What’s Fresh in 2026: Stretch Your Food Budget Further This Winter

The holidays can be joyful — and expensive. If your grocery budget feels tight right now, Double Up Food Bucks is here to help you bring home more fruits and vegetables without breaking the bank.

We’re keeping things flexible, simple, and downright a-peeling—so you can keep doing what you do best: bringing home the healthy food.

Here’s what’s cookin’ in 2026:

How to Stretch Your Food Budget with Double Up Food Bucks

We’ve made exciting updates to the program so shoppers can stretch their food dollars even further in the months ahead. Until further notice, you can:

Unlimited Earn & Spend is Here to Stay!

In 2026, we’re continuing a new change: you can earn and spend unlimited Double Up Food Bucks when you use your Bridge Card to buy fresh or frozen fruits and veggies. That’s a big increase from the previous $20-per-day limit.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are still eligible

Frozen produce with no added salt, sugar, or oil are eligible for Double Up. Frozen options are convenient, affordable, and last longer, making them a smart choice for winter meals and busy schedules. Here are more tips on how to use frozen produce to stretch your food budget.

More time to use your Double Up

While the 90-day expiration limit on Double Up earnings is back, any Double Up Food Bucks earned in 2025 will expire on April 1, 2026, giving you extra time to use your benefits. Moving forward, any Double Up earned in 2026 will be available for you to use for 90 days after you earn it. Your earnings will expire on the 1st of the month following those 90 days.

Why It Matters

These updates make it easier to stock up on healthy foods, reduce grocery stress after the holidays, and plan meals that fit your budget. Whether you’re filling your freezer with frozen produce or bringing home fresh fruits and veggies, Double Up helps your food budget stretch further.

Plus, when you Double Up, you’re not just feeding your family—you’re fueling Michigan’s local food economy, supporting local farmers, and planting the seeds of a more resilient food system. Let’s keep growing together.

Start Using Double Up Today

Use your EBT/Bridge Card to purchase eligible fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables at participating stores and farmers markets, and Double Up Food Bucks will match what you spend — now with no daily limit.

Want more fruits and veggies for your family? With Double Up Food Bucks, it’s easier than ever.

Start Shopping

Need a Refresher on How It All Works?

Here are tips for getting started with Double Up at farmers markets or grocery stores: