Benefits of CalFresh

You can use CalFresh to buy a variety of food items, including seeds and plants that grow food for your household!

Examples:

• Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned)
• Meat, poultry, and fish (fresh, frozen, canned)
• Dairy products (fresh or shelf-stable)
• Breads, cereal, baked goods
• Cake/brownie mixes, ice cream etc.
• Spices and seasonings
• Honey, sugar, maple syrup, and other natural or artificial sweeteners
• Ketchup, mustards, other condiments
• Seeds and plants (that produce food for the household to eat)

*When buying foods online (i.e. Amazon) the product will state if it's EBT eligible.

To learn more about what CalFresh can buy and what it cannot buy, check out the FNS Snap Website!

There are a few things CalFresh does not cover. You cannot buy any foods that are already prepared or heated in store. CalFresh does not cover alcoholic beverages, foods that are already prepared or heated in store and non-food items.

Examples:

• Pet food
• Household supplies
• Vitamins
• Prepared foods
• Alcohol
• Beverages that do not have a "nutritional facts" label

At UC San Diego, you can use your EBT card at any of the following locations:

• The Market at Seventh College
• Roger's Market
• Earl's Market at Canyon Vista Marketplace
• Sixth Market
• Sunshine Market
• Target at Price Center

*Notify your Cashier at the Dining Markets when using EBT as they may need to direct you to a different register.

Other local areas where you can use your EBT card can be found through the SNAP Retailer Locator. You can also check out the SNAP Online Locator to learn where you can use your CalFresh benefits online.

• Restaurant Meals Program:

• For individuals who may have difficulty preparing meals for themselves or do not have a place to store and cook food, the Restaurant Meals Program allows elderly, disabled and homeless individuals and their spouses receiving benefits to use their CalFresh benefits to purchase meals from participating restaurants. CalFresh recipients must qualify and be approved for the RMP before purchasing any cooked meals. Check your local participating San Diego restaurants on the RMP map available on this site!

• SDG&E:

• San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) company offers a discount of 30% or more on your monthly bill! Apply now and see if you qualify for either California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) or Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program. You have the power to save energy and money!

• Amazon Prime:

• Memberships for Amazon Prime are 50% off your qualifying customers with EBT or Medicaid card, that's $5.99/month. This includes many additional benefits such as Free-Shipping, Whole Foods Market membership discount, Unlimited access to Prime Video/Music, etc. Read more about additional benefits!

• Market Match:

• Market Match is California's healthy food incentive program, which matches customer's federal nutrition assistance benefits like CalFresh at Farmers' Markets. They will match you up to $10 of your benefits, so in return you will receive a total of $20 tokens or vouchers to spend during your visit. Check out the Farmers' Market Finder page to find your nearest participating locations.

• ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program:

• The ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program, also known as the Southern California Nutrition Incentive Program, is a partnership between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), University of California, San Diego Center for Community Health, and Northgate González Market. The primary goal of this program is to evaluate the effect of financial incentives on the purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables among CalFresh recipients. This program provides financial incentives to CalFresh recipients when they purchase qualifying fresh fruits and vegetables with their EBT card. These incentive dollars can then be used to purchase additional, qualifying fresh fruits and vegetables, with the goal of increasing their purchasing power and overall consumption of healthy goods. CalFresh recipients who enroll in ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program will earn $4 in financial incentives for every $1 of CalFresh EBT dollars spent on fruits and vegetables at participating Northgate González Markets, up to $50 per month. Learn more about the program here! You can also enroll in the ¡Más Fresco! More Fresh Program, but please know that availability is limited.

• Museums for All:

• Visit your local participating museums, zoos, aquariums, such as the Birch Aquarium, for free admissions or special discount of $3 admission fee, up to 4 people per visit. Check out the Museums for All page to find the nearest participating locations.

• Federal Lifeline Program:

• If you are currently receiving CalFresh and your income is below a certain level, you may qualify for FREE or low-cost home or cell phone service through the Lifeline program. Check out this list of participating California home/cell/internet providers for discounted rates.