Use the category rules below to determine which products qualify. Preferred is not the same as required, and no retailer or brand is automatically approved in full.
How the standard works
- The food determines approval; the store does not.
- Costco, Whole Foods, farms, online producers, and other retailers may be used, but only approved line items count.
- A farm, retailer, producer, brand, or product line is not automatically approved in full.
- When a receipt description is unclear, NourishPay may request a label, package, ingredient, or UPC photo.
- Current ingredients, labels, certifications, and sourcing control because products can change.
Simple ruleBuy real food. If a package has bad oils, fake ingredients, or lots of added sugar, it may not count.
Beef
- Plain fresh or frozen beef qualifies when it is USDA Prime, USDA Organic, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, or supplied by a NourishPay-approved producer.
- Plain steaks, roasts, brisket, ribs, tenderloin, ground beef, and other plain cuts may qualify.
- Pre-seasoned beef, marinades, sausage, jerky, hot dogs, deli meat, and prepared meals require packaged-food review.
Simple ruleChoose plain beef labeled USDA Prime, USDA Organic, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, or NourishPay Approved.
Chicken and turkey
- Plain fresh or frozen chicken and turkey qualify when USDA Organic, certified pasture-raised, Certified Humane, or supplied by a NourishPay-approved producer.
- Whole birds, breasts, thighs, wings, drumsticks, and plain ground poultry may qualify.
- Breaded poultry, nuggets, deli meat, sausage, and pre-seasoned or marinated products require review.
- ‘No added hormones’ alone is not an approval standard.
Simple ruleLook for USDA Organic, Pasture Raised, Certified Humane, or NourishPay Approved.
Pork
- Plain fresh or frozen pork qualifies. USDA Organic, pasture-raised, heritage-breed, Certified Humane, or NourishPay-approved pork is preferred but not required.
- Chops, tenderloin, loin, shoulder, plain ribs, and plain ground pork may qualify.
- Bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs, breaded pork, and products with sauces must pass the packaged-food rules.
Simple rulePlain pork counts. Processed pork and pork with sauces require review.
Eggs
- Eggs qualify when pasture-raised, USDA Organic, or supplied by a NourishPay-approved local farm or producer.
- Products meeting both pasture-raised and organic standards are preferred, but both are not required.
- Cage-free, free-range, farm fresh, and natural do not qualify by label alone without another approved standard.
Simple ruleChoose eggs labeled Pasture Raised, USDA Organic, or NourishPay Approved.
Fish and seafood
- Plain fresh or frozen fish and seafood qualify when wild-caught, responsibly farm-raised with a recognized certification, or supplied by a NourishPay-approved producer.
- Recognized indicators include Wild-Caught, MSC Certified, ASC Certified, Best Aquaculture Practices, or NourishPay Approved.
- Canned seafood may qualify when packed in water, its own juices, olive oil, or another approved oil with simple ingredients.
- Breaded fish, imitation crab, seafood salads, fish sticks, glazes, and products containing industrial oils require review.
Simple ruleChoose plain wild-caught fish or responsibly raised seafood.
Milk and cream
- Plain milk, cream, and half-and-half qualify when USDA Organic, 100% grass-fed, or supplied by a NourishPay-approved producer.
- A2 milk qualifies only when it also meets one of those standards; A2 alone is not a sourcing certification.
- Sweetened or flavored milk, conventional coffee creamer, and products with artificial ingredients do not qualify.
Simple ruleChoose plain milk or cream labeled USDA Organic, 100% Grass-Fed, or NourishPay Approved.
Butter and ghee
- Butter and ghee qualify when made from cream or milk, with only salt and/or cultures added.
- USDA Organic, grass-fed, or NourishPay-approved options are preferred but not required.
- Margarine, shortening, and butter blends containing industrial oils do not qualify.
Simple ruleReal butter and plain ghee count. Butter spreads mixed with vegetable oils do not.
Cheese
- Real cheese qualifies when made mainly from milk, cultures, enzymes, and salt.
- Organic, grass-fed, pasture-based, raw-milk, and NourishPay-approved cheeses are preferred but not required.
- Imitation cheese and cheese products made with vegetable oils do not qualify.
Simple ruleReal cheese counts. Fake cheese made with vegetable oil does not.
Yogurt and cultured dairy
- Plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, kefir, and other cultured dairy qualify when they contain milk and live cultures with no added sugar.
- USDA Organic, grass-fed, pasture-based, A2, and NourishPay-approved products are preferred.
- Flavored, sweetened, or artificially colored products require packaged-food review.
Simple rulePlain cultured dairy with no added sugar counts.
Fruits and vegetables
- Fresh fruits and vegetables qualify whether conventionally grown or USDA Organic. Organic is preferred but not required.
- Plain frozen produce also qualifies.
- Produce with sauces, sweetened frozen fruit, canned produce, dried fruit, prepared salads, juices, smoothies, and fruit snacks require review.
Simple ruleFresh and plain frozen produce count. Added sugar or sauce requires review.
Beans, grains, nuts and seeds
- Plain beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds qualify when they contain only the food itself, with basic additions such as water or salt.
- Examples include dried or canned beans, lentils, peas, plain rice, oats, quinoa, barley, plain nuts and seeds, natural nut butter, and unsweetened coconut.
- Sweetened oatmeal, flavored rice mixes, candied nuts, granola, snack mixes, and nut butter with added sugar or industrial oils require review.
Simple rulePlain beans, grains, nuts, and seeds count.
Cooking oils and fats
- Qualifying choices include extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee, beef tallow, lard, and duck fat.
- Soybean, corn, cottonseed, canola, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, generic vegetable oil, margarine, shortening, and blends containing an excluded oil do not qualify.
Simple ruleOlive, avocado, and coconut oils, real butter, and animal fats count. Vegetable and seed oils do not.
Bread, pasta, tortillas and flour
- Grain products qualify when made from whole, organic, sprouted, or traditionally fermented grains with simple ingredients and no industrial oils.
- Examples may include 100% whole-grain or sprouted bread, traditional sourdough, whole-grain or organic pasta, chickpea or lentil pasta, organic corn tortillas, and approved flours.
- Standard white sandwich bread, products containing excluded oils, sugary breakfast breads, instant flavored pasta, and products with artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners do not qualify.
Simple ruleChoose whole-grain, organic, sprouted, or real sourdough products with short ingredient lists and no bad oils.
Sweeteners
- Pure honey, pure maple syrup, date sugar or syrup made only from dates, blackstrap molasses, and pure monk fruit without artificial fillers may qualify.
- Refined white or brown sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and filler-heavy blends do not qualify as standalone purchases.
Simple rulePure honey, maple syrup, and dates can count. Fake sweeteners and corn syrup do not.
Drinks
- Plain water or mineral water, unsweetened coffee or tea, plain coconut water without added sugar, approved milk, and simple unsweetened plant milk may qualify.
- Fruit juice, smoothies, protein shakes, kombucha, and electrolyte drinks need review.
- Soda, energy drinks, sweetened coffee or tea drinks, artificially sweetened beverages, and drinks with artificial colors or high-fructose corn syrup do not qualify.
Simple ruleWater and approved drinks without added sugar count. Soda, energy drinks, and sugary drinks do not.
The five-check packaged-food test
- Real food comes first: the first ingredient must be a recognizable whole food.
- No industrial oils: no soybean, corn, canola, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, or generic vegetable oil.
- No artificial ingredients: no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners.
- Not loaded with added sugar: added sugar cannot be one of the first three ingredients and should generally be no more than 5 grams per serving.
- It still looks like food: candy, soda, conventional chips, desserts, and highly processed snacks do not qualify merely because an ingredient is organic.
Simple ruleLook for real food, a short ingredient list, no bad oils, no fake ingredients, and not too much added sugar.
Common packaged-food categories
- Canned and jarred foods may qualify when they contain real food with simple additions such as water, salt, herbs, spices, vinegar, olive oil, or avocado oil.
- Sauces, dressings, and condiments may qualify when made from recognizable ingredients, approved oils, and limited natural sweeteners.
- Plain frozen whole foods qualify. Complete frozen meals qualify only when every major component meets the applicable standards and the product passes the packaged-food test.
- Snacks, cereal, and granola may qualify when made mostly from recognizable whole foods, approved oils, no artificial ingredients, and no more than 5 grams of added sugar per serving.
- Simple protein powders and bars may qualify when made from recognizable food ingredients and when they pass the packaged-food test. Approved protein sources may include whey, milk, eggs, beef, collagen, peas, hemp, and other recognizable sources. Vitamins, pills, and products marketed primarily as supplements do not count as food.
Simple ruleSimple protein powders and bars can count when made from real food. Vitamins and pills do not count as food.
Purchases that do not qualify at launch
- Alcohol; soda and energy drinks; candy and conventional desserts.
- Tobacco, nicotine, cannabis, and recreational products.
- Vitamins, pills, and unapproved supplements.
- Restaurant meals, takeout, and meals prepared at grocery-store food counters.
- Pet food, household products, toiletries, cosmetics, kitchen equipment, and appliances.
- Membership fees, delivery fees, service charges, tips, taxes, and gift cards.
- Any product that fails the applicable NourishPay category rule or packaged-food test.
Simple ruleNourishPay counts approved food—not alcohol, candy, pills, pet food, household products, fees, or taxes.
Future categories
- Future phases may include approved restaurants, prepared-meal providers, specifically approved whole-food supplements, and products or producers meeting verified sustainability or regenerative-practice standards.
- A future category does not qualify until NourishPay establishes, publishes, and activates its approval standard.
Simple ruleFor now, buy approved food from stores, farms, and online producers. More categories may be added after NourishPay checks and approves them.
Receipts and product review
- Submit a clear, complete, itemized receipt through the NourishPay app showing the purchase date, store or producer, products, and final amount paid.
- The NourishPay app is the primary receipt-submission channel. It will show Submitted, Under Review, More Information Needed, Approved, Not Approved, and the scheduled distribution date when applicable.
- Mixed receipts are accepted, but only approved food line items count.
- Discounts, coupons, store credits, returns, and refunds reduce qualifying spend.
- Taxes, tips, delivery charges, membership fees, and other fees do not count.
- Each receipt, transaction, product, expense, or payment may be counted only once.
- Online order confirmations may qualify when they show the seller, products, date, and final amount paid.
- For a farmers-market purchase, a traditional point-of-sale receipt is not required. A handwritten receipt, digital or app-generated seller record may qualify when it identifies the farm or vendor, purchase date, food purchased, and final amount paid.
- A farmers-market purchase record must be seller-verified. A payment confirmation or participant-created statement alone is insufficient.
- When an item is unclear, NourishPay may request the label, ingredient list, package, UPC, certification, seller confirmation, or other product-specific evidence.
- Approval is based on the product ingredients and standards in effect on the purchase date.
Simple ruleSubmit the whole receipt or seller-verified purchase record through the NourishPay app. Only approved food actually paid for counts.
Important consistency rules
- Category-specific rules control when they are stricter than the general packaged-food test.
- Preferred is not the same as required. A preferred certification is not mandatory unless the category rule says it is required.
- Retail examples are illustrations, not permanent blanket approvals.
- No retailer, brand, producer, or product line is automatically approved in full unless NourishPay formally records that approval.
- These standards govern food classification. Program terms, reward timing, monthly limits, and enrollment rules are controlled by the NourishPay Program Terms and Conditions.