recipients to get benefits. It’s like a trade off, you get the hot chicken but get cuts in other areas. That hand that feeds them, also bites them in the ass too. (Food & Wine, LuLac)