The worldwide food emergency is becoming increasingly personal. Unlike in the 1980s and 1990s, images of starving children overseas no longer evoke the same emotional response. Many remain indifferent. However, hunger is now rapidly escalating across the United States and Canada. If you consistently manage to eat three meals each day, consider yourself fortunate, as 27 percent of Americans are unable to do so. Wealthier individuals often struggle to grasp the devastating impact of lacking funds for food. Millions within the U.S. frequently face hunger, contributing significantly to the widespread anger and tension in society today.
I repeatedly cautioned my audience that the initial sign of the global food crisis showing up in affluent Western nations would be through soaring food costs.
Since the start of this decade, we have been caught in a persistent cost-of-living squeeze. Food prices have surged, making grocery shopping increasingly difficult for many.
We have now arrived at a point where a large portion of the population cannot afford three meals daily.
Indeed, a recent survey revealed that 27 percent of U.S. adults are skipping meals due to rising food costs…
Intuit Credit Karma, which offers financial product insights, found that over a quarter of respondents reported skipping meals or cutting expenses elsewhere to deal with increasing costs. The online survey of 2,011 U.S. adults was conducted during the week of May 7.
Details show 28% delayed payments for essentials like rent or bills to afford groceries, while 27% admitted to occasionally missing meals. Additionally, 18% have applied or considered applying for food stamps and other aid programs, and 15% currently use or are thinking about food banks.
(The latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that 41.2 million Americans receive federal food assistance monthly, with the average benefit being $230.88.)
Skipping lunch is more prevalent than missing dinner among Americans.
Another study found that 54 percent of U.S. workers have skipped lunch “at least once a week” in 2026…
ezCater’s Lunch Report shows that 54% of full-time U.S. employees missed their work lunch at least weekly in 2026. The survey included 1,000 U.S.-based workers with a margin of error of ±3%.
Robert Kaskel, ezCater’s vice president of people, told CNBC Make It that this figure has risen each year for the past four years. In 2023, when the survey first began, 48% reported skipping one meal per workweek.
Most participants (81%) attributed changes in work eating habits to inflation, responding in various ways such as eating out less often, choosing cheaper foods, using discounts or loyalty programs, sticking to budgets, meal prepping, or seeking food at work.
Not all meal skipping is due to financial hardship.
Some miss lunch because work demands keep them busy.
Still, hunger is undeniably increasing.
A survey focused on hourly restaurant workers in the U.S. revealed that 61 percent have “skipped more than one meal per week during the past month because they couldn’t afford food”…
Food prices have stayed high for over three years, while dining-out expenses continue to rise. For millions of hourly restaurant workers, these costs take a significant toll.
The 2026 State of Hourly Restaurant Workers Study reports that 61% of surveyed hourly employees missed over one meal weekly in the past month due to affordability issues. Conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics and commissioned by Instant Financial, the national survey polled 750 hourly restaurant staff between March 3 and March 31, weighted by U.S. Census demographics. The report also found that 75% live paycheck to paycheck, increasing to 83% among non-management restaurant workers.
Sixty-one percent.
Consider that statistic carefully.
Restaurant positions have historically paid poorly.
Now, most don’t earn enough even to have three meals daily.
This reflects the reality for millions of Americans in 2026.
Because they are neither wealthy nor famous, their struggles remain invisible in mainstream media.
In Canada, the situation is even more severe…
Survey results indicate that 31% of Canadians reduced or skipped meals due to grocery costs, up from 27% in 2025. At the same time, reliance on community food support services increased from 11% to 15%.
If you are Canadian or have recently visited Canada, you likely recognize how shockingly expensive food has become there.
Tragically, young adults are bearing the brunt worse than others…
Young adults face the greatest burden, with 41% aged 18 to 34 skipping or cutting back meals and 23% using community food programs.
Being unable to afford three meals each day equates to living in poverty.
Though candid, this reality cannot be ignored.
The general standard of living has been declining, and demand for food banks has dramatically increased nationwide in 2026…
A recent NBC News survey of 48 of the largest food banks spanning 35 states and Washington D.C. found that nearly 75% reported growing numbers of visitors over the past year.
Many food banks frequently experience shortages due to overwhelming demand.
At this point, almost half of the nation struggles to cover basic necessities…
A Pew Research Center study found nearly 50% of Americans have trouble affording at least one basic need. Almost 75% of lower-income adults reported difficulties paying for groceries, housing, healthcare, or transportation.
If the current situation is this bleak, one can only imagine the consequences when economic conditions further decline.
As we move swiftly toward 2027, mass layoffs by large corporations are accelerating.
For example, Disney seems poised to undertake their biggest layoffs to date…
Sources familiar with the matter informed CNBC that Disney plans to eliminate several thousand jobs.
Managers have been directed to trim expenses by up to 20%, according to insiders who spoke anonymously.
Every time a well-paying position disappears, another American worker risks falling out of the middle class.
The middle class has been steadily shrinking for decades, and now faces the threat of collapse.
I have been warning about the decimation of the middle class for nearly twenty years, but it seemed to have little effect.
Authorities insisted that things would improve, yet 2026 paints a very different picture.
Original article: endoftheamericandream.com
About the Author
