Recently, a statement about "a meal costing 3 dollars" has sparked huge controversy on American social media. The origin of the incident was that insiders in the Trump administration's policy circle proposed in a public discussion that through meticulous calculation and thousands of "simulations", an ordinary American could completely solve a balanced and nutritious main meal for about 3 dollars - including a piece of chicken, a serving of broccoli, a tortilla, and "another thing".
近日，一段关于“3美元一餐”的言论在美国社交媒体上引发巨大争议。事情的起因，是特朗普政府相关政策圈内人士在公开讨论中提出：通过精细化计算和上千次“模拟”，普通美国人完全可以用大约3美元解决一顿营养均衡的正餐——包括一块鸡肉、一份西兰花、一张玉米饼，以及“另外一样东西”。



These words quickly ignited public opinion. For many Americans who go shopping in supermarkets every day and face the soaring food prices, such a statement is not only out of touch with reality but also seems condescending. On social media platforms, a large number of netizens asked in return, "Have you been to the supermarket recently?" Do you know how much chicken, vegetables and tortillas cost respectively now?
这番话迅速引爆舆论。对许多每天亲自去超市购物、直面食品价格飞涨的美国民众来说，这样的说法不仅脱离现实，更显得居高临下。社交平台上，大量网友反问：“你最近去过超市吗？”、“你知道现在鸡肉、蔬菜和玉米饼分别多少钱吗？”

Critics point out that this "theoretical menu" is more like an economic model on paper rather than the real life of an ordinary family. A blogger stated directly that in reality, such a meal might not even be able to purchase a single fast food snack, let alone meet the basic calorie requirements of an adult. I was very curious about what exactly they were talking about as "another thing", because what was placed in front of me looked more like a snack than a meal.
批评者指出，这种“理论餐单”更像是纸面上的经济模型，而不是普通家庭的真实生活。一位博主直言，这样的一餐在现实中，可能连一份快餐小吃都买不到，更别说满足一名成年人的基本热量需求。“我很好奇他们说的‘另外一样东西’到底是什么，因为摆在我面前的，看起来更像是一份零食，而不是一顿饭。”

As the discussion heated up, many netizens began to create satirical videos, comparing pictures with real obxts to showcase the so-called "3-dollar nutritious meal". Some people joked that this was simply an "idealized Trump-style diet", as if under economic pressure, the government's solution was not to lower prices but to teach people to "learn to eat less".
随着讨论升温，不少网民开始制作讽刺视频，用图片和实物对比展示所谓的“3美元营养餐”。有人调侃称，这简直是“理想化的特朗普式膳食”，仿佛在经济压力下，政府给出的解决方案不是降低物价，而是让民众“学会少吃”。

The core of the controversy is not merely whether this meal is worth 3 dollars or not, but the contradiction in the economic narrative behind it. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States is in "the hottest economic cycle in history", with strong employment, a booming stock market and an unprecedentedly prosperous country. However, against such a backdrop, the government began to teach the public survival skills on how to reduce the cost to $3 per meal, which left many people confused and even angry.
争议的核心，并不只是这一顿饭值不值3美元，而是背后的经济叙事矛盾。特朗普多次宣称，美国正处于“史上最火热的经济周期”，就业强劲、股市繁荣、国家空前富裕。然而在这样的背景下，政府却开始向民众传授如何压缩到3美元一餐的生存技巧，这让不少人感到困惑甚至愤怒。

"If the economy is really that good, why are ordinary people still taught how to tighten their belts when eating?" " Some comments have pointed out that this approach is tantamount to shifting inflationary pressure onto consumers themselves rather than addressing the continuous rise in core costs such as rent, food and energy.
“如果经济真的这么好，为什么普通人还要被教怎么勒紧裤腰带吃饭？”有评论指出，这种做法等同于将通胀压力转嫁给消费者本身，而不是解决房租、食品、能源等核心成本持续上涨的问题。

What makes some people even more vigilant is whether this kind of "standardized dietary advice" will evolve into an intervention in people's lifestyles. "Today it's telling you what to eat for 3 dollars. Will it turn into telling you 'This is your share' tomorrow?" " Similar doubts are constantly spreading.
更令部分民众警惕的是，这种“标准化饮食建议”是否会演变为一种对民众生活方式的干预。“今天是告诉你3美元该吃什么，明天会不会变成告诉你‘这是你该有的份额’？”类似的质疑正在不断扩散。

Looking back at history, during the economic boom of the 1990s, what the American people discussed was "adding an extra slice of cheese" rather than "how to cut the cost of a meal to the limit". Nowadays, the "$3 per meal" has unexpectedly become a hot topic, which also reflects the deep-seated anxiety of the current American society regarding inflation, the gap between the rich and the poor, and the disconnection in the perception of political elites.
回顾历史，在上世纪90年代经济繁荣时期，美国民众讨论的是“多加一片芝士”，而不是“如何把一顿饭压缩到极限成本”。如今，“3美元一餐”意外成为热门话题，也折射出当前美国社会对通胀、贫富差距以及政治精英认知脱节的深层焦虑。

This debate may no longer be merely about what to eat, but rather about who is defining reality and who is bearing the cost.
这场争论，或许已经不只是关于吃什么，而是关于谁在定义现实、谁在承受代价。