SNAP discovery: Protein powder...food or supplement?

I've been toying with the idea of doing this SNAP Challenge longer than a month.  The garden will be in next month and it will be so much easier.  I could make fruit smoothies for breakfast instead of oatmeal and just add in a scoop of protein powder to make it more nutritious and make it stick with me longer.  Or can I?  Is protein powder allowed on SNAP?

Here's a quote from the USDA website:

"Energy Drinks

When considering the eligibility of energy drinks and other branded products, the primary determinant is the type of product label chosen by the manufacturer to conform to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines:

• Energy drinks that have a nutrition facts label are eligible foods
• Energy drinks that have a supplements facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements, and are therefore not eligible."

So what does this mean to SNAP recipients?  It means that you really have to know your labels and what is allowed and what isn't.  For instance, I have three different protein shakes in my cupboard.  The Chocolate Fudge SMART Smoothie from Complete Nutrition has a label that lists supplement facts, the Vega One vegetarian protein powder I got at Mother Nature's Foods has a supplement facts label, and the Pure Protein Whey Protein I got from Target has a nutrition facts label.  Of the three in my cupboard, the only one I could conceivably use on SNAP is the whey protein from Target.  What it boils down to is if the product has a nutrition label instead of a supplement label, it is considered food and foodshare money can be spent on it.

If I can spend some of my SNAP money on protein powder, that gives me more versatility in buying fruits and vegetables.  I can mix a bit of it with some fresh spinach from my snap garden and some wild berries and make a healthy smoothie to get my brain going in the morning.  I can mix a bit with my oatmeal and raisins to give it a creamy vanilla flavor and add the extra nutrition I need.

Now the flip side to this labeling story that drives me buggy!  Energy drinks that consist of mostly caffeine and sugar are also considered food products.  To me, there is little or no nutritional value in these items and I would much rather see the SNAP money spent on more healthful options.  If you are on SNAP, please don't fall for the marketing of these energy products.  It is a temporary energy that does not last nearly as well as the energy from a well-balanced meal.  It is not easy to live on SNAP, but find the healthiest options for yourself and your family.  You deserve it.