Skip meals is not financial advice; it’s cruel

Photo: Gerald Farinas.

In recent months, headlines like “To Save Money, Skip Breakfast” and “People Skipping Meals to Save Money” have flooded financial advice columns and social media feeds.

As Americans brace for food prices to soar due to tariffs, already soaring prices from inflation, supply chain disruptions, and other policy-related factors, the burden has fallen hardest on those least able to bear it.

What was once unthinkable—suggesting that families forego basic nutrition to make ends meet—has become mainstream advice.

This trend is not just misguided; it is a moral indictment of a nation that prides itself on wealth and opportunity.

As Presbyterians, rooted in the Reformed tradition and guided by the teachings of Jesus Christ, we cannot look away.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) affirms that hunger is a violation of God’s intended order.

We are called to advocate for the marginalized, to care for the hungry, and to speak out against systems that perpetuate inequality and suffering.

In a nation as rich as ours, there is no justification for hunger. None.

The cruelty of policy-induced hunger

The rising cost of food in America is not merely a matter of market forces.

It is a consequence of policy decisions—tariffs that increase the cost of imported goods, cuts to food assistance programs, and a failure to regulate corporate practices that drive up prices while maximizing profits.

Note: Tariffs are not new. They’ve been created and existed by and through Democratic and Republican presidential administrations and congressional power shifts.

These choices disproportionately affect low-income families, the elderly, and vulnerable communities.

When policymakers prioritize economic gain over the well-being of millions, they send a clear message: survival is a privilege, not a right.

And now, instead of addressing the root causes of food insecurity, we are witnessing the normalization of hunger as a financial strategy.

Advising people to skip meals to save money is not financial literacy; it is a symptom of a society that has lost its moral compass.

This advice echoes a callous indifference to the pain of those who are already struggling to put food on the table.

It assumes that hunger is an acceptable consequence of economic hardship, rather than a crisis demanding immediate attention.

Biblical Mandate: Feed my sheep

The Gospel makes it clear that feeding the hungry is not optional.

In Matthew 25:35, Jesus says, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.”

Our faith teaches that caring for the hungry is a reflection of our love for God. To turn a blind eye to hunger in a land of abundance is a sin of omission—one that grieves the heart of God.

The PCUSA has long affirmed that economic justice is a core component of faithful discipleship. Our General Assembly has called on the church to address the root causes of hunger and poverty, advocating for policies that ensure food security for all.

As a denomination, we recognize that hunger is not simply about food scarcity—it is about power, inequality, and systemic injustice. To allow hunger to persist in the richest nation on earth is a moral failure.

Call to Justice: Breaking the cycle of hunger

As Presbyterians, we are not called to offer temporary relief while ignoring the structures that perpetuate poverty. We are called to challenge the systems that create hunger in the first place.

This means advocating for:

Living Wages: Ensuring that workers earn enough to feed their families.

Stronger Food Assistance Programs: Expanding access to SNAP and other vital resources.

Fair Trade and Tariff Policies: Preventing policies that artificially inflate the cost of essential goods.

Corporate Accountability: Calling out industries that exploit the vulnerable for profit.

We must also be present in our communities—supporting food pantries, organizing meal programs, and building networks of care that ensure no one is left hungry.

But charity alone is not enough.

We must advocate for structural change that uproots the causes of hunger.

When the Trump Administration doubled down on making stronger the policies that cuts off aid to the least of us, we have a call to fight them.

This is a moral crisis

It is a moral outrage that in the United States—a nation that throws away billions of pounds of food each year (sometimes on purpose to control prices)—families are being told to skip meals to survive.

It is a disgrace that our government’s response to rising food costs is to shift the burden onto the most vulnerable.

Hunger is not a budgeting issue.

It is a policy failure.

And until we confront that reality, we will continue to see the most vulnerable among us paying the price.

Our witness to the world

As the PCUSA, we bear witness to the Gospel not only in word but in action. We are called to be a prophetic voice, denouncing systems that perpetuate hunger and advocating for a world where everyone has enough to eat.

Our faith compels us to resist a culture that normalizes hunger and to proclaim a vision of justice where no one is forced to choose between feeding their family and paying the bills.

In the words of James 2:15-16, “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?”

To allow hunger to persist is to fail our neighbors and to reject our calling as disciples.

In this moment, we are being tested—not just in our compassion, but in our willingness to demand justice.

We have to rise to the challenge, not only to feed the hungry but to demand our leaders change the systems that leave them hungry in the first place.

In a nation of abundance, hunger is not inevitable. It is a choice.

And as followers of Christ, we have to say no much louder.