Can you buy “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and one other thing” for three dollars? It’s recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, as a solution to high food prices. Apparently, the department came up with this meal plan after running more than 1,000 simulations. 1Trump Goons Boast They Ran ‘1,000 Simulations’ to Recommend Tragic $3 Meal 2https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-cabinet-member-s-3-meal-idea-mocked-by-critics/ar-AA1Uerxl
In case you’re wondering, according to Forbes, Rollins has a net worth in the area of $15 million. That’s $15,000,000.
Brooke Rollins claimed in a TV interview that her team had “run over 1,000 simulations” to find the most optimal nutritious dinner on a shoestring.
– U.S. Agriculture Secretary with $15 million net worth
I wonder how often she serves, let alone eats, the meal pictured in the adjacent image? The place setting almost feels symbolic – utensils no one needs for a meal few would choose.
❌ Can it be bought for $3?
✅ Even if it can, is it an optimal nutritious meal?
Many people commented on the problem of being able to purchase this meal for that price. Yes, that’s important. And yet, aren’t there even larger issues?
🎯 What troubles me isn’t the meal itself, but the belief that this is sufficient for most people.
Is the three-dollar meal sufficient for most people?
The exact numbers are debatable. A lot depends on the choices made as far as where to buy and the quality desired. It also depends on whether you live in a large city or a place that 10% under the national average as chosen for the simulations. However, the nutritional value numbers I got back from MS Copilot for an average price/quality meal close to $3 are staggering.
📊 Approximate Total Nutrition – $3 Dinner (based on available data)
Using the tortilla data from search and general estimates for the other two items:
| Item | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn tortilla | 52 | 1.37 g | 10.7 g | 0.7 g |
| Broccoli floret | ~3–5 | ~0 | ||
| Small chicken piece (~2 oz) | ~90–100 | ~18–20 g | 0 g | ~2–3 g |
| Estimated Total | 145–155 | ~20 g | ~11–12 g | ~3 g |
Sources: Corn tortilla nutrition from search results. Other values are general nutritional knowledge because search did not provide them.
Wow – that looks bad. For most people, dinner is the largest meal of the day. Not that it’s the way to go, but it’s what we do. So, let’s say somehow it’s possible to come up with two more meals in the same price range with similar nutritional numbers. Then the total daily intake would be
📊 Approximate Total Nutrition – 3 meals similar to $3 Dinner (based on available data)
Using the tortilla data from search and general estimates for the other two items:
| Item | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated Total (Dinner) | 145–155 | ~20 g | ~11–12 g | ~3 g |
| Estimated Total (3 meals) | 435-465 | ~60 g | ~33-36 g | ~3 g |
Sources: Corn tortilla nutrition from search results. Other values are general nutritional knowledge because search did not provide them.
So, that’s the total for the day, with three meals similar to the recommended $3 meal. That’s all well and good. But wait – is it really? There’s lots of chatter on the internet about how impossible the meal is to buy. However – even if it could be bought, are those nutritional values enough for someone to eat every day? It doesn’t matter if a meal is affordable, but not healthy.
To find out, I asked Copilot for Minimum Daily Requirements for a typical adult.
I hope you’re sitting. This is an issue I haven’t seem addressed in any of the comments I’ve read about this proposal.
📊 Minimum Daily Nutritional Requirements for a typical adult
| Nutrient | Minimum Daily Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~1,600–2,400 (women), 2,000–3,000 (men) | DRIs |
| Protein | ~46 g (women), ~56 g (men) | DRIs |
| Carbohydrates | 130 g minimum | DRIs |
| Fat | No strict minimum, but 20–35% of calories recommended | DRIs |
| Fiber | 22–34 g | DRIs |
| Micronutrients | Vary by nutrient; DRIs provide specific values | DRIs |
You hopefully noticed, those numbers aren’t even close. But let’s make it a bit easier. Here’s another table with the numbers side by side – and showing the shortcomings in each category.
📊 Comparison: Minimum Daily Nutritional Requirements for a typical adult
vs $3 meal plan
| Nutrient | Minimum Daily Requirement | $3 Meal Plan | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 1,600–2,400 (women), 2,000–3,000 (men) | 435-465 | -1,165 to -1,935 (women), -1,565 to -2,525 (men) |
| Protein | ~ 46 g (women), ~ 56 g (men) | ~60 g | ~ -14 g (women), ~ -4 g (men) |
| Carbohydrates | 130 g minimum | ~33-36 g | -97 to -94 |
| Fat | No strict minimum, but 20–35% of calories recommended | ~3 g | Calories are far short, fat will also be far short, especially with chicken. |
| Fiber | 22–34 g | ~ 1.7–2.0 | Fiber will be about 10% at most. |
| Micronutrients | Vary by nutrient; DRIs provide specific values | near zero | The meal provides near zero, so differences will be near 100% |
I believe the chart speaks for itself. Hopefully, no more words are needed. But if you’re still not convinced, try living on this meal plan for a few days. The experience will say more than I can.
🎯 What troubles me isn’t the meal itself, but the belief that this is sufficient for most people – especially when placed beside the Great Gatsby themed party held by the President of the United States.
A Great Gatsby Party and a Three Dollar Meal
I didn’t read anything about this Great Gatsby theme-party when it hit the news. Honestly, I didn’t want to. The thought of reading about it was depressing. But when this $3 Meal concept came out, I couldn’t ignore it. The juxtaposition of what the current administration is recommending for people who can’t afford to eat versus that party for Halloween, I had to do something.
I’m not going to go deeply into it. It’s not necessary. As with the meal plan, this needs just a few things to become all too clear.
President Donald Trump has come under fire after he hosted a “Great Gatsby”-themed Halloween party just hours before …
– ABC News article on msn.com
If you recognize “Great Gatsby”, you have an idea what’s coming. If you’re not aware of the event or the news surrounding it, I ask that you continue reading before you research it. I will give more details; finish the line above with the “…”; give you a link to the ABC story; and show you how it compares not only with the $3 meal – but with other things as well.
The Friday night fête at Mar-a-Lago was themed “A little party never killed nobody,” according to the White House, referencing the song from the 2013 film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.
– ABC News article on msn.com
“A little party never killed nobody“.. That may or may not be true. That’s not the issue today. The issue today is that our President, many of his supporters, and many of his administration officials – including Brooke Rollins, the Secretary of Agriculture, who recommended this $3 Meal plan – they were all at this party.
The ABC article didn’t have a menu for the party, but there were champagne glasses on the tables. That’s to be expected, given the theme.
Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel has been celebrated by literary scholars for years for its depiction of the wealth and class divisions in the country that took place during the 1920s.
– ABC News article on msn.com
“its depiction of the wealth and class divisions in the country that took place during the 1920s”. That kind of says it all, doesn’t it? What do the leaders elected by the American people think of those who elected them when they attend parties like this – and tell those of us struggling to eat 3 meals a day to live on the $3 Meal deal?
🎯 What troubles me isn’t the meal itself, but the belief that this is sufficient for most people – a belief that becomes harder to understand when monetary assistance was cut off shortly after this party.
Not just a Great Gatsby Party – but a Pattern of Disconnect
Earlier, I said I’d fill in the dots and give you a link to the Great Gatsby theme-party. Well, here they are.
Trump hosted ‘Great Gatsby’ Halloween party hours before SNAP funding lapsed
– ABC News article on msn.com
If you’re not familiar with SNAP, here’s the line above, with the “…” filled in:
President Donald Trump has come under fire after he hosted a “Great Gatsby”-themed Halloween party just hours before millions of Americans lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
– ABC News article on msn.com
Yes – it’s money that would have enabled the recipients to spend more than $3 per person on a family dinner. While the President, the Secretary of Agriculture, and many of the people elected by office or appointed by someone voted into office, dined in luxury – while the poor people they reign over are preparing to eat even less than they already do.
🎯 What troubles me isn’t the meal itself, but the belief that this is sufficient for most people – especially when placed beside the table the shepherds set for themselves.
The Spiritual Cost of Withholding Help
SNAP, Shutdowns, and the Spiritual Cost of Withholding Help
A faith-informed reflection on SNAP, government shutdowns, and the spiritual cost of withholding help. Explores biblical themes like the Lord’s Prayer, the Great Commission, and Jesus’ parable of the Sheep and the Goats – revealing how hunger, poverty, and confinement are not just policy issues, but spiritual invitations.
Since this is a site about God, you may be wondering – where is He? He’s here. He’s coming. It’s like the Bible – like real life – God sees everything. He also waits for His people to cry out for Him. Not to cry out to their elected leaders – but to God.
You may also be thinking – The Spiritual Cost of Withholding Help – that sounds familiar. If you’re a regular reader, it is familiar. When it happened, shortly after the party, I wrote about it here.
We can now tie this all together with the inclusion of the spiritual cost of what’s happening in this country.
- Too many people cannot afford to eat. An optimal meal for a $3 plan isn’t optimal for health, quality of life, or even subsistence.
- Leaders who live in extravagance have completely lost touch with those they lead. They’ve also lost compassion.
- Even what the poor have is apparently considered “more than enough”, since cutting their allotments of assistance isn’t enough of a problem to stir action.
Please, don’t get mad at me for saying those things. I’m just relaying a sentiment from a long time ago. Sadly, while I care and have compassion and support for you if you’re caught up in this tragedy – it’s a particular message that I had to look up even though it comes from one of my favorite sources in a book of immeasurable importance.
It’s about shepherds and sheep. Sort of. The shepherds are the leaders of the people. The sheep are the people. So, when you read this, the shepherds are the President, his administration, and the rest of our elected leaders, as well as their supporters. The sheep are the people, but the descriptions are generally about the poor, the downtrodden, the marginalized, the people who need help. They’re even about working people who cannot afford to have even a minimal quality of life despite the hard work performed for the shepherds.
While you’re reading it, pause frequently. Reflect on what it says. Who’s saying it. And which camp you’re in. Are you one of the sheep? A shepherd? Or maybe, most sadly, both – a supporter of the shepherds while you cannot escape being one of the sheep?
Before we turn to Ezekiel’s words in the Bible, it may help to name our own moment in plain language. In summary, we live in a time when resources are unevenly distributed, when leaders make decisions that shape the daily lives of millions, and when the most vulnerable often feel the consequences first. Ezekiel speaks into a world like this. As you read, consider where you find yourself in the passage – as part of the flock, as one entrusted with care, or simply as someone watching the story unfold.
Shepherds and Sheep 🔍
Eze 34:1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
Eze 34:7 ” ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.
…
That’s the opening of the passage, describing the situation of the shepherds and the sheep, giving God’s feelings/warnings about it to His prophet Ezekiel, who will deliver it to the leaders.
Having said that, this isn’t a Bible Study. I include the words from the Bible to show that God doesn’t sit by idly, watching His creation suffer out of disinterest or punishment. As I mentioned, He does wait for us to cry out to Him. Given the situation Ezekiel wrote about, that becomes clear. Honestly, we’re not really any different now. Below are just 2 short excerpts from a (late) pastor, Bible teacher, author, and speaker whose work I like very much.
Whenever leaders take from their people but don’t give them something in return, they are exploiting them. But true leaders don’t exploit their people-they sacrifice for them. Jesus the Shepherd set the example by laying down His life for His flock. 3Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (p. 152). Chariot Victor/Cook Communications. Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). in Be Reverent
That is Weirsbe’s concise summary of the verses you just read above. I invite you to compare that with leaders in the U.S. – and other countries – today.
Realizing that Ezekiel used an allegory to explain the situation, so we need to make the right substitutions, like beasts of prey are various threats in the world today. With that in mind, Ezekiel goes on to explain that God views these additional things to be on top of the exploitation called out initially.
The leaders not only exploited the sheep but they also abused them by neglecting to meet their needs. Sheep require constant care, but the leaders didn’t manage the nation’s affairs for the sake of the sheep but for their own profit. They didn’t care for them at all. If the leaders’ sins of commission were bad, their sins of omission were worse. They didn’t minister to the sick and injured, nor did they seek for the lost and scattered sheep. They ruled only with force and cruelty. Three times Ezekiel accused them of allowing the sheep to be scattered, and a scattered flock without a shepherd is vulnerable and easily attacked by beasts of prey (Jer. 50:6). Because the leaders made selfish and unwise decisions, the nation fell apart and the flock was scattered. 4Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (p. 153). Chariot Victor/Cook Communications.
After this, Ezekiel goes on to give a prophecy about how God will judge the shepherds (leaders). However, in what appears today to be a warning to the supporters of those leaders, Ezekiel also speaks to how God will judge between one sheep and another. My earlier encouragement for all of us to reflect on the possibility that we are both sheep and shepherds is now further enhanced to reflecting on how each sheep treats other sheep – whether that be directly or indirectly.
If you would like to explore all of this further, I will be writing an actual Bible Study over on my other site godversusreligion.org. I’ll add a link here when it’s published – or you can follow the current link and subscribe to the site to receive an email when new articles are posted there.
🎯 What gives us hope is that the “good news” of the Bible is not a slogan but a promise – God’s commitment to care for the flock Himself.
There are all sorts of passages that could be pulled out of the Bible about good news. Too many of them require something akin to a Bible Study to explain what they mean. But there’s one passage in Luke’s Gospel that’s in plain, everyday words. There’s no flowery words, no church words that only scholars understand. Just simple, honest reality. Even the passage title is easy to relate to: “Do Not Worry”.
Do Not Worry 🔍
12:22-31 pp – Mt 6:25-33
Lk 12:22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Lk 12:27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Lk 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Do you see what I mean? Who among those worried about having to survive on a $3 meal doesn’t want what’s promised in that passage? And, do you see why the “Good News” is good news? Too often we make it so complicated to understand why someone should even want to follow Jesus. We talk about “how to be a good Christian”. But maybe the first question should be, “Why should people want to share in the Kingdom of God?
🎯 What gives us hope is that the “good news” of the Bible is not a slogan but a promise – God’s commitment to care for the flock Himself. And we can all choose to be part of His flock.
If any part of what you just experienced here has stirred something in you – a question, a longing, a sense that things could be different – I invite you to sit with Jesus’ words: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” What would it look like to trust that promise in a world where so much feels uncertain?
When I write and lead classes, I often ask – “Why isn’t the “Good News” good news anymore? It’s not that it isn’t good news. It is. It’s the best news.
But there’s a saying I remember from many years ago:
Sometimes, when you’re in the swamp surrounded by alligators, it’s hard to remember that your original task was to drain the swamp.
Sometimes, with all the troubles and difficulties in this life, it’s hard to even imagine there’s a better way.
As the passage, “Do Not Worry” says, this life won’t necessarily be easy. However, there is hope. Hope for the next life, eternity with the God who created everything, owns everything, and who freely shares with all who choose to be part of His Kingdom in the next life.
But it’s more than that. It’s also hope, peace in the midst of the storms of life, even right now in this world. For me, that means peace from God as a six-year cancer survivor. I’ve been writing about my experiences over on my other site at Don’t Waste Your Cancer 🎗️ – God Versus Religion.org. (I’m in the process of moving there from another site – so it starts at that one – while the ones waiting to be moved are at Don’t Waste Your Cancer 🎗️ – God Versus Religion.com
I encourage you to just talk with God. You don’t have to be fancy or use big words. Just talk to Him with normal words. He created you – He understands them.
I have an example for you – Psalm 8 – I can’t believe God cares about me – something I wrote about the reality that the God who created everything actually does care about each and every one of us. But it does one more thing in the process. I always had a hard time praying – didn’t think I was elegant or “churchy” enough. But most of the Psalms were written by King David – a man after God’s own heart – in spite of all the things he did – like adultery and having the woman’s husband put in a situation where he was guaranteed to be killed in a battle. If God can love him – and call him “a man after His own heart” – he’s got room for you and me as well.
🙏🙏🙏 I’m praying for you. And so is Jesus. He said –
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Footnotes:
- 1
- 2
- 3Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (p. 152). Chariot Victor/Cook Communications.
- 4Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (p. 153). Chariot Victor/Cook Communications.
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