This was actually a fascinating research topic for me, because I can only agree that it seems arguably hostile or at least silly and backwards.
I found that the provision in question. The part of the bill defining "food" as "any food except hot food" was actually from the rewriting in 1977, where it was added to (and this comes from a single second hand source) supposedly ensure fair competition with fast-food joints that can't accept foodstamps. To me, nothing indicates that the intention of the government officials was to restrict the choices of recipients, but rather to ensure fair competition. One member, along with a few (maybe two) supporters even bring up the idea of restricting choice based on "nutritional value", but the others tear it down calling it wrongheaded and administratively impossible (my words).
This is interesting because what we don't see is a majority of the house that is OK with restricting choice for the subjects own good, or for some notion of health. Instead we actually see members very hostile to the idea of restricting choice based on "health". The path for such members to accept a restriction anyway is by putting it against something they value more, the fair competition of the free market.
The people who are restricted by the "hot food" limitation is not the recipients of snap, it is the store owners, who are supposed to be banned from competing with KFC.
The house has actually introduced legislation to remove the "hot food" part. It's been referred to a subcommittee of the Agriculture committee, but I can't find any hint that they've even discussed it. I've actually struggled to find any evidence that the subcommittee has discussed anything.
I agree with you that it seems likely that some legislators would fight to keep it with some bad arguments, but right now they haven't even had to make those bad arguments because nobody is pushing it.
The conclusion I can draw is that nobody cares about it. It was included for free market reasons and kept around because nobody gave a shit.
I found that the provision in question. The part of the bill defining "food" as "any food except hot food" was actually from the rewriting in 1977, where it was added to (and this comes from a single second hand source) supposedly ensure fair competition with fast-food joints that can't accept foodstamps. To me, nothing indicates that the intention of the government officials was to restrict the choices of recipients, but rather to ensure fair competition. One member, along with a few (maybe two) supporters even bring up the idea of restricting choice based on "nutritional value", but the others tear it down calling it wrongheaded and administratively impossible (my words).
This is interesting because what we don't see is a majority of the house that is OK with restricting choice for the subjects own good, or for some notion of health. Instead we actually see members very hostile to the idea of restricting choice based on "health". The path for such members to accept a restriction anyway is by putting it against something they value more, the fair competition of the free market.
The people who are restricted by the "hot food" limitation is not the recipients of snap, it is the store owners, who are supposed to be banned from competing with KFC.