Like WTF!? "Starving? You can't afford 'good' food working here, but you can afford the food you're already making!"
Also, I worked in a lot of kitchens before and never once paid for a meal. "Damn son, didn't mean to put cheese on that! Guess I'll have to make another one."
Never pay a company for your food if you're the one making it.
The only difference "free meals" have ever made to me is weather or not I let the manager see me eating. I probably ate $600 of organic frozen yogurt when I was working at the grocery store. They can shove their 10% employee discount up their ass.