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PeaceWave

(3,653 posts) Thu Apr 23, 2026, 04:22 PM 12 hrs ago

SNAP benefits don't pay for rotisserie chicken. A bipartisan bill might change that...

I've been saying it for a while now. Costco's rotisserie chicken is feeding America - affordably. Costco sold 158 million rotisserie chickens in 2025 at only $5 a pop. Now, finally, folks might be able to use SNAP to buy them:

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation that would allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to purchase hot rotisserie chickens with their benefits.

SNAP recipients are currently only able to buy cooked rotisserie chickens once they have been cooled down. Existing SNAP guidance limits recipients to purchasing "staple foods" that are intended for home preparation and consumption, automatically excluding any hot prepared food items like rotisserie chicken, according to the Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.

The bill, introduced Tuesday and dubbed the "Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act," would update the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to add "hot rotisserie chicken" to the definition of SNAP-eligible food.

https://abcnews.com/GMA/Food/hot-rotisserie-chicken-act-snap-recipients/story?id=132310587

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

SNAP benefits don't pay for rotisserie chicken. A bipartisan bill might change that... (Original Post) PeaceWave 12 hrs ago OP

WHile I was on SNAP... 2naSalit 12 hrs ago #1

I work at a retail grocery store, high-end. no_hypocrisy 12 hrs ago #2

Good deal. Chicken soup, chicken tacos, chicken salad, etc. All from one chicken. AnotherMother4Peace 12 hrs ago #3

It is just my kitty and me, so I get anywhere from 6-8 portions, niyad 10 hrs ago #4

2naSalit

(103,450 posts)

1. WHile I was on SNAP...

Reply to PeaceWave (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 04:28 PM

12 hrs ago

I would buy the day old rotisserie chicken from the cooler at my local food store. Currently you can't buy hot foods even if you have to go home to make use of them. I can see where they don't want the $ to be used at fast food joints but they should allow whatever is sold at an actual grocery store regardless of whether it's deli or not.

no_hypocrisy

(55,118 posts)

2. I work at a retail grocery store, high-end.

Reply to PeaceWave (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 04:42 PM

12 hrs ago

I marvel at how EBT will pay for a raw roaster chicken at $15 but not pay for a $6.99 rotisserie chicken.

If the food is pre-prepared in the store, no dice. If you buy ingredients to make the same thing, no prob!

AnotherMother4Peace

(5,166 posts)

3. Good deal. Chicken soup, chicken tacos, chicken salad, etc. All from one chicken.

Reply to PeaceWave (Original post)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 04:47 PM

12 hrs ago

I literally get about four dishes from one chicken, and it feeds us for about a week. My favorite is chicken enchiladas. Yum.

niyad

(133,262 posts)

4. It is just my kitty and me, so I get anywhere from 6-8 portions,

Reply to AnotherMother4Peace (Reply #3)

Thu Apr 23, 2026, 06:26 PM

10 hrs ago

plus the stock/bone broth I make from the carcass. That $5 is a LOT of food!

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